Community Conservation Coordinator – Southern Kafue

Job Description

Office Location

Mulobezi, Zambia

Who We Are

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale and providing food and water sustainably. One of our core values is our commitment to diversity. Therefore, we strive for a globally diverse and culturally competent workforce. Working in 72 countries, including all 50 United States, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.orq or follow @nature press on Twitter.Since establishing the Africa Program in 2007, The Nature Conservancy’s vision in Africa is to work towards fostering a sustainable future for people and nature, partnering with indigenous communities across 55 million acres on the continent. Our efforts are firmly rooted in people, leveraging scientific and technical expertise as we collaborate with governments and organizations to conserve and enhance Africa’s shared resources in the 9 countries we operate.

TNC’s work in Africa transcends three key pillars: securing ownership rights to lands and resources for indigenous people, strengthening leadership and resource management and helping communities value nature through a holistic appreciation of its benefits while increasing revenue streams for conservation efforts and socio-economic development. Together with our partners, we are witnessing critical milestones in integrated land and fisheries management, ocean and source water protection, energy development and sustainable food production, working together and strengthening our resolve in tackling global challenges such as climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss that stands to adversely impact the nearly 1.4 billion people that share Africa

In Zambia, TNC has a primary geographical focus on the Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE). This is Zambia’s largest conservation landscape, a 66,000 sq. km complex of great biodiversity value, dominated by the 22,000 sq. km Kafue National Park and nine Game Management Areas (GMAs) under communal tenure that span an additional 44,000 sq. km. TNC is working with communities and diverse public and private stakeholders in this ecosystem to strengthen community tenure over natural resources, develop effective natural resource governance and management systems and create sustainable conservation and wealth generation models for the landscape.

Your position with TNC:

The Community Conservation Coordinator shall be primarily responsible for the implementation of TNC’s community conservation activities in Mulobezi and Sichifulo Game Management Areas and in the community conservation areas to the south of these GMAs. The position holder will work with TNC’s public and private partners, communities, and community-based conservation organizations to ensure the delivery of conservation and community development outcomes consistent with TNC Zambia’s conservation strategy. They will also be required to ground TNC conservation interests in the areas within the Kavango-Zambezi Trans frontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA) of strategic interest to TNC. The Community Conservation Coordinator will be based in Mulobezi District, Western Province, and will report to TNC’s Community Conservation Programme Manager.

Essential Functions:

• The Community Conservation Coordinator coordinates and manages TNC’s conservation activities in the Southern Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE) and in the open community conservation areas around it. They will serve as the principle point of contact to local public, private and community stakeholders involved in TNC’s interventions in that area, which are determined by the needs of specific funded projects. The role will provide technical support to project partners, including government, NGO and community organizations, and be responsible for the successful undertaking of project activities, reporting on those activities and ensuring the outcomes of the projects are achieved. They will be responsible for coordinating the partnerships and activities of individual projects and drawing these into a single coherent work stream that contributes to TNC’s wider goals for the southern segment of GKE.

Responsibilities and Scope:

• Cultivates and develops partnerships with key stakeholders in the landscape, including communities, government agencies, project implementing partners, collaborating partners and private sector actors.
• Works with and supports project partners to undertake initiatives in community conservation and nature-based enterprise development to achieve project outcomes
• Provides technical support to community conservation organizations to strengthen governance and management capacities, implement resource protection and management plans, develop self-reliance and financial sustainability, and cultivate linkages with private market actors in the nature-based business sector
• Creates linkages to and manages relationships with regional and national level partners in community conservation
• Contributes to the design and development of community conservation models that empower local communities through properly defined property tenure rights and access and benefit sharing mechanisms
• Facilitate the development of viable nature-based enterprises and business partnerships on communal lands that will spur conservation outcomes and increased economic returns to local communities.
• Works as part of TNC Zambia’s conservation team, ensuring close communication, collaboration and learning with peers in the team
• Works with TNC Zambia’s monitoring and evaluation team to report on project activities and measure outcomes in accordance with individual project requirements
• Communicates TNC’s vision consistently across the area of work focus with partners and stakeholders
• May require frequent travel domestically and during evening and weekend hours.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations and under physically demanding circumstances.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree and 7 years’ experience in conservation practice or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in conservation project management
• Experience in partnership development and management with non-profit partners, private sector, community groups and/or government agencies
• Experience in negotiating and conflict management
• Experience with communication skills in written, spoken, and graphical means in English
• Experience in computer skills (e.g. Excel, Word)

Desired Qualifications:

• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• 7-10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in the wildlife, natural resource management and community conservation sectors in Zambia
• Knowledge of community-based conservation organizations and/or nature-based business
• Experience in resource stewardship e.g. managing and tracking budgets
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of rural or environmental projects
• Ability to communicate in the local languages spoken in the focal area
• Ability to work independently with strong self-motivation

Method of Application

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