Position overview
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is seeking an innovative and adaptive Head of Community Conservation to deliver a program of community conservation interventions for the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR). WCS is implementing a 10-year agreement with the DRC Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN – Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) to manage the OWR under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). OWR’s community conservation program is diverse and includes activities both within the Reserve and its 50km buffer zone. The community conservation goal is to ensure communities sustainably benefit from conservation and support the protection of the Reserve’s unparalleled and globally significant biodiversity. The OWR presents a challenging yet rewarding work environment in a unique and complex landscape. The Reserve is faced with several threats to its biodiversity, including poaching, wildlife trafficking, mining, illegal logging, in-migration, land clearance and sporadic insecurity from armed groups.
Key responsibilities
To lead, strategize and implement WCS Conservation efforts in OWR to ensure community living within and around the reserve are empowered, well represented, and benefit from conservation while key biodiversity values are preserved. This includes aligning community conservation strategy with WCS’s human rights-based conservation approach, and socio-economic research and monitoring.
Internal Qualification Requirements
Qualification Requirements
A minimum of a master's degree in social or environmental sciences, or a bachelor's degree in combination with additional experience
At least 3 years of field experience with international organizations in Africa working on community-based conservation and natural resource management in Eastern DRC
Experience in managing the delivery of activities funded by large bilateral and multilateral donors
Proven ability to manage, motivate, and train a team of field personnel.
Proven ability to work sensitively with diverse groups of people such as those of different cultures, nationalities and backgrounds.
Knowledge and understanding of logistics and financial management for projects in complex environments.
Excellent written and spoken communication skills in French and English; Swahili an advantage.
Strong commitment to wildlife conservation.
Innovative, proactive, resilient, team-oriented, and ambitious.
Willingness to live in a remote field site with basic amenities in a multi-cultural environment.
