Data and Platform Manager Vacancy at IUCN Nepal Country Office | Kathmandu, Nepal 2026

Job Overview:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is inviting applications for the position of Data and Platform Manager at its Nepal Country Office in Kathmandu. This full-time, fixed-term role sits within the Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge unit and reports to the Red List Data Manager. The selected candidate will play a central role in shaping and delivering the Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) digital platform, combining IT product management and data management responsibilities. The appointment is for up to 24 months with the possibility of renewal, with an expected start date of May 1, 2026. Applications must be submitted online through IUCN's HR Management System no later than March 20, 2026.

About the Organization:

Founded in 1948, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world's largest and most diverse environmental network, bringing together more than 1,400 member organizations and approximately 16,000 experts. IUCN is uniquely composed of both government and civil society organizations, and serves as a leading provider of conservation data, assessments, and analysis. It provides public, private, and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools needed to balance human progress, economic development, and nature conservation. Through its broad membership, IUCN acts as a trusted repository of best practices, international standards, and conservation tools, and implements a large portfolio of conservation projects worldwide by combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities.

Job Highlights:

Key Responsibilities:

Product Strategy & Roadmapping:

• Develop, maintain, and update a long-term product roadmap for the RLE digital platform, data infrastructure, and AI-assisted tools, ensuring sustainability beyond immediate project cycles
• Define and communicate product vision, success metrics, and phased delivery plans for platform development and evolution
• Facilitate stakeholder and partner workshops to align development priorities
• Prioritize features and technical enhancements using measurable criteria including impact, feasibility, risk, scalability, data maturity, and AI readiness
• Ensure alignment with IUCN's digital transformation policies, the Conservation Data Hub vision, and interoperability with other IUCN data products
• Contribute to long-term planning for platform resourcing, technical debt management, and lifecycle management of software and data assets

Requirements Gathering & User Experience:

• Manage external consultant work in user research, system design, and technical development, translating outputs into formal requirements and user stories
• Map end-to-end data flows including ingestion, validation, versioning, assessment, review, and publication
• Ensure user-centred design principles are applied, with attention to accessibility, usability, multilingual support, and varying technical capacities of global users
• Maintain up-to-date system and data flow documentation to support onboarding, knowledge transfer, and long-term maintainability

AI & Data Functionality:

• Identify, assess, and prioritize use cases where AI and machine learning can support RLE processes, including automated data checks, geospatial anomaly detection, and NLP support
• Collaborate with scientists and developers to design safe and transparent AI features with clear evaluation metrics and quality assurance processes
• Support the design and development of data pipelines, metadata standards, and data models
• Contribute to embedding, Model Context Protocols (MCP), Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and other AI standards and techniques as appropriate

Project Coordination & Delivery:

• Coordinate with partners on product backlog management, sprint planning, and release schedules
• Coordinate contributions across software developers, DevOps teams, data engineers, and scientific contributors
• Oversee integration with existing IUCN systems and monitor delivery progress, dependencies, and risks
• Proactively address delays or resource constraints to keep platform delivery on track

Data Management, Governance & Compliance:

• Act as data steward for the RLE database, maintaining high standards of data quality, consistency, completeness, and documentation
• Establish and maintain data governance processes including data standards, validation rules, version control, audit trails, and long-term archiving strategies
• Ensure appropriate data sharing agreements, licenses, and permissions are in place with partners and contributors in line with IUCN policies
• Define a data governance framework with clear accountability and processes for monitoring data quality
• Establish data security policies and role-based access definitions across different data protection categories
• Develop and maintain a data and disaster recovery plan
• Ensure compliance with IUCN data policies, responsible AI guidelines, and privacy and ethics principles
• Identify and mitigate risks related to data quality, cybersecurity, AI bias, and system reliability

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Coordinate consultations, feedback sessions, and user-testing cycles to continuously improve platform functionality and data workflows
• Communicate product decisions and rationales clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Support capacity building through guidance materials, training resources, and best-practice documentation for data contributors and platform users

Required Qualifications & Experience:

Education:

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent professional experience in computer science, information systems, environmental science, or a related field is required.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in product management, technical coordination, or data management for digital platforms — particularly data-intensive or analytics-enabled systems — is required. At least two years of this experience must be within a multinational environment. Candidates must also demonstrate solid working knowledge of data management and governance practices, experience contributing to AI- or automation-enabled functionalities, and prior experience working within Agile environments.

Required Skills & Knowledge:

• Demonstrated ability to translate scientific or domain-expert requirements into clear technical requirements, user stories, or system specifications
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams including developers, data engineers, scientists, and UX or data specialists
• Strong communication, organizational, and prioritization skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders in an international setting
• Fluency in one IUCN official language and the local language

Desirable qualifications include:

• Experience with conservation, biodiversity, ecosystem, or environmental data systems
• Familiarity with geospatial data and GIS concepts, including spatial databases or APIs
• Working knowledge of cloud-hosted platforms and modern data infrastructure
• Exposure to large language models (LLMs), AI-assisted data workflows, or advanced data integration approaches such as RAG or vector databases
• Familiarity with the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems and/or Red List of Threatened Species processes
• Prior experience in an international, non-profit, or mission-driven organization

Salary & Benefits:

• Salary will be provided as per the organization's rules.

How to Apply:

If you meet the qualifications and requirements outlined above, kindly click the "Apply for Job" button below to proceed with your application before March 20, 2026.

Note: Applications must be submitted online through IUCN's HR Management System. Applicants will be required to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications submitted after the closing date will not be accepted. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time). Only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is the duration of this Data and Platform Manager contract at IUCN Nepal? 

A: This is a fixed-term appointment for up to 24 months, with the possibility of renewal depending on performance and organizational needs. The expected start date is May 1, 2026.

Q: Is experience with AI or machine learning required for this role? 

A: Experience contributing to or supporting AI- or automation-enabled functionalities is listed as an essential requirement. Exposure to large language models, RAG, vector databases, and other advanced AI integration approaches is desirable and will strengthen a candidate's application.

Q: Does this role require prior experience in environmental or conservation data systems? 

A: While not listed as an essential requirement, experience with conservation, biodiversity, ecosystem, or environmental data systems is listed as desirable. The core requirement is a minimum of eight years of professional experience in product management, technical coordination, or data management for digital platforms.