Democratic Republic of the Congo (the): WWF Conservation Director, DRC
About WWF - DRCWWF is one of the largest independent conservation organizations in the world. The global conservation organization, active in almost 100 countries, has been working in the Congo Basin in Central Africa for more than 20 years. WWF’s mission is to stop the environmental degradation in the world and build a future where humans live in harmony with nature.
The WWF Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) programme has a large portfolio of field programmes in different landscapes, including Salonga, Lac Tumba, Virunga, Itombwe and Bas Congo, as well as different thematic programmes on sustainable forest management, climate, Protected Areas network assessment, and extractive industries. The main areas of work follow four main conservation strategies based on WWF strategic plan for the region: reducing illegal offtake of wildlife; partnering for new, effective and sustainable protected areas; advancing a green economy; and building durable mechanisms to retain biodiversity, forests and carbon.
WWF DRC has exclusively retained Mission Talent to serach for their new Conservation Director, who will be responsible for:
Developing, implementing, coordinating and managing the WWF conservation program in the DRC. He/she will advise the Country Director on relevant conservation issues in the DRC, providing essential leadership and technical support to the Programme’s implementation and monitoring.
Work in close cooperation with the Country Director, national authorities, conservation partners and projects in DRC, the regional conservation staff of WWF and the WWF Network; in their aim to conserve the biodiversity of the country while improving well-being of local communities.
Ensure the effective development, implementation and monitoring of the WWF DRC country Conservation Strategy in line with the regional priorities and Strategic Plan.
Main Responsibilities:• Provide overall management and leadership of WWF conservation strategy in the DRC;• Coordinate the field implementation and management of WWF projects in DRC and provide them with technical assistance;
• In close collaboration with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, develop public-private partnerships in Salonga and Virunga NP;• Ensure in-country conservation planning is compliant with WWF Network standards;• Ensure timely and quality performance monitoring of the conservation portfolio as well as technical reporting internally and to relevant donors;• Performance manage Programme / Project Managers and provide technical assistance. This includes performing on-site supervision to evaluate specific project progress, organizing and participating in meetings to help determine conservation priorities and strategies;• Develop the portfolio of WWF DRC conservation programme and ensure that it is adequately funded, with quality budgeting;• Develop and implement relevant partnerships to strengthen performance of WWF DRC conservation programme.
Required Qualifications
• Advanced university degree in an appropriate field (conservation / environment / natural resource management / forest / policy). Additional academic training or a degree in a management field would be a strong asset;• Demonstrate a strong working knowledge of conservation planning and diverse conservation issues;• Familiarity with funding agencies -bilateral and multilateral-, and other donors;• Proven track record in successfully developing, leading, and managing large projects/programmes in the field of conservation, sustainable natural resource management, international development, and/or other related fields;• At least 8 years professional experience in a programme management with demonstrated experience in managing multiple projects and multi-disciplinary teams; experience in the Congo Basin is an important asset.
Required Skills and Competencies • Proven leadership and team management skills;• Skilled in negotiation, liaison, and in relationship and conflict management;• Strong skills in project planning, proposal writing, financing, management, implementation, and evaluation, and experience working with donors;• Strong organisational and analytical skills;• Adaptable and good at problem solving;• Experience in Protected Area management, REDD+ mechanisms and relationships with the extractive sector is an added advantage• A working knowledge of financial management, especially of projects;• Excellent inter-personal skills, with the ability to network and to develop and maintain strong relationships at all levels, both internally and with local communities, government agencies, the not-for-profit sector, the scientific community, the business community, and the WWF Network;• Fluency in English and French• Strong interest and commitment to nature conservation, sustainable natural resource management, and improved well-being of local people• Adherence to WWF’s values, which are: Knowledgeable, Optimistic, Determined and Engaged.
WWF DRC has exclusively tasked Mission Talent to undertake this search. Applications must be addressed to Katja Schramm and submitted either via the website or applications@missiontalent.com stating WWF-CD-DRC /Your Last Name in the subject line.
When, please adhere to the following guidelines: 1. Kindly attach your CV (in English) and a covering letter (of 350 words or less) which summarizes how your profile aligns with the key job requirements and required skills and abilities of this role;2. Draft your CV and Covering Letter in a WORD formatted documents (not PDF or RTF);3. Please do not add any additional documentation in your initial application;4. Your subject line must state WWF-CD-DRC /Your Last Name in the subject line.
Thank you in advance for your interest in this position. Please note that only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted by Mission Talent for follow up.
