WCS recrute 01 Assistant Site Coordinator

Location: Ouesso, Republic of Congo

Reports to: Site Coordinator

Start Date: February 2021

Type of contract: 1-year full-time contract, renewable

Organizational Context:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a private US non-profit organization founded in 1895. Its mission is to preserve wildlife and wilderness by understanding critical problems, developing scientific solutions and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, a presence in more than 60 countries, and experience in the creation of more than 150 protected areas around the world, WCS has accumulated the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships needed to ensure that wild places and animal species thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, this knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues that are essential to improving the quality of life of the rural poor whose livelihoods depend on the direct use of natural resources.

The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Program:

The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is developing innovative solutions based on field projects in thirteen countries. It is a seven-year (2018-2024) African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) initiative, which is being funded by the European Union with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment. It is being implemented by a dynamic consortium of four partners (WCS, FAO, CIRAD, CIFOR) with expertise in wildlife conservation and food security.

WCS Congo Program Overview

For more than 25 years, WCS Congo has been the RoC Government’s main conservation partner, assisting the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) to manage wildlife and its habitat in several national parks, reserves and protected area buffer zones across the country. At these sites, WCS develops and implements actions for effective wildlife protection, community-based natural resource management, ecological monitoring, scientific research and environmental education.

In northern Congo, unsustainable hunting is a major threat to biodiversity, both through illegal hunting of fully protected species and through over-exploitation of wildlife for local subsistence hunting but also commercial hunting to supply wildmeat markets in urban areas. Rural communities living are most affected by wildlife population declines as they rely on wild meat and fish for their food security, cultural identity and livelihoods. However, population growth and logging activities in the area, coupled with the expansion of the road network, are fueling a growing demand for wild meat.

To address this challenge, the SWM Programme aims to improve the management of hunting and fishing in forest concessions, whilst also developing alternative sources of animal protein in urban centres and logging camps. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of natural resources and the well-being of rural populations in the Ouesso region, and more broadly in Congo. The SWM project in Congo is coordinated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in collaboration with the Congolese Government, and the consortium partners.

Position Summary:

We are looking for a dynamic Assistant Site Coordinator to support the implementation of activities aimed at improving sustainable and legal wildlife exploitation by and for rural communities. The successful candidate will have a strong background in program management and coordination, and a strong interest in the links between wildlife conservation and community development. This is a full-time position.

Main tasks:

The Assistant Site Coordinator will have the following responsibilities, in close collaboration with the SWM team and the WCS Congo Program Management Team:

Support the Site Coordinator in the implementation of the program.
Participate in the development of the SWM strategy with the Site Coordinator.
Contribute to the development and drafting of work plans with the Site Coordinator.
Assist the Finance team in technical contribution to the program’s financial budgets.
Contribute to the preparation of the program’s annual, semi-annual and monthly technical reports.
Responsible for the administrative and logistical organization, planning and follow-up of the daily work of the field teams.
Ensure follow-up of consultants’ missions (including drafting of terms of reference, planning of logistics, follow-up of deliverables, etc…);
Support monitoring and evaluation activities, including the updating of program monitoring tools (e.g., Asana).
Monitor the implementation of the communication strategy in close collaboration with the WCS Congo Communications Officer and the Site Coordinator.
Responsible for the introduction and follow-up of survey protocols with the Institutional Review Board of WCS, which ensures that ethical principles are taken into account in research activities.
Support the organization of the Site Monitoring Committee meetings and other missions or meetings as required.

Experience / Training

a) Proven experience in project management.

Experience working in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams and managing several major activities simultaneously, proven ability to achieve project targets and objectives.
Experience in managing complex international projects financed by large institutional donors, preferably with multiple partners

b) Strong technical, logistical and financial management experience of projects (planning, budgets, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).

c) Knowledge of conservation issues in Africa.

A Master’s degree (or higher education level) in community conservation, international development, natural resource management, or other relevant field experience in African conservation.
Experience working on conservation or sustainable development projects in the field preferred.
Work experience in the Central African region would be an advantage.

d) Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Proven management and team building skills.
Demonstrated high level of proficiency in writing and editing professional technical reports and other written products.
Fluency in French and English required.

How to apply

Interested candidates who meet the above criteria are invited to submit their application (CV and cover letter with the contacts of three references) to wcscongobrazza@wcs.org.

Please indicate “Assistant SWM Coordinator” in the subject line of your email. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Deadline for applications: January 15, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Congo time).

WCS is an equal opportunity employer that strives to recruit and support a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and are looking for future team members who share this same value.

Click here to apply

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