Team Leader / Protected Area Expert – Saudi Arabia

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Team Leader / Protected Area Expert for a environment consultancy assignment financed by IUCN ROWA Jordan in Saudi Arabia.

Aninver Development Partners is seeking an expert Team Leader / Protected Area Expert for an upcoming environmental consultancy assignment in Saudi Arabia. Working in partnership with IUCN ROWA Jordan, this initiative aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation and support sustainable management of marine and terrestrial protected areas across the country.

The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary team to design and pilot a comprehensive, conservation-led framework for sustainable visitor use and ecotourism. The role combines strategic policy guidance, stakeholder coordination, and rigorous field assessments to balance ecological preservation with controlled, inclusive visitor access in key protected sites.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Lead the overall delivery of the protected-area ecotourism and sustainable visitor-use assignment in Saudi Arabia.
• Oversee the development and piloting of a national framework for determining visitor-use authorization in marine and terrestrial protected areas.
• Ensure alignment with national conservation priorities, international good practice, and the strategic objectives of IUCN and partner institutions.
• Coordinate stakeholder consultations, field assessments, and institutional capacity-building activities across selected pilot sites.

Scope of work

• Review applicable national policies, legislation, regulations, institutional mandates, strategies, and international good practices.
• Assess existing visitor use, ecological and cultural sensitivities, institutional capacity, infrastructure, risks, and management needs within selected protected areas.
• Develop a national Sustainable Visitor Use and Ecotourism Framework comprising measurable principles, criteria, standards, indicators, and practical decision tools.
• Undertake formal visitor-use readiness assessments for designated pilot sites.
• Prepare site-specific Visitor Use Management Plans for pilot terrestrial and marine protected areas.
• Develop practical standard operating procedures, templates, and monitoring tools for protected-area managers.
• Strengthen the capacity of national environmental authorities, protected-area teams, and relevant stakeholders.
• Establish an implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive-management system.

Your role as Team Leader / Protected Area Expert

• Provide overall technical, administrative, and managerial leadership for the consulting team throughout the project lifecycle.
• Manage the inception phase, confirming methodologies, work programmes, stakeholder mapping, and deliverable schedules with IUCN and national authorities.
• Direct the national and site-level situation analysis and baseline reviews of policies, legislation, and current visitor practices.
• Lead the formulation of the national Sustainable Visitor Use and Ecotourism Framework and decision-support tools.
• Supervise site-specific readiness assessments and the drafting of tailored Visitor Use Management Plans for pilot sites.
• Coordinate capacity-building workshops, training sessions, and consultations with key institutional stakeholders.
• Ensure high-quality, timely submission of all technical deliverables and reports in accordance with project standards.

Requirements

• Education: Advanced university degree in protected-area management, sustainable tourism, visitor-use planning, environmental management, biodiversity conservation or a closely related field
• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated experience leading comparable protected-area visitor-use, ecotourism or sustainable-tourism assignments and supporting practical implementation of visitor-management systems
• Languages: Excellent written and spoken English; working knowledge of Arabic and experience in Saudi Arabia or the wider Middle East are desirable

Desirable

• Working knowledge of Arabic.
• Previous professional experience in Saudi Arabia or the wider Middle East region.

An experienced Protected Area Team Leader with a strong background in ecotourism framework development, biodiversity conservation, and stakeholder coordination within the Middle East.

Assignment details

• Location: Saudi Arabia
• Financed by: IUCN ROWA Jordan
• Sector: Environment
• Estimated duration: 9 months
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a IUCN ROWA Jordan-financed project in Saudi Arabia.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? Yes, unless the requirements say otherwise; relevant regional experience is an asset.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.