Conservation International’s (CI) Field Programs Unit (FPU) is responsible for setting strategy, fundraising, implementing programs, monitoring progress and reporting results for CI’s global field programs portfolio, which is divided into three regional field divisions: Americas Field Division, Asia-Pacific Field Division and Africa + Madagascar Field Division (AMFD). The AMFD is the regional structure that sets strategy, fundraises, implements programs, monitors progress and reports results at the AMFD-level, ensuring coherence and strategic alignment between country-level engagements, regional priorities and global initiatives.
The Senior Technical Director for CI’s Africa + Madagascar Field Division (AMFD) is responsible for managing the technical aspects of the AMFD program and all its component projects, leading the team, raising funds and managing its resources. This position is responsible for the prioritization and management of all technical activities in the Program, including the definition/refinement of green economy outcomes, prioritization among outcomes, design/refinement of action plans, implementation of action plans as well as monitoring and evaluation. This position is also responsible for the management (identification, implementation and monitoring) of partnerships as well as supports the Senior Vice President of AMFD in fundraising efforts. The Senior Technical Director supervises the regional technical team and coordinates all technical functions of the program to ensure that the team follows the institutional framework for designing conservation strategies as well as delivers high-quality technical products that lead to green economy outcomes. This position interacts strongly with HQ Technical Divisions and with other country programs in AMFD and the other divisions.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- The Senior Technical Director is in charge of managing and supervising the regional technical team, including core staff as well as coordinators, interns and volunteers, and the implementing all CI initiatives in AMFD, as well as interacting with all CI technical divisions in HQ in coordination with the SVP of AMFD.
- The Senior Technical Director identifies and cultivates relationships with key regional institutions, both public and private, for the implementation, replication and amplification of projects as well as for the creation or improvement of regional and/or national policies related to natural capital and green economies.
- The Senior Technical Director ensures strategic integrity and alignment among all of CI’s investments and activities in Africa, both via country programs and other investments.
- The Senior Technical Director works with the division and with CI HQ to prioritize technical support needs for projects that align with the Gaborone Declaration, including policy-related activities, and ensures that high priority projects have adequate technical support in CI’s country programs in AMFD (currently DRC, Liberia, Madagascar, Botswana and South Africa).
- The Senior Technical Director works with the division and with CI HQ to prioritize technical support needs for projects that align with the Gaborone Declaration, including policy-related activities, and ensures that high priority projects and governments of non-CI field countries have adequate technical support.
- The Senior Technical Director supervises implementation of technical projects throughout the Africa + Madagascar Field Division, including providing specific and targeted oversight to the implementation of Vital Signs, the continent-wide (soon to be global) initiative to monitor ecosystems, ecosystem services and livelihoods in agricultural landscapes.
- The Senior Technical Director optimally executes the budget under his/her responsibility, in compliance with CI’s policies and procedures, local laws and donor requirements, under the supervision of the SVP of AMFD. The budget execution will not report any overspent donor.
- The Senior Technical Director is responsible for achieving fundraising targets and maintaining or cultivating relationships with donors.
Other duties as assigned by supervisor
Working Conditions
- Position based in Nairobi, Kenya
- Up to 35% international travel
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Ph.D. plus 5 years of professional experience in conservation biology, economics, ecosystem services, sustainable development, or closely related fields
- Demonstrated ability to think critically and synthetically across fields and topics related to green economies in the African context
- Demonstrated analytical and computational skills, including GIS, as needed to explore integrated issues
- Familiarity with conservation and development issues in developing countries; work experience relevant to CI geographies, particularly in Africa
- Demonstrated experience in international policy engagement on conservation issues
- Good knowledge and experience of the global conventions that are relevant to the implementation of green economies (e.g., UNFCCC, CBD, UNDRIP)
- Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publication in conservation and sustainable development.
- Demonstrated track record of visionary thinking and strategy development
- Demonstrated fundraising experience including development of novel projects
- Demonstrated capacity to plan and organize multiple tasks to ensure their efficient and timely accomplishment, often under tight deadlines
- Strong ability to work independently and/or remotely, while maintaining productivity
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in team environments and cultivate productive partnerships with academic and research institutions
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects with large, complex budgets and dispersed staff.
- Fluency in French and English (spoken and written).
Preferred
- Fluency in any other language important in Africa (e.g., Portuguese) is a plus.
