CONSERVATION MANAGER, WWF CAR

Position title: CONSERVATION MANAGER, WWF CAR

Reports to: Country Coordinator WWF CAR

Supervises: Forest program Officer and Ngotto project Officer

Location: Bangui, Central African Republic

Duration: 2 years

Deadline for submitting applications: November 18, 2022

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the largest independent conservation organizations in the world. Active in nearly 100 countries, we have been working in the Congo Basin in Central Africa for more than 20 years. Our mission is to stop environmental degradation around the world and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.

For our office in the Central African Republic we are looking for a dynamic and committed conservation manager who will lead the development, implementation and coordination of WWF’s conservation programs in the CAR. Ensure the continued alignment of WWF CAR’s strategic and conservation plans with national priorities, including the successful achievement of conservation key performance indicators at the WWF CAR office.

1. Major Functions

• Coordinate the operational implementation of CAR’s strategic and conservation plans: lead conservation staff in the development of annual work plans, oversee and ensure the implementation of these plans;
• Provide advice and support to the Country Coordinator for conservation aspects;
• Promotes the vision and objectives of CAR’s strategic and conservation plans to external stakeholders and WWF, and participates in the strategic partnership building/fundraising approach in collaboration with the National Coordinator and others regional leaders, if any;
• Provide leadership in the development of the conservation plan by identifying and designing new projects through participatory processes.

1. Major Duties and Responsibilities

Conservation Program planning and development

• Ensures that a Conservation Strategic Plan relevant to national priorities, civil society, and aligned with the Congo Basin/Africa Conservation Framework and GPF priorities, is developed and approved by the Country Coordinator and the Congo Basin Conservation Director/ROA;
• Ensures that the Conservation Strategic Plan is effectively implemented and contributing to the vision of Congo Basin/ACF and WWF’s Global Program Framework;
• Liaise with the FTNS leaders and within the Network to gather information relevant to the development and implementation of the Conservation Strategic Plan and its component programs/projects; and
• In line with the WWF CAR Strategic Plan, develops annual Conservation Program work plans and budgets with clear priorities and KPIs for WWF CAR, and ensures their efficient implementation.

Project design and proposal development

• Oversees and, as appropriate, leads the development of WWF CAR project proposals, in collaboration with other WWF staff as appropriate;
• In coordination with the Communications Officer and the Finance Manager or his/her delegate, reviews all project proposals/budgets prior to submission to donors to ensure that they are designed/planned in accordance with WWF Standards of Conservation Project and Program Management, and consistent, correct, and coherent with the WWF CAR Conservation Strategic Plan; and
• Ensures that annual work plans and budgets for all programs and projects are developed.
• Develop regularly reviewed and updated project monitoring tools – data collection, formats, checklists of program activities and procedures;
• Streamline reporting systems – provide assistance to program managers and project managers, including external offices, in the process of completing the various report formats;
• Manage and mentor conservation staff and provide them with technical assistance;
• Monitor the progress of projects and the problems encountered and the corrective measures to be taken;
• Ensure that all reports (technical and financial) are submitted and published on the WWF database in a timely manner;

Implementation and monitoring

• Ensures the effective implementation of program and project work plans;
• Ensures strong delivery on the WWF CAR Conservation KPIs;
• In line with the requirements of a Network-wide monitoring and reporting system, ensures the establishment and implementation of a monitoring and reporting system for WWF-CAR, measuring its performance against its Conservation Strategic Plan while providing support to field projects for improvement;
• Ensures that meetings to monitor the progress of the WWF CAR Conservation Strategic Plan are held every six months, attended by WWF senior managers, key Conservation program and project managers, and, as appropriate, external and other relevant WWF stakeholders;
• Holds other Conservation Program management meetings on a regular basis;
• Visits program/project field sites on a regular basis;
• Acts as the principal point of contact in the country office for all field activities, ensuring that appropriate support from the office is provided; and
• Identifies national/international consultants, and develops or assists with (as appropriate) the preparation of Terms of Reference for consultants, the launching of tenders, and the drafting of contracts in collaboration with the People and Culture Officer and Finance Manager.

Liaison, lobbying, and policy-influencing

• Assists the Country Coordinator in the development of overall and partner-specific WWF CAR partnership strategies, including fundraising components;
• Ensures strategic/policy engagement with relevant international and national stakeholders on conservation and related issues, in collaboration with the Country Coordinator, Project Managers, as appropriate;
• Develops, participates in, and oversees strategic partnership-building / fundraising approaches with government, donors, civil society, corporate, and WWF stakeholders, in coordination with the Country Coordinator, and Project Managers, as appropriate;
• Promotes the vision and objectives of the WWF CAR Conservation Strategic Plans to government, donors, civil society, corporate, and WWF stakeholders at national- and international-level meetings, conferences, and fora, in collaboration with the Country Coordinator and/or other WWF CAR/Network representatives; and
• Works closely with the Communications Officer in the sub-region and the network on the development and implementation of a Communications and Partnership Development Strategies supporting all of the above.

Reporting

• Ensures timely technical and financial reporting to donors, the Country Coordinator, and all relevant parts of the WWF Network, as required and according to agreed standards;
• Coordinates with the Finance Manager to ensure that the latter posts all technical and financial reports and other relevant documents onto the WWF Project Database; and
• Cooperates with programmatic audits, and implements audit recommendations in a timely manner.

1. Profile

Required Qualifications

• More than 10 years of professional experience of which at least 5 years in a management role in Central Africa, with demonstrated success in managing multidisciplinary teams;
• Minimum Master’s degree in an environmental/conservation field. An additional university degree and training in business management, international relations/development or other related fields would be a great advantage;
• Proven track record in developing, leading and managing large-scale programs and/or institutions in conservation, natural resource management, international development and/or other related fields;
• A proven leader with experience leading and managing conservation programs in Congo and the region, including cross-border conservation programs;
• Good knowledge and understanding of conservation priorities and programs in the sub-region and in Africa
• Superior oral and written communication skills in English and French

Required Skills and Competencies

• Proven leadership and team management skills;
• Fluency in English and French;
• Demonstrated skills in project planning, proposal writing, financial management, implementation, evaluation and experience working with donors;
• Strong professional interest in nature conservation.
• Adhere to WWF’s values: Integrity, Collaboration, Courage and Respect.

1. Working Relationships

Internal – The Conservation Manager will work closely with the National Coordinator and the National Team, Regional Conservation Team and WWF Network.

External – Interacts with technical departments of ministries, as well as government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, media, donors, specialists/consultants and other stakeholders.