Job Summary

Mission of the Division:

To develop and lead the national conservation strategy and agenda of WWF Cameroon so that it is both highly influential in national civil society, and government entities and able to shape the sustainability agenda domestically, and also consistent with the work of the Global Practices and WWF’s global conservation goals. Also coordinates WWF partnerships locally. This will allow WWF to achieve greater conservation impact across the network.

Major Functions:

To work with the Country Director, Congo Basin Conservation Director and Global Practices to identify and accelerate developing, designing and implementing a national conservation strategy that delivers the greatest impact.

The role ensures the fulfilment of WWF’s mission of ‘people living in harmony with nature’ by ensuring the relevance of our conservation work to people and development in Cameroon and providing thought leadership on key issues at the highest organisational level. Create, maintain and coordinate partnerships with private sector, universities, research institutions, internal and external donors. The Conservation manager will lead the strategic planning, conservation strategy and future institutional development of WWF Cameroon in Cameroon, helping maintain WWF as the world’s leading conservation INGO and enabling WWF Cameroon to play a significant role in the WWF Network.

Responsibilities

• Develop a common understanding of national priorities, regional trends and opportunities for delivering impact aligned with national conservation objectives and Practice Outcomes/Global goals.
• Provide timely advice to Country Director, on emerging opportunities and challenges for conservation delivery at the national level.
• Lead the conservation team and ensure clarity on roles, responsibilities and objectives.
• Work closely with fundraising/resource mobilization in the development of sustainable donor agreements for conservation delivery.
• Identify and prioritize the most promising opportunities for external partnerships to support delivering impact at the national level.
• Ensure that WWF’s conservation work on the ground is aligned with WWF’s ESSF, clearly upholding the human rights of people and communities.
• Actively establish and monitor progress against social policy indicators across conservation programmes.
• Accelerate developing, designing and implementing high-quality national programmes and projects, fully compliant with quality assurance and ESSF frameworks.
• Work closely with the Country Director to identify and pursue crucial opportunities for joint action with other conservation groups and external partners locally and regionally, to co-lead and promote unified conservation agendas such as the global deal for nature.
• Facilitate collaboration frameworks, guide and provide oversight and support for seamless delivery of transboundary conservation initiatives.
• Support the Practices by promoting innovation within national/regional geographies and advise on how new ideas can be best supported, incubated, prototyped and accelerated.
• Identify and address capacity and operational constraints to the effective implementation of Global programme strategies and Initiatives (if applicable) at the national level.
• Participate in the development of policy to influence change at all levels.
• Identify external policy opportunities in line with national conservation and Global strategies and represent WWF Cameroon in relevant engagements with local partners, in important forums as necessary and helps manage key conservation relationships.
• Provide inputs to communications products/campaigns at all levels to ensure accurate information is published to promote the image of WWF Cameroon and its conservation activities.
• Act as spokesperson for conservation issues as required in coordination with the Country Director and communications team, and the Global Conservation Director, as appropriate.
• Ensure that WWF Cameroon has established solid SMART indicators and baselines for its local biodiversity targets and footprint objectives, including within projects.
• Ensure effective performance monitoring of the implementation of conservation plans, by promoting timely and effective reporting against the WWF dashboard and KPIs, based on annual and strategic plans.
• Participate in the Conservation Directors’ Forum and other appropriate Networks involving other WWF country offices to influence conservation impact at scale.
• Liaise with the Congo Basin Conservation Director, and other national Conservation Directors, as appropriate, to help WWF converge around conservation strategies and plans.
• Support learning and ensure best practices are adopted to improve conservation outcomes and operational excellence.
• Undertakes other tasks as requested and agreed with the Country Director.

Candidate profile

Required Qualifications:

• Post-graduate qualification in Environmental/Conservation science or practice.
• At least 10 years’ experience in a senior conservation leadership role.
• Clear evidence of enabling conservation delivery and experience.
• Proven knowledge and experience of human rights, community-based approaches to conservation, and environmental and social safeguards.
• Proven track record of managing internal and external multicultural stakeholders to influence and drive change.
• Fluent in the English and French languages

Working Relationships:

Internal – Works closely with the Regional Management Team, The Congo Basin Conservation Director, Country Conservation Directors, Initiative leads, landscape/seascape managers, relevant Practice Leaders, their core teams, Country Directors in the region, SMT CCPO and other relevant stakeholders within the broader WWF network.

External – Creates and fosters close collaboration with external partners in governments, intergovernmental institutions, business and industry, donors, research and academic institutions, local NGOs and local communities.