Community Conservation Coordinator

Job Description

Position: Community Conservation Coordinator

Reports to: Manovo Bamingui Landscape Manager

Positions Managed: N/A

Location: N'Dele, Central African Republic

Country Program/Sector: WCS Central African Republic

Position Type: Full-time

Scope/Capacity: Country

Coordinate with: Country Management team, finance team

About The Organization

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a U.S. non-profit, tax-exempt private organization established in 1895. It saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit both nature and humanity.

About The Sudan-Sahel Region

The Sudano-Sahel Region presents unparalleled opportunities for WCS to play a direct role in saving some of the last remaining intact wildernesses on the planet.

About The Central African Republic Program

WCS has recently launched a private-public partnership program with the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) for management of the northern CAR protected area complex.

Job Profile

This is a full-time position, based at the N’Dele Coordination Hub, covering rights and community conservation activities in Bamingui–Bangoran National Park, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park and secondary protected areas in between, with frequent travel throughout the entire Manovo-Bamingui landscape, and occasional international travel in the region.

Major Responsibilities

Leadership, strategy, and team management

• Lead and manage a team of highly motivated rights and community team members (+15 staff), providing overall strategic direction for the program, technical input, and mentoring of staff members.
• Lead the implementation of ongoing rights and community conservation programs and collaboration with Central African civil society organisations and other local partners.
• Participate in strategy meetings and help to ensure sound operations of the program.
• Work with the WCS CAR staff, the Program Director, and the Landscape Director on work plans, reporting, and budgets.
• Document and report on program outputs promptly.

Land-use planning and governance

• Oversee land-use planning and micro-zoning activities and governance structures across the landscape.
• Provide support and advice to the land-use coordinator.
• Work with international, national and field staff and organizations to create awareness to promote wildlife conservation.
• Integrate the socio-economic and land-use/tenure data into the relevant GIS databases.

Transhumance and pastoralist engagement

• Oversee transhumance and pastoralist activities.
• Provide technical support to the pastoralist coordinator.
• Develop innovative approaches to include transhumance and pastoralists in conservation activities.

Rights and social safeguards

• Oversee gender and human rights mainstreaming across all departments of the CAR program.
• Provide support to the social safeguards coordinator.
• Design appropriate Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) and monitoring systems.

Livelihood programs

• Oversee and develop an innovative community livelihoods program.
• Provide support to the livelihood coordinator.
• Provide technical community conservation support to green growth initiatives.
• Oversee value chain analysis, development, and commercial market access programs.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

• Provide support to the M&E coordinator to collect relevant M&E data.
• Develop strategies to integrate and implement community and socio-economic related aspects of the overall program.
• Oversee research designs and data collection.
• Provide training and mentoring to the WCS CAR Program staff.

Qualification Requirements

Minimum Requirements and Job Skills (Required)

• Master's degree in a relevant study.
• Proven experience with international organizations in Africa (+7 years).
• Experience with team management and mentoring.
• Knowledge of natural resource management and land-use planning.
• Efficient at coordinating multiple resources.
• Good technical, logistical and financial management of projects.
• Proven experience in capacity building of partners.
• Commitment to wildlife conservation.
• Fluency in French and English.
• Proven ability to work in multicultural environments.

Additional Requirements

• Significant work experience in the Sudano-Sahel region.
• Knowledge of Central Africa and Sudano-Sahel environmental and political issues.
• Direct experience with environmental and social safeguards frameworks.
• Prior work with climate change adaptation programs.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer. We are dedicated to hiring and engaging a diverse workforce.

How To Apply

Interested candidates who meet the above qualifications should apply through the application tab by April 23rd, 2025.

Please send a detailed application/cover letter and a detailed CV. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Salary Range

Competitive salary commensurate with experience.