Country Director, Timor-Leste

Location: Dili, Timor Leste – Hybrid Working

Duration: Permanent, full time

Closing date for applications: 5 December 2022

Start date: ASAP

Remuneration: Competitive based on experience

Reports to: Asia Director

Direct Reports: Six thematic leads and operations management

We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities

Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organization that puts people first. We support coastal fishers in remote and rural communities to rebuild fisheries, restore ocean life and build lasting pathways to prosperity. Our work began two decades ago in Madagascar’s remote coastal communities and is growing globally. Across a dozen countries, we’re partnering with traditional fishers and community organizations to design, scale, strengthen and sustain fisheries management and conservation at the community level. We bring partners together in networks to advocate for reform, and share tools and best practices to support fishing communities across the globe.

Summary job description

The Country Director is responsible for overseeing the safe, effective and efficient delivery of Blue Ventures’ activities in Timor-Leste. Setting the example for our culture and values, they lead a dynamic, multi-disciplinary, community-focused team of around 20 staff. The position leads our efforts in Timor-Leste supporting coastal communities to establish locally managed marine areas to sustain local fisheries and protect critical habitats, as well as strengthening the policy environment for equitable and sustainable marine and fisheries management, through strategic technical partnerships with the government.

The Country Director plays a key role in advancing BV’s global conservation strategy, informed and inspired by lessons from BV’s field locations across the world. The Country Director is responsible for marrying this global strategy with the needs and opportunities in Timor-Leste, evolving and implementing the national strategy for Timor-Leste through close community, partner and government engagement.

The Country Director is accountable for ensuring that our activities are well designed, respond intelligently to community needs, and are progressed on time and to budget through careful planning, decision-making and reporting. The role is also responsible for ensuring that BV’s overall commitments and workload are in line with our capacities and capabilities, ensuring that adequate adjustments are made in good time according to need. The UK support office and regional office support in Bali, Indonesia, is at the Country Director’s disposal for these purposes, with an expectation of close collaboration to meet our goals.

The Country Director is the primary in-country representative of Blue Ventures in Timor-Leste and is accountable for ensuring the team’s input to BV’s communications and knowledge management, as well as providing an effective conduit of information from the global network. They are the go-to person for senior government, funder, private sector and civil society engagements, and will be expected to manage these relationships proactively to further BV’s goals. This includes publishing and written thought leadership, as well as public speaking, networking at all levels from local communities to international conferences, and facilitating and accompanying field visits where required.

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