WWF, the world’s leading conservation organization, seeks a Chief of Party candidate for the USAID funded Combatting Wildlife Crime Project (CWCP) in KAZA and Namibia, a part of USAID’s regional Combatting Wildlife Crime in Southern Africa Program. This position is based in Windhoek, Namibia and is funded through April 2022. The CWCP seeks to counter growing threats from transnational wildlife crime to globally important populations of black rhino and elephant in northwest Namibia and the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), respectively. WWF is partnering with TRAFFIC, Namibian NGOs, KAZA stakeholders, and key government agencies to reduce these threats by improving: knowledge of wildlife crime and trade dynamics; community stewardship; community-based support to law enforcement (LE); capacity-building of rangers inside and outside protected areas (PA); enhanced judicial processes, wildlife crime investigations and prosecutions, and interagency cross border collaboration. Central to this process will be the creation of a multiagency approach to share knowledge and information on wildlife crime within Namibia and among the KAZA countries of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The collective impact of this Project will be an increase of rhino populations in Namibia and promotion of cross border movement and stabilized elephant populations in KAZA
WWF Namibia, as the Consortium lead, is guiding and coordinating the KAZA and Namibia components of this Project. The Consortium partners for the KAZA component are WWF (Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe), TRAFFIC, IRDNC, EcoExist, KAZA Secretariat, IUCN, and ACADIR. For the Namibia component they are WWF Namibia, IRDNC, LAC, NNF, SRT, NACSO, MET, and TRAFFIC.
The WWF Chief of Party is responsible for the performance, communications, partner relationships, and all technical aspects of the CWCP as well as developing strong relationships with partner governments. More specifically s/he will:
- Provide overall project direction and management; and maintain vision and commitment to outcomes/results.
- Serve as the principal liaison with USAID. Ensure timely submission of all required programmatic deliverables to USAID including work plans, technical reports, and PMPs.
- Create and oversee the functioning of two CWCP Management Committees (KAZA and Namibia components); and act as Secretary to the overarching CWCP/KAZA and Namibia Steering Committee.
- Ensure effective stakeholder engagement and buy-in to CWC activities with an emphasis on government agencies involved in combatting wildlife crime (environment ministries, judiciary, etc.), community members, and private sector.
- Provide technical expertise to project implementation as appropriate.
- Oversee design, award, implementation, and amendments to multiple grants to Namibian and KAZA Consortium members or stakeholders.
- Responsible for identification of consultancy requirements, TORs for such assignments, and management of contracted consultants.
- Ensure alignment of CWCP objectives and activities with regional and national frameworks for transboundary conservation and combatting wildlife crime.
- Seek synergy with other wildlife crime investments in Namibia and KAZA.
- Work closely with other USAID Combating Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) consortiums to learn from each other; avoid duplication of effort; and by developing tools and approaches that can be easily adapted to different settings.
- Supervise CWCP personnel as required.
- Maintain close lines of communication with WWFUS Home Office with technical and operations staff.
- A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in managing conservation and/or international programs or projects of similar scope and scale to CWCP; and with the proven ability to effectively work and collaborate with national government authorities and other stakeholders. Preference will be given to candidates with at least 5 years of experience, ideally in the southern Africa region.
- Extensive familiarity with US Government Project management, administrative and regulatory requirements, inclusive of at least three years of experience in managing multi-partner USG-funded projects in natural resource management or related sector.
- Demonstrated capabilities in high-level strategic visioning and leadership.
- Proven exceptional leadership in the design, management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of large-scale international donor-supported programs, with skills in strategic planning, management, supervision, and budgeting.
- Strong communication skills, high fluency in written and verbal English.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, culturally sensitive, and ability to lead or work effectively as a team member. Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners, and the ability to lead multi-sector and multi-disciplinary teams.
- Demonstrated high level of expertise in international conservation such as protected area management, community-based natural resource management, and/or related topics.