Regional Marine and Coastal (MACO) Programme Coordinator- IUCN West and Central Africa Programme – PACO
Vacancy #: 2626
Unit: Coastal and Marine Programme
Organization: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location: Senegal Programme Office, Dakar, Senegal
Reporting to: Regional Programme Coordinator
Work percentage: 100%
Grade: SP
Expected start date: 01 April 2018
Type of contract: Fixed-term (12 months with possibility of renewal)BACKGROUND
Our mission: “To influence, encourage & assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity & diversity of nature & to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable & ecologically sustainable.”

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

The Regional Office for West and Central Africa currently has over 100 staff members working in its offices in Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Niger, Cameroon, Ghana, Congo DR. The IUCN Regional Office for West and Central Africa is located in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The general role of the Regional Marine and Coastal Programme Coordinator is to manage the Regional Marine and Coastal Programme by giving it a clear vision and leadership on marine and coastal issues in the West and Central Africa region.

He/she reports directly to the Regional Programme Coordinator with technical supervision of the Global Marine and Polar Programme. However, the hierarchical and functional links of the position may evolve over time to adapt to changes that the internal organization might be aware of.
JOB DESCRIPTION
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SPECIFIC DUTIES

The Marine and Coastal Programme of the IUCN West and Central Africa – MACO is in charge of marine and coastal issues, including biodiversity conservation, development and management of marine protected areas and their networks, fisheries management, marine spatial planning, integrated management and governance of coastal areas, environmental responsibility of economic actors, adaptation to climate change and disasters risks reduction. The MACO has been developed on the basis of a situation analysis and on lessons learned by IUCN in Central and West Africa, including through the Regional Partnership for the Conservation of West Africa Coastal and Marine zone (PRCM) (www.prcmarine.org).

The IUCN Regional Marine and Coastal Programme Coordinator reports directly to the Regional Programme Coordinator for West and Central Africa, and functionally to the Head of IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme. He/she will serve as both a senior member of the Regional senior management team and the IUCN global Marine and Polar Programme team that helps set strategic directions and define priorities for IUCN’s broader engagement on Marine and Coastal issues.

The MACO Coordinator will develop, resource, and manage IUCN’s Marine and coastal programme activities in the region in close collaboration with other relevant IUCN programmes, Members, Commissions and partners. He/she will be responsible for the overall management of MACO activities, ensuring that they are coherent and consistent with IUCN’s “one programme” approach, build on and align with IUCN’s Marine and coastal conservation framework and add value to regionally and nationally defined priorities.

SPECIFIC DUTIES
The specific duties are:
• Take a lead role in the development of the Regional Marine and Coastal Programme through providing vision and guidance in developing a well-defined strategic focus in the short, medium and long term, ensuring:
o effective and institutionally aligned programming and project implementation,
o systematic monitoring and evaluation of on-going programmatic activities, and
o coherent and consistent communication of lessons learnt to key decision-makers within the region
• Provide technical advice, guidance and support on Marine and Coastal conservation to Project Offices and/or Country Offices and act as the focal point for Marine and Coastal related activities particularly with Members, Commissions, partners and other IUCN component programmes as required;
• Work closely with IUCN Commissions, Country offices, Project Offices and other thematic programmes to develop and maintain an appropriate project portfolio and funding for implementation of the Regional Programme;
• Work with colleagues in and beyond the region Marine and Coastal issues to ensure that the group functions as an integrated team, that there is coherence and consistency in the policy statements, and that a high quality of technical and policy advice is given to field programmes and projects;
• Capitalize and disseminate lessons learnt from programmes and projects as well as those learnt from partners and colleagues;
• Coordinate the development, analysis and dissemination of Marine and Coastal policies relevant to the Region in the most effective way;
• Oversee the development and implementation of any relevant Marine and Coastal initiative in the region and provide where needed, guidance and support to the development and implementation of other IUCN Cross Cutting Initiatives;
• Ensure that IUCN is adequately represented in relevant regional, international fora and negotiations on Marine and Coastal conservation management in Central and West Africa; Facilitate discussions on relevant Marine and Coastal emerging issues to position IUCN as a reference in the region;
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships and appropriate collaboration with relevant organizations on marine and coastal-related issues of mutual interest and in particular ensure meaningful engagement of local IUCN Members in the implementation of the MACO. In particular, develop joint planning and synergy with the PRCM.
• Lead fundraising for the Regional Marine Programme through development of proposals, maintaining good relationships with donor and funding agencies so as to ensure the financial viability of the Programme;
• Oversee the development and implementation of annual budgets and work plans and provide a timely progress report of the programme financial and technical activities in accordance with IUCN’s practices;
• Participate in joint planning, assessment and communication activities of the Regional senior management team and facilitate the development of joint programmes with members and partners.
• Supervise staff and lead capacity development on issues related to Marine and Coasts in component programmes.
REQUIREMENTS
• The successful candidate will have demonstrated the following experience and skills:

– An advanced degree in marine sciences, marine protected area, marine policy, land use planning, project coordination or related fields and at least 10 years of relevant work experience
– Strong experience with project and programme development and management

– Experience with important bilateral and multilateral donors, including the GEF and the GCF

– Relevant working experience on issues related to marine and coastal conservation in Africa
– Demonstrated fundraising, budgeting and programme planning ability

– Demonstrated outstanding skills in network development and network administration and ability to achieve results through networking in cross-cultural situations

– Lead and inspire multicultural and multidisciplinary teams
– Exposure to and knowledge of major marine and coastal conservation issues, both policy and field related
– Proven writing ability
– Demonstrated spoken and written fluency in French and English
– Advanced computer processing skills
APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the « Apply » button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 10,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.