Biodiversa+ is recruiting a full-time Operational Manager responsible for People & Team Development. Based at the French Foundation for Research in Biodiversity (FRB) in Paris, the position is a maternity cover ending on 1 December 2027.
About the position
The Biodiversa+ Operational Team is a distributed secretariat hosted by partner organisations in seven European countries. It plays a central role in coordinating and implementing the Partnership’s activities. The Management Team comprises three Operational Managers who work closely together to provide coordinated leadership of the Operational Team. Each oversees a portfolio of Work Packages and leads one of three cross-cutting operational domains: Administration & Finance, Governance, and People & Team Development.
You will lead the People & Team Development domain and oversee:
- Work Package 3 on Nature-based Solutions and Business;
- Work Package 4 on Science-Policy interfacing;
- Work Package 5 on Internationalisation;
- Work Package 7 on Stakeholder engagement.
Main responsibilities
Working closely with the two other Operational Managers, the Biodiversa+ Chairs Team and Work Package Leaders, you will:
- Coordinate and supervise the Operational Team, supporting its effective functioning, cohesion and internal information flow;
- Promote cooperation across work plans, encourage synergies and help avoid overlaps between activities;
- Support the preparation, follow-up and reporting of meetings of the Partnership’s governance bodies;
- Contribute to internal reporting and mandatory reporting to the European Commission;
- Monitor the Operational Team’s functioning, needs and workload distribution;
- Coordinate onboarding, team development and capacity-building activities;
- Support effective internal communication and information-sharing practices;
- Oversee internal tools, processes and working methods that support team efficiency;
- Monitor internal needs relating to human resources, skills and staff well-being;
- Represent Biodiversa+ at meetings and events when delegated by the Chairs Team.
You will also be one of the two official contact points between Biodiversa+ and the FRB. The position is based within the FRB’s European & International Coordination Department. You will have a line manager within the FRB, while the substantive content of your work will be supervised by the Biodiversa+ Chairs Team.
Candidate profile
- Education and experience
- Master’s degree in social sciences, political sciences or natural sciences;
- Professional experience in environment or biodiversity and/or at the science-policy interface;
- At least four years of experience in a similar role, including at least two years of project and team management experience, preferably in an international or European context;
- Experience in budget management;
- Experience relating to the Convention on Biological Diversity, IPBES or Nature-based Solutions would be an asset.
- Skills and personal qualities
- Strong team management skills and the ability to foster team cohesion and engagement;
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work autonomously;
- Ability to manage several tasks and priorities;
- Strategic and pragmatic thinking;
- Good communication skills;
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multi-stakeholder environment;
- Ability to work within complex governance arrangements and follow established procedures;
- High proficiency in English, the working language of Biodiversa+;
- Fluency in French, the working language of the FRB.
The offer
- Location: French Foundation for Research in Biodiversity, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France
- Contract: Full-time fixed-term contract, maternity cover ending on 1 December 2027
- Monthly salary: €3,400 to €3,700 gross, depending on experience
- Start date: 16 November 2026
The official employer is the French Foundation for Research in Biodiversity, acting on behalf of the Biodiversa+ Partnership. Applicants must be eligible to work in France. Support for work permits is not provided. The position requires travel within Europe and regular presence at the FRB office in Paris, for at least two days per week.
For further details about the position and its requirements, please read the full job description.
How to apply
Send your CV and cover letter in English to:
- Anna Sándor: anna.sandor@fondationbiodiversite.fr
- Violaine Dory: violaine.dory@fondationbiodiversite.fr
Your cover letter should indicate your earliest possible starting date and confirm that you can work from the FRB office in Paris for at least two days per week.
Please:
- Send your cover letter and CV as a single PDF, with the cover letter first;
- Name the file FAMILY NAME_First name_OM2026;
- Use the email subject line “Application Biodiversa+ Operational Manager“.
Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis until 27 September 2026.
