Advisor for the Central Africa Landscape Program

The Advisor is part of the International Landscape Team at WWF-NL and will report to its Lead. We aim to fill this position as soon as possible. 

The overall responsibilities of the Advisor for the Central Africa program are to:

• Represent WWF-NL’s integrated interests in landscape coordination and governance structures;
• Contribute, based on WWF-NL’s strategy, to the development of a comprehensive landscape strategy with clear goals and priorities for potential investment;
• Develop a clear understanding and a clear vision of WWF-NL’s potential priority contributions and investments in the landscape strategy, with clear impact targets;
• Develop and maintain an investment plan to implement WWF-NL’s priority initiatives and investments;
• Ongoing assessment of the organization’s capacity to deliver on strategic initiatives and investments and provide advice on Organizational Development (OD) investments;
• Convening agile and integrated teams within WWF-NL to coordinate the delivery of WWF-NL’s contribution to the landscape strategies;
• Work with WWF Network partners (e.g., WWF-Cameroon, WWF-Gabon, and WWF-Republic of Congo) to ensure coordinated support for the Central Africa landscape programs;
• Manage the contractual cycles for projects and programs with implementing agencies, track (technical and financial) progress, and ensure prompt notification of any implementation challenges. The following projects are included in the portfolio for this position:

> TRIDOM Cameroon (Jengi)

> TRIDOM Gabon (Minkebe)

> Gabon Southern Conservation Programme

> Espace TRIDOM Interzone Congo (ETIC)

> TRIDOM Congo East (Ntokou Pikunda)

> Wildlife Trade Programme Central Africa

> Green Commodity Landscape Programme

> TRIDOM Coordination

> TRIDOM Inclusive Conservation

> Senior Climate Finance Expert

> Senior Expert – Cocoa;

• Ensure that the highest environmental and social safeguards (ESS) are applied to our investments in these landscapes and identify risks if they arise;
• Maintain Landscape Impact Dashboards: Help define data requirements, compile data collected from landscapes, and update landscape dashboards.

For Central Africa, this specifically entails:

• Mobilizing expertise and support within WWF-NL to advance the implementation of WWF-NL’s contribution to the landscape strategies;
• Working with WWF Network partners (e.g., WWF-Cameroon, WWF-Gabon, and WWF-Republic of Congo) to provide coordinated support for the Central African landscape programs;
• Identifying funding opportunities and supporting proposal development for Central Africa
• Taking an active role in WWF-NL’s thematic working groups to advance specific thematic issues in Central Africa;
• Showcasing the work in Central Africa internally, and serving as a spokesperson externally when opportunities arise;
• Engaging, where appropriate, with external stakeholders in the Netherlands to advance WWF’s conservation agenda in Central Africa.

Required qualifications

For this position, we are looking for a colleague who:

• a background in the field of environmental management and/or environmental sciences;
• at least 5 years of experience in nature conservation, preferably in areas related to tropical forest conservation;
• proven experience in developing and implementing complex integrated programs designed to achieve conservation outcomes;
• understanding of and experience working with institutional funding organizations.

Required skills and competencies  

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following skills and drive:

• Driven by a commitment to achieving conservation outcomes: a deep interest in and connection to nature and conservation, with a keen understanding of the role of local communities in tropical forest conservation;
• Work experience in Central Africa would be an advantage;
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work in multicultural settings;
• A constructive, listening-first approach and a desire to promote collaboration and the transfer of skills
• Open-minded and with an eye for innovative opportunities and solutions in the field of conservation;
• Systematic and organized, with the ability to meet deadlines, remain flexible, and manage multiple responsibilities at the same time;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to provide written progress reports in a complex context, in a clear and concise manner;
• Proficiency in additional languages, such as Dutch and French, is highly desirable.

Core values

You identify with the core values of WWF-NL:

• Courage
• Integrity
• Respect
• Collaboration

What do we offer?

• You will be able to work in a sustainable office surrounded by nature;
• Fun coworkers and the opportunity to build an international network;
• Vegetarian lunches in our cafeteria and free after-work drinks every other Thursday;
• A 40-hour workweek. Initially, a one-year fixed-term employment contract with a one-month probationary period will be offered;
• Salaries that are in line with the standard in the Dutch nonprofit sector; The gross monthly salary for this role starts at 3,967.04 EUR (based on a 40-hour workweek), though it may be higher depending on experience (please note that due to the salary we can offer, we may not be able to sponsor a highly skilled migrant visa for individuals over the age of 30);
• Employees receive a personal budget consisting of an 8% vacation allowance and a 2.08% flexible budget, and are entitled to 6 weeks of vacation per year (based on a 40-hour workweek);
• We encourage flexible work arrangements, the use of public transportation, and biking for work-related travel. Employees receive an NS Business Card for second-class travel to and from work;
• We also have a hybrid work model, so employees can alternate between working from home and from the office.

How do I apply?

If you are interested in this position, please apply bythe end of the day on October 1, 2023, using the application form on our website.

Please note that you must have a valid work permit to work for WWF-NL.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Babette Vanlancker (Recruiter) at bvanlancker@wwf.nl. Questions about this role can be directed to Charlotte Floore, Head of the International Landscapes Team, at cfloore@wwf.nl.

We actively strive to ensure that our workforce reflects society and the international nature of our organization. We therefore especially encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

We take the safety and protection of our colleagues seriously. The successful candidate is therefore required to complete an integrity statement and provide a Certificate of Good Conduct (Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag). We may also request references.