Transboundary Landscape Coordinator at WWF Tanzania

Job Description

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working at WWF could be your opportunity of a lifetime. All around the world, people are waking up to the devastating impacts of climate change and nature loss. The situation today is worse than the darkest predictions of just ten years ago, pushing billions of people to the edge and threatening lives and livelihoods. At WWF, we are facing our biggest crisis – and our biggest ever opportunity – to create a better future for people and nature. With over 60 years of experience and an active presence in more than 100 countries, we work to achieve both on-the-ground and global policy action, from protecting and restoring species and their habitats, to transforming markets and policies toward sustainability. Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from conservation science and advocacy to HR and finance. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us tackle this enormous global challenge and drive the urgent conservation impact needed to restore our planet.

Position title:

Ruvuma Transboundary Programme Leader

Reports to:

WWF Tanzania Country Director and the Steering Committee

Location:

Tanzania, Masasi Office with frequent travel to Mozambique

Introduction / Background

The Role: The post holder will provide leadership, strategic direction, coordination, collaboration and support fundraising for the effective management and implementation of the Ruvuma Transboundary Programme, in line with the Ruvuma Transboundary Landscape strategy to 2030 and relevant WWF Country Office and Regional Strategic Plans. The broad vision for this programme is ‘an ecologically flourishing and resilient transboundary landscape with people thriving in harmony with wildlife and ecosystems; by protecting the landscape through an integrated approach that balances development and environmental needs, the programme enhances climate resilience, safeguards biodiversity and ecosystem services and supports the coexistence of human and wildlife populations.’

Major Functions

• Coordination and Stakeholder Management: Effective coordination, collaboration, and delivery of the Ruvuma Transboundary Landscape strategic plan through engaging a wide range of partners, and which includes multiple conservation projects delivering the agreed goals and outcomes with technical collaboration with WWF Tanzania, WWF Mozambique, WWF National Offices, WWF International, WWF Regional Office for Africa and other technical experts.
• Advocacy and policy engagement at both National and Transboundary levels with the respective governments, partner NGOs, Regional Economic Commissions (including Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and other relevant bodies and institutions).
• In line with the Ruvuma Landscape governance structure, coordinate and facilitate as Secretary an internal WWF Ruvuma Advisory Group composed of key shareholders from WWF Tanzania, WWF Mozambique, supporting WWF National Organization offices and relevant initiatives and practices across the WWF Network.
• In line with the Ruvuma Landscape governance structure, coordinate and support the operation of and reporting into the landscape Steering Committee, co-chaired by the WWF Mozambique and Tanzania Country Directors.
• Provide leadership on nurturing excellent working relationships with the Governments of Mozambique and Tanzania, Regional Economic Commissions, Development Partners, WWF Regional Office for Africa and other regional bodies and institutions in Africa that are strategic for the goals of the transboundary landscape programme.
• Identify and develop excellent coordination with a wide range of key stakeholders (local, regional and national government, commercial, community, private sector, academia, and other local organisations) relevant to the transboundary programme.
• Work with WWF-Tanzania communications colleagues and the Network to develop a “Ruvuma Strategic Communications Strategy” that guides and ensures high quality communications outputs and ideas from the transboundary programme portfolio that support the key themes identified in the landscape strategy.
• Represent WWF at various events, fora and meetings at different levels (not just transboundary ones) and ensure effective coordination, collaboration and knowledge sharing between stakeholders, partners and donors.

Technical Leadership and Guidance on Projects implementation in the Landscape

• Provide oversight and guidance for all projects being implemented within the Ruvuma landscape, supporting and showing leadership where needed and nurturing a culture of coordination, collaboration, sharing and learning across the teams implementing conservation actions in both Mozambique and Tanzania.
• Provide strategic guidance and develop opportunities for the implementation of various projects on habitat and species connectivity, participatory land-use and governance planning, forest, water, agriculture and rangeland management, nature-based enterprises, transboundary collaboration, sustainable financing, livelihoods development and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.
• Seeking to build a balanced portfolio of programmes working on these different themes which tackle different drivers.
• Work with Partnership, Business Development and Senior Management Team staff in WWF Mozambique, WWF-Tanzania and supporting WWF offices / WWF Practices to proactively fundraise for the programme through timely and quality responses to funding opportunities that will drive the financial sustainability of the programme.
• Work with WWF-Mozambique, WWF-Tanzania and supporting WWF National Offices / WWF Practice Communications and Knowledge Management staff to ensure both the conservation and social benefits generated by the programme are communicated to the general public, policy makers as well as the WWF Network.

Administration and Programme Management

• Hold overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Ruvuma transboundary landscape programme, including supporting the team to prepare workplans and budgets, effectively administer and track finances, monitor and evaluate programme effectiveness, ensure timely donor reporting, and effective coordination and cooperation between WWF Tanzania and Mozambique, WWF partners, donors and the wider WWF Network.
• Directly support in the recruitment of staff that are associated with the core functioning of the Ruvuma programme
• Build and manage a team of professional staff, ensure roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and performance is managed with the required focus, and discipline and results in effective delivery.
• Seeking support from senior management at WWF-Tanzania / WWF-Mozambique as needed.
• Work closely with the WWF-Tanzania and WWF-Mozambique MEL leads to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and impact frameworks are in place and high-quality reporting for the Ruvuma programme, working closely with WWF programme staff and external experts tasked with delivery of measuring outcome and impact indicators for Ruvuma.

Key Skills/Competences

• Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills including the ability to build coalitions, negotiate, manage conflict with high level diplomacy, solving problems and overcoming obstacles.
• Familiar with protocols associated with working in Southern and East Africa.
• Excellent written, presentation and communication skills, with excellent fluency in spoken and written English.
• Swahili and/or Portuguese language skills will be an advantage.
• Visionary and results focused leadership approach with a thorough understanding of programme management disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to drive multi-stakeholder engagement processes and to build capacity of multiple stakeholders to engage in transboundary landscape planning and management.
• Genuine respect for the skills and perspectives of communities, partner organisations and the private sector.
• Awareness and sensitivity regarding cultural values and gender aspects when dealing with target groups and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with technical experts, to understand and fill data gaps, establish new research as necessary, and use scientific knowledge to inform programme design and monitoring.

Experience

• At least 10 years’ working experience in wildlife/nature conservation and socio-economic development in Africa, with a proven track record in the design and implementation of large-scale programmes, preferably transboundary and within the Southern Africa region.
• At least 5 years’ experience of working on complex programmes with multiple and diverse implementation partners and stakeholders - including high level political engagement, community livelihood initiatives - with cross-cutting themes and multiple objectives.
• At least 5 years’ experience in programme development and management, including preparing and managing sizeable and complex budgets, technical and financial reporting, matrix working, programme monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring compliance with donor requirements for implementation.
• At least 5 years’ experience in effectively managing staff and ensuring high levels of performance are achieved.
• At least 5 years' experience in developing and securing funding at scale.

Qualifications

• A Master of Science degree (MSc) in a relevant discipline (e.g. natural sciences, social sciences, conservation biology, landscape ecology, economics, conservation planning or related field).
• Holding a PhD will be an advantage.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Ruvuma Transboundary Leader has line management responsibility for the Ruvuma Landscape National Coordinator in the host country office (Tanzania). In the Mozambique office the Transboundary Leader is linked to the structure via the organogram via a dotted line relationship to the Terrestrial Landscape Coordinator and Ruvuma landscape staff, with whom it is imperative that s/he creates effective working relationships.