Join one of India’s oldest wildlife research and conservation organizations, with opportunities for both freshers to dip their toes into conservation, as well as experienced professionals to become a part of our ever-growing CWS Team.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure the effective implementation of CWS’s mission, programs, organizational systems, and institutional priorities. The COO will work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to translate organizational strategy into coordinated execution, strengthen internal systems, and ensure accountability, efficiency and organizational sustainability.

Key Responsibilities
● Strategic Execution: Translate organizational strategy into actionable plans, priorities, timelines, and measurable outcomes, working closely with the CEO and leadership team.

● Operational Leadership: Oversee day to day organizational operations, strengthen processes and systems, and ensure effective coordination across different conservation programs.

● People & Organisational Development: Work with HR and senior leadership on organizational structure, workforce planning, performance management, leadership development, and organizational culture.

● Fundraising & Resource Mobilisation: Work closely with the CEO and leadership team to develop and implement fundraising strategies, strengthen donor and institutional relationships, identify new funding opportunities, support proposal development, and mobilise resources aligned with CWS’s strategic priorities.

● Financial & Resource Management: Work with CEO, finance and conservation teams on budgeting, resource allocation, expenditure monitoring, and organizational sustainability.

● Governance, Risk & Compliance: Strengthen internal controls, policies, SOPs, risk management, and compliance with applicable laws and organizational requirements.

● Systems & Process Improvement: Drive continuous improvement of organizational workflows, technology systems, reporting mechanisms, and decision-making processes.

● External Engagement: Represent CWS, as delegated by the CEO, in engagements with government agencies, donors, partners, and other institutional stakeholders.

● Executive & Decision Support: Support the CEO with organizational analysis, management reviews, strategic follow-up, and ensuring timely implementation of key decisions.

● Institutional Development: Lead organization-wide initiatives that strengthen CWS’s capacity, efficiency, accountability, and long-term sustainability.

● Performance & Accountability: Establish clear organizational performance indicators and accountability mechanisms, regularly review progress, and ensure timely corrective action where required.

Required Skills

1. 10–15 years of progressive experience in senior management, operations, strategy, or organisational leadership, with a proven track record in fundraising and resource mobilisation and prior experience in the NGO/non-profit sector at the level of Director, COO, or equivalent senior leadership position, preferably within the development, conservation, research, or non-profit sector.

2. Proven experience in managing large, complex, multi program organizations, with the ability to coordinate teams and operations across multiple locations.

3. Strong strategic thinking and execution skills, with the ability to translate organizational priorities into clear plans, systems, and measurable outcomes.

4. Excellent leadership, people management, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior leadership, program teams, partners, donors, and government stakeholders.

5. Education: A postgraduate qualification in management, public administration, business, social sciences, development studies, conservation, or another relevant discipline is preferred. Equivalent professional experience and demonstrated leadership capability may also be considered.

6. Strong understanding of organisational systems, governance, risk management, compliance, and institutional processes, preferably within a Trust/NGO or mission-driven organisation.

Application Process

1. Letter of Intent (1 – 2 pages), describing personal interest and experience
2. Resume/CV with relevant work experience
3. References (minimum of 3 with contact details)

To apply, please fill the form here. For queries, write to the Akhil (akhil.sp@cwsindia.org).

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Start Date: Immediate
Location: Bengaluru

The Chief of Staff will partner closely with the Chief Executive Officer to drive organizational execution, streamline systems, and oversee cross-functional initiatives in a rapidly growing organization. This role requires a high-agency, strategic, and execution-oriented leader who thrives in ambiguous environments, spots organizational gaps early, and independently drives solutions end-to-end. The ideal candidate brings strong experience in organizational building, systems implementation, and cross-team coordination in a growing or fast-scaling environment. The Chief of Staff will serve as a key bridge between the CEO, leadership team, and external stakeholders, ensuring that priorities translate into action and that the organization operates with clarity, accountability, and momentum.

Key Responsibilities

  • Act as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, helping define organizational priorities and ensuring they are clearly communicated and executed across teams.
  • Translate strategy into structured execution plans with clear ownership, milestones, and accountability, and track progress across key organizational initiatives.
  • Proactively identify organizational gaps, bottlenecks, and opportunities, and independently design and drive solutions end-to-end.
  • Lead and monitor the execution of high-priority initiatives across operations, fundraising, HR, technology, and communications, ensuring cross-team alignment and timely delivery.
  • Build and implement systems for project management, decision tracking, internal communication, and information flow to strengthen organizational effectiveness.
  • Introduce and manage enterprise tools such as CRMs, project management platforms, knowledge repositories, and AI-enabled productivity tools, ensuring adoption and consistent use across teams.
  • Support leadership team processes including annual planning, progress reviews, and resolution of cross-functional bottlenecks in collaboration with the CEO, Directors, and Program Managers.
  • Represent the CEO Office in meetings with donors, advisors, partners, and senior stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and diligent follow-through.
  • Support fundraising and external engagement through proposal development, narrative building, data consolidation, and coordinated donor communication.
  • Strengthen organization-wide communication and contribute to outward-facing storytelling that effectively conveys the organization’s work, impact, and vision.
  • Lead special strategic projects requiring cross-department collaboration, structured problem-solving, and high execution ownership.

Required Skills

  • At least 15+ years of experience in a Development Sector Organization leading cross-functional projects, systems-building, or strategic execution in a growing organization (social enterprise, startup, consulting, climate/sustainability sector preferred).
  • Proven ability to operate with high agency and ownership, identifying problems early and driving solutions from concept through execution.
  • Exceptional project and operations leadership, with a proven ability to bring structure, clarity, and accountability to complex and unstructured settings.
  • Highly proactive, execution-oriented self-starter who anticipates needs, drives initiatives forward, and works independently with minimal oversight.
  • Outstanding communication skills, including writing, facilitation, and executive-level presentations.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while collaborating effectively across diverse, multidisciplinary teams.
  • Strong analytical and organizational skills, with hands-on experience implementing and managing digital systems (CRMs, project management platforms, and knowledge-management tools).
  • Strong external-facing capability, with confidence engaging donors, partners, advisors, and senior stakeholders.
  • Comfort using and experimenting with technology and AI tools to improve productivity, decision-making, and organizational systems.
  • Entrepreneurial, collaborative, and mission-driven, with strong curiosity and interest in wildlife conservation, climate action, and rural development.

Application Process

  • Letter of Intent (1 – 2 pages), describing personal interest and experience.
  • Professional References (minimum of 3 with contact details).
  • Resume/CV with relevant work experience.

Please fill the form here to be considered for this position.

Can you use your HR expertise to build a strong, efficient team supporting wildlife conservation efforts in India? In this role, you will be managing Human Resource Responsibilities to ensure effective people management for the Centre for Wildlife Studies.

Key Responsibilities
1. Maintaining physical and digital personnel records.
2. Work closely with different departments for HR processes
3. Work closely with Admin and Finance team for related tasks.
4. Communicate regularly with staff to address queries and liaise with senior management as needed.
5. Develop, maintain, and deliver onboarding and training materials.
6. Collect and organize payroll data
7. Manage end-to-end recruitment and selection processes with the hiring team

8. Personnel Management
9. Prepare HR-related reports, dashboards, and presentations for management review.
10. Manage relationships and negotiate with vendors for HR and organizational requirements.
11. Contribute to and support workplace policies
12. Plan and coordinate employee training and development programs to enhance skills and performance
13. Oversee the Administrative team coordination

Required Skills
1. Excellent analytical thinking and communication skills.
2. Minimum 5 years of work experience in Managing HR and Admin Functions.
3. MBA -HR or equivalent educational qualification.
4. Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, GoogleDrive, Slack and Asana.
5. Understanding of HRIS systems and ERP systems

Application Process
1. Letter of Intent (1 – 2 pages), describing personal interest and experience
2. Resume/CV with relevant work experience
3. References (minimum of 3 with contact details)

To apply, please click here.

The Centre for Wildlife Studies seeks a proactive and organized Media & Outreach Fellow to support its social media, website, written communication and image library. The Fellow will work with various teams to communicate CWS’ work clearly and accurately, maintain current website content, and organize photographs for use across institutional communications.

The role will involve social media management, writing and editing, basic design, routine website updates, image organization, and reviewing communication performance. The Fellow may take deeper responsibility for selected areas based on their strengths, experience, and evolving team priorities.

Requirements:

1. Social Media and Public Communication

  • Support the planning and management of CWS’ social media calendar.
  • Create, edit, schedule, and publish content across social media platforms.
  • Develop content around research publications, conservation programs, field updates, events, awards, media features, and organizational announcements.
  • Coordinate with CWS teams to collect updates, verify information, and prepare content for publication.
  • Draft captions, design creatives, and coordinate visual and multimedia content.
  • Support social media communication for fundraising campaigns and outreach initiatives.
  • Ensure that communication is accurate, accessible, and aligned with CWS’ language, scientific, and brand guidelines.
  • Track social media performance and audience engagement, and help identify opportunities to improve content.
  • Track and maintain records of CWS media coverage.
  • Support the drafting and coordination of press releases, media notes, and related communication.

2. Website and Institutional Content

  • Assist with routine website updates, including blogs, publications, program pages, team information, campaign pages, and institutional content.
  • Support the writing, editing, formatting, and publication of blogs, Wild Science articles, research explainers, and other website content.
  • Help maintain consistent organizational statistics, profiles, and commonly used institutional information.
  • Prepare and upload images with appropriate captions, credits, and alternative text.
  • Track website performance using relevant analytics and reporting tools.

3. Image Library

  • Support the collection and organization of photographs from CWS teams, field visits, events, photographers, and collaborators.
  • Maintain a searchable image library using consistent folders, file names, tags, and descriptions.
  • Record relevant information, including photographer credits, dates, locations, species, programs, and captions.
  • Maintain records of permissions, consent, and usage restrictions, and flag missing information before images are used.
  • Help identify and select suitable images for social media, the website, fundraising campaigns, presentations, publications, and other institutional needs.
  • Coordinate with teams to identify gaps in image coverage and source additional photographs.
  • Support routine library maintenance, including identifying duplicates and following established storage and backup practices.

Required Skills:

  • 0–2 years of relevant experience in communications, media, journalism, digital marketing, public relations, digital asset management, or a related field.

  • A strong interest in growing as a social media professional.
  • Demonstrated interest in social media, content creation, wildlife conservation, environmental science, social impact, or nonprofit communication.
  • Strong written and spoken English.
  • Strong proficiency in Canva.
  • Ability to understand research or program updates and communicate them in accessible language.
  • Familiarity with social media platforms and digital content formats.
  • Attention to detail when managing content, files, captions, credits, and records.
  • Willingness to learn new digital platforms, analytics tools, and communication systems.

Preferred Skills (Not Mandatory)

  • Experience managing social media accounts, updating websites, or organizing image libraries.
  • Videography and video-editing experience.
  • Familiarity with WordPress, Hootsuite, Google Analytics, Asana, or similar platforms.
  • Experience drafting blogs, research explainers, press releases, institutional profiles, or campaign communication.
  • Basic understanding of audience analytics, website analytics, digital campaigns, or search optimization.
  • Experience working with research, conservation, education, development, or social-sector organizations.
  • Familiarity with responsible use of AI-assisted research, writing, or workflow tools.
  • Proficiency in Kannada or another Indian language is an advantage but not mandatory.

Incomplete entries will not be considered. If you have any queries, please reach out to jeremiah.kennedy@cwsindia.org
Click here to apply.

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Start Date: Immediate
Location: Bengaluru
Application Deadline: 20th March 2026

The Executive Assistant to the CEO will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer to ensure smooth day-to-day operations of the CEO’s office, manage executive scheduling, coordinate internal and external communication, and support the execution of key organizational priorities. The role requires a highly organized, proactive, and detail-oriented professional who can manage multiple responsibilities while maintaining confidentiality and efficiency in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

  • Manage the CEO’s calendar, scheduling internal and external meetings while prioritizing competing demands and ensuring efficient time management.
  • Coordinate communication on behalf of the CEO with internal teams, board members, donors, partners, and senior stakeholders.
  • Prepare briefing materials, meeting notes, presentations, and follow-up action trackers for CEO meetings and engagements.
  • Support the CEO in tracking organizational priorities, ensuring timely follow-through on decisions and commitments.
  • Organize and coordinate leadership meetings, including agenda preparation, documentation, and tracking of action items.
  • Manage travel planning, logistics, and itineraries for the CEO’s domestic and international engagements.
  • Act as the primary coordination point for the CEO Office, ensuring smooth information flow between departments and leadership.
  • Assist with preparation of reports, presentations, and documents for board meetings, donor engagements, and strategic discussions.
  • Maintain confidential records, documents, and correspondence related to the CEO Office.
  • Anticipate the needs of the CEO and proactively manage administrative, logistical, and communication requirements.

Required Skills

  • 4-5 years of experience supporting senior leadership in the development sector or similar organizations

  • Strong organizational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage calendars, meetings, travel, and follow-ups across multiple teams.

  • Proactive and dependable self-starter who anticipates leadership needs and ensures smooth day-to-day operations.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including drafting emails, preparing documents, and supporting presentations for senior leadership.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, track tasks, and coordinate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Comfortable using digital tools such as calendars, document management systems, spreadsheets, and project tracking tools.

Application Process

  • Letter of Intent (1 – 2 pages), describing personal interest and experience.

  • Resume/CV with relevant work experience.
  • Professional References (minimum of 3 with contact details).

Please fill the form here to be considered for this position.

In this role, you’ll conduct awareness workshops, assist in fieldwork, build lasting connections with communities, as well as liaison with various stakeholders and government offices. Join us in creating safer spaces for both people and wildlife!

Location: Maharashtra (1), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (1)
Type: Full Time

Key Responsibilities

  1. Conducting workshops on public health and training in Marathi/Telugu.
  2. Conducting field surveys and participant interviews.
  3. Supporting the field and research teams in data collection, entry, and organization.
  4. Travel and stay in remote locations in Maharashtra/Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
  5. Logistical support to field teams.

Required Skills

  1. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in science is mandatory.
  2. Prior experience in public speaking and engaging with local and remote communities.
  3. Excellent English communication skills.
  4. Verbal and written proficiency in Marathi/Telugu is mandatory.
  5. Excellent communication and public speaking skills.
  6. Two-wheel motor driving License and experience.

Preferred Skills

1. Prior experience in liaising with government officials
2. Four-wheel motor driving License and experience.

Application Process
1. Resume/CV with relevant work experience
2. To apply, fill out this form.

In this role, you will lead daily field operations, respond to human–wildlife conflict, engage communities, and support the Wild Seve program across high-conflict landscapes in Karnataka.

Location: Karnataka
Type: Full Time

Key Responsibilities

  1. Lead daily field operations, including team coordination, logistics, and response to human–wildlife conflict cases across project landscapes.
  2. Build and maintain strong relationships with various government departments, village communities, and partner organizations to ensure seamless program implementation.
  3. Conduct community meetings and awareness activities with clear, confident public speaking.
  4. Document conflict cases through detailed reports, photographs, and timely field updates.
  5. Manage data effectively using MS Office, GPS/maps, and digital reporting tools.
  6. Travel extensively (up to 90% of the time) across protected areas in the central Western Ghats of Karnataka, including Mookambika, Someshwara, Kudremukha, and the surrounding protected areas.
  7. Ride two-wheelers confidently with a valid driving license (a four-wheeler license is an added advantage).
  8. Maintain consistent communication with field teams, project coordinators, program managers, and the Centre for Wildlife Studies headquarters in Bengaluru.

Required Skills

  1. Bachelor’s degree in wildlife science, environmental studies, social sciences, or related fields (preferred but not mandatory).
  2. Experience in field-based conservation, community engagement, or conflict mitigation initiatives.
  3. Strong public speaking skills, with confidence in addressing groups and engaging communities.
  4. Ability to work independently in demanding field conditions, with strong problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
  5. Fluency in Kannada and English, both verbal and written.

Application Process
1. Resume/CV with relevant work experience
2. To apply, fill out this form.