Job ID: 1ETM042
Project Manager
Shillong, Meghalaya, India

About Us

Earthtree is an India headquartered company that develops agroforestry projects  – rapidly scaling up climate action with real and measurable social and environmental benefits. In India, Earthtree grows new forests in a highly data driven manner, supporting regenerative horticulture and agriculture projects that can restore ecosystems that bring back biodiversity and support farmers with new sources of revenue. We support communities to help their land regeneration goals and engage with farmers, and landholders to help them achieve their land productivity goals.

Who and what are we looking for?

The Project Manager is supporting a large-scale reforestation project in Meghalaya, India, advancing strategy; and developing and helping to execute landscape reforestation plans in partnership with local communities; federal, state and local governments, nongovernmental organisations and local teams with an emphasis on building a diverse and inclusive coalition vision.

The candidate we are looking for will be responsible for providing technical guidance and leadership in the overall planning, design, installation, and maintenance of the engineering phases of agro-forestry planting, soil and water conservation practices and presentation of fires.
The ideal candidate will either have a civil engineering background with experience in large-scale infrastructure development projects or extensive experience in large-scale community-based project development, revegetation, agroforestry, or forest project management. You must possess excellent people skills and be inspired by the idea of working in a small, ambitious team, in a fast-paced environment. The job involves implementing strategies from a ‘square one’ basis and liaising with a wide variety of stakeholders, including local authorities, local communities and NGOs. Additionally, a strong background in organisational management and virtual team leadership is required. Experience with one of the following project management or program management software tools is mandatory: MS Project, HIVE, JIRA, Confluence, Trello, or ClickUp.

The role will also oversee risk management, quality assurance and safety of the project by hiring required personnel and overseeing the development and implementation of new processes, digital Workflows, safety, training and capacity building in partnership with the incoming Director of Organisational Development & Management who is based in Sydney.

We welcome applications from civil and mechatronics engineers with the required skills sets in program management linked to large scale machinery and landscape planning and operations with active program management experience. 

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Supervise planning, design and construction of engineering practices related to planting agro-forestry, water and land management, grazing management, erosion control, flood control, land restoration, and other conservation practices needing engineering guidance.
• Working in collaboration with Earthtree’s team and local communities to develop and scale a new tree planting project in Meghalaya, India including contract management, technical implementation, risk management, and communications. 
• Support the Director of Operation developing from scratch processes to optimise workflow, communication and reporting across the different teams.   
• Interpret plans and specifications for contractors, solving problems at local level as to proper interpretation of specifications.
• Serve as the contact point for the administration of construction contracts.
• Make site investigations and feasibility studies; field checks designs as needed.
• Evaluate risk, including climate risk and impact on project operations. Utilise best practice approaches to assess and mitigate risks and include in project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation workflows. 
• Perform supervisory responsibilities by providing technical and administrative direction to project staff and contractors.
• Support EarthTree partners in the development of agroforestry projects, including providing technical support and advising on project design, assessing the feasibility of projects, developing and reviewing Project Design Documents, and the validation and ongoing verification of projects within the Meghalaya region.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, including local communities, farmers, NGOs, and government agencies.
• Ensure that project documentation is up to date, accurate, and compliant with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Manage and oversee project activities, ensuring that they are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
• Monitor project progress and identify areas for improvement, making recommendations for adjustments as needed. It includes field visits to investigate existing conditions.
• Onboard yourself into Earthtree Workplace, JIRA, Confluence and Earthbanc MRV App – and check the posts each day and reply conscientiously with Earthtree colleagues to ensure you keep moving priorities and project deliverables forward.

Requirements:

• Civil Engineer/ Mechatronics Engineers/ Masters Degree or Higher in Environmental Management, Horticulture, Forestry, or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in large infrastructure project/ reforestation projects, related fields or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience developing and implementing road construction projects anywhere in India. Ideally NE India / Meghalaya but not necessary.
• Experience with one of the following project management or program management software tools is mandatory: MS Project, HIVE, JIRA, Confluence, Trello, or ClickUp.
• Expert in Excel / Google Sheets.
• Expert proficiency in Civil 3D software for designing roads, and tree rows to immediately determine the slope of the row.
• Practical experience in building templates, developing workflows, and creating systems from scratch.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team, as well as independently, with colleagues based in different locations and time zones around the globe.
• Own a valid driver’s licence and is capable of driving. 
• Excellent project and time management skills that utilise digital management tools.
• Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Strong prioritisation, staging, and sequencing skills.
• Result-oriented work approach with the ability to work quickly from concept creation to the implementation of project programs.
• Ability to guide fabrication of designs to meet landscape specific needs as desired.
• In-depth knowledge of Environmental Regulations/Guidelines. 
• Working knowledge of Environmental, Health and Social Impact Assessment.
• Working knowledge of attaining clearances as needed according to state and central regulations.  
• Demonstrated experience in, and commitment to, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and an ability to represent these values and practices to staff, stakeholders, and the public.

Desirable:

• Experience working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders, carbon registries, governments and NGOs.
• Understanding and knowledge of Afforestation, Reforestation and Agroforestry projects is a plus.
• Experience of working internationally in varied cultures and countries, or in different regions in India.
• Speaks fluent Khasi. Understanding of Jaintia language. 
• Experience of communicating to a diverse range of audiences.  
• Experience designing and presenting strategies, plans, processes, metrics, and information in a clear and comprehensible manner.
• Ability to remain calm and focused in stressful or complex situations.
• Good knowledge of data analysis and key performance indicators.
• Experience working with virtual teams in fast growing companies. 

Working at Earthtree

• This role is full-time with flexible hours.
• Relocation assistance.
• Join a fast growing business with a great opportunity to quickly grow your career. 
• Join the offices in Shillong, Meghalaya, India and help us positively impact climate, biodiversity and communities in India and globally. 
• We support some remote work but are moving to about half time in offices to encourage in-person collaboration and teamwork.
• We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability. We ensure every applicant gets an equal chance of success.

Other benefits

• Learning and development: We are on a constant learning journey and you will receive an annual learning and development budget to help you with this.
• Attractive leave policy,
• Hybrid work policy.