Position Summary

The Forest Protection & Partnership Manager (FPPM) leads MinFor's Forest Protection and IP–Community Partnership workstreams across the 11 CADTs of Davao Oriental. Reporting to the MinFor Project Lead, the position oversees forest protection operations, Indigenous Peoples engagement, stakeholder coordination, and field monitoring to reduce deforestation and strengthen community-based forest governance.

The FPPM provides leadership to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring effective planning, compliance, operational performance, and collaboration with Indigenous Political Structures (IPS), government agencies, and development partners.

As the head of MinFor's largest operational portfolio, the FPPM translates project strategy into coordinated field implementation while building a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Core Accountabilities

1. Provide leadership and management oversight of the Forest Protection and P–Community Partnership workstreams by directing supervisors, aligning operations, and ensuring delivery of project targets, KPIs, EOS Rocks, and annual work plans.

2. Build and maintain effective partnerships with Indigenous Political Structures, Tribal Councils, LGUs, DENR, NCIP, PNP, AFP, development partners, and other key stakeholders to strengthen community ownership and forest governance.

3. Provide strategic oversight to stakeholder engagement activities, ensuring sustained collaboration with LGUs, DENR, NCIP, PNP, AFP, Provincial Government, and other key institutions supporting forest governance.

4. Use field assessments, community feedback, stakeholder inputs, and spatial monitoring data to identify risks, guide operational decisions, and improve program effectiveness.

5. Develop capable and accountable teams through coaching, mentoring, performance management, and succession planning.

Competencies

1. Leadership Competencies

   • Strategic Leadership: Leads multidisciplinary teams and translates project plans into coordinated field operations.

   • People Leadership: Builds accountable teams through coaching, performance management, and effective delegation.

   • Stakeholder Engagement: Builds productive partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, government agencies, and project partners.

   • Decision Making: Makes timely, evidence-based decisions in complex operational and political environments.

   • Communication: Communicates effectively with diverse stakeholders and manages difficult discussions professionally.

   • Integrity & Accountability: Demonstrates ethical leadership, transparency, and responsibility for results.

2. Technical Competencies

   • Forest Protection Operations: Plans and oversees patrols, forest threat monitoring, enforcement coordination, and incident response.

   • Community Partnership: Works effectively with Indigenous governance systems and community institutions.

   • GIS & Spatial Monitoring: Uses GIS, GPS, and monitoring systems to support operational planning and decision-making.

   • Investigation & Case Management: Oversees incident investigation, documentation, and evidence management.

   • Performance Management: Uses KPIs, dashboards, and operational reviews to monitor team performance.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of leadership experience in forest protection, natural resource management, conservation, or environmental enforcement, including at least 5 years managing multidisciplinary field teams.

• Demonstrated experience working with Indigenous Peoples, ancestral domains, and government agencies.

• Proven ability to establish operational systems, improve organizational performance, and manage funded conservation or development projects.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Public Administration, Development Management, or a related field.

• Master's degree in Public Administration, Environmental Management, Project Management, or Natural Resource Management is preferred.