International Human Wildlife Coexistence Advisor

Our planet’s survival is dependent on healthy ecosystems that provide a wide range of benefits for people and a home for wildlife. Wildlife populations thrive in healthy and connected habitats where they are free to roam. However, species and their movements are increasingly coming into contact with human activities. With the increased competition over land, resource extraction is exhausting and fragmenting natural areas. Agriculture and food production, infrastructure and urban development are the main drivers behind the increased fragmentation of habitats, which are leading to increased tension between human activities and wildlife coexisting.  

WWF’s aim is to protect, manage and restore vital conservation areas and wildlife populations by working in close collaboration with local communities. To ensure resilient landscapes, the connectivity between well-managed natural habitats will need to be secured or restored, while considering the changing climate, and support attractive socio-economic opportunities that help people and wildlife to coexist. This requires innovative ideas and visions for new forms of coexistence where local people benefit from a healthy wildlife population in a nature-based economy. Do you share our ambition to restore healthy, connected, and climate resilient landscapes where people and wildlife live in harmony? Then this position may be just for you!

Roles and responsibilities  

The International Human Wildlife Coexistence Advisor will: 

• Develop thought leadership within WWF-NL as well as the WWF global network on human wildlife coexistence with a focus on connectivity and wildlife corridors to accommodate species that are already on the move due to climate change.
• Position human wildlife coexistence and landscape connectivity in a wider socio-economic development narrative with clear local community benefits and a clear relevance to solving larger societal challenges. 
• Develop incentives for people to live with wildlife, such as Wildlife Credits, and support the implementation in the WWF-NL priority landscapes.
• Support the WWF-NL Landscapes Team to co-develop inclusive conservation strategies for landscapes, considering complex landscape dynamics (different land uses with a range of stakeholders with diverging incentives) and specifically focus on the implementation of our human wildlife conflict management approach.
• Partner with NGOs, universities, companies and other institutes on human wildlife conflict management for cross sector awareness raising and engagement, to develop enabling conditions for wildlife and people to live in harmony.  
• Lead on wildlife technology for WWF-NL, by partnering with tech companies to promote development of innovative tech that supports our needs on the ground, to understand the migration of species or making our wildlife conservation work more effective and efficient.
• Support local WWF offices with wildlife related issues or challenges and development of comprehensive conservation programs with a vision on climate resilient landscapes and coexistence. 
• Be a spokesperson on wildlife related matters, specifically human wildlife coexistence. 

Required skills and competencies

You have a passion for wildlife, people & nature conservation. You are highly self-motivated and able to turn challenges into opportunities. You are a strategist who can identify strategic and tactic routes based on objectives and a constantly changing context. You are well acquainted with the main global discussions on wildlife management. You want to continue to build your external stakeholder networks and seek to convene others on a challenging visionary agenda. Being diplomatic, a connector, but also result-oriented, tenacious and adventurous are important qualities. 

• You have a university master's degree in a field relevant to the theme (e.g. biology, wildlife management, nature conservation, climate studies). 
• You have experience on wildlife conservation, human wildlife conflict, connectivity, climate adaptation and as a bonus technology for conservation. 
• You preferable have experience with framing conservation in a larger economic narrative and are able to connect to public & private sector or financial sector interests. 
• You have at least 5 years of relevant international work experience, particularly in the global south. 
• You have experience with being an external spokesperson and translating points of view into compelling arguments and laymen language. 
• You have experience with project or program management. 
• You have organizational sensitivity and you are able to anticipate internal and external developments. 
• You can drive innovation. 
• You are well organized and work well within a matrix and network structured organization. 
• You have an excellent command of the English language (oral and written). 

Core Values

You recognize yourself in 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 colleagues and the chance to build up an international network;
• Vegetarian lunches in our canteen and free after work drinks every other Thursday;
• An employment contract of 32-40 hours. Initially, a fixed-term employment contract of one year with a one-month probation period will be offered;
• Salaries that are in line with the standard in the Dutch not for profit sector; The minimum gross monthly salary for this role is 3.564 EUR and the maximum monthly salary is 4.862 EUR (based on a 40-hour contract) – the amount is dependent on experience (Please note, due to the maximum salary and depending on your personal situation, we may not able to sponsor a permit for people above the age of 30);
• Staff receive a personal budget that is made up of 8% holiday allowance and 2,08% flexible budget, and receive 6 weeks of holiday per year (based on a 40-hour contract);
• We stimulate flexible working arrangements, the use of public transport and bike for work related travel. Employees receive an NS Business Card for 2nd class travel to and from work;
• We also have a hybrid working model, so staff can alternate working from home and from the office.

WWF-NL is a professional and dynamic organization that is part of an international network. It has an informal working culture and is based in Zeist, the Netherlands. The working language is English.

Information and procedure

If you are interested in this position, please apply by Sunday 20 August 2023 EOD via the form on our website.

Please note that in order to work for WWF-NL, you need a valid work permit.

If you have any questions about the application process, you can contact Leanne van Nuenen (HR Business Partner) via lnuenen@wwf.nl. Questions about this role can be directed to Bart Geenen (Thematic Team Head) via bgeenen@wwf.nl (Please note that due to the summer holidays, responses will be delayed).

We actively strive for our employees to reflect society and the international character of our organization. We therefore especially encourage candidates with backgrounds that are normally underrepresented to apply.

We consider the safety and protection of our colleagues as important. The successful candidate is therefore required to complete an integrity statement and supply a Certificate of Good Conduct (Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag). We may also ask for references.