Central Africa Wildlife Crime Hub Coordinator

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working with WWF could be the opportunity of a lifetime:

All around the world, people are waking up to the deepening crisis of nature loss. A growing realization that nature is our life-support system. And that nobody will be spared from the impacts of its loss. Here at WWF, we are helping to tackle this enormous global challenge.

Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from HR and finance to advocacy and conservation science. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us create a better future for people and nature.

What we do:

We are an independent conservation organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. From individuals and communities to business and government, we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable.

For WWF Congo Basin, we are looking for a dynamic and committed Central Africa Wildlife Crime Hub Coordinator.

Reports to: Congo Basin Conservation Director

Supervises: WWF Cameroon Law Enforcement Officer

Location: Yaoundé, Libreville, Brazzaville or Kinshasa

Duration: Two (02) years renewable depending on funding

The mission of the department

The Wildlife Crime Hub (WCH) program consists of three subregional teams in South, East and Central Africa. The Central Africa (CA) hub is part of the Congo Basin Conservation team. This position provides leadership to the CA WCH and provides global expertise to the WWF Biodiversity Practice (BP). A main goal of the Biodiversity Practice is that the world’s most iconic and endangered species are secured and recovering in the wild.

Major Functions

This position will be responsible for delivering the Central Africa Wildlife Crime Hub contribution to the Africa Wildlife Crime Transformational Project and contribute to the outcome 2 strategy of the Biodiversity Practice by securing high-level political and corporate commitments as well as programmatic impact delivery. The primary functions of this role are to roll out Zero Poaching Approach across the priority landscapes in Central Africa (40%) and coordinate the overall wildlife crime program in the Central Africa region (60%).

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The position will lead the following duties and responsibilities:

Coordination, policy level responsibilities, advocacy and partnership/coalition building

• Ensure coherency and complementarity with other Regional Hubs, TRAFFIC and with the WWF Network (especially the Biodiversity Practice Core Team, Ethical Law Enforcement, and the WC ACAI coordinator);
• Establish partnerships with national and international organizations, coordinate regional policy and advocacy efforts (e.g. CITES and UNCAC).
• Coordinate the rollout of the zero-poaching framework in Central Africa and collaborate with government and NGO partners to promote the approach regionally.
• Promote learning and sharing at inter-country, inter-regional, and international levels as a means of fast-tracking proven approaches, methodologies, and tools.

Site based enforcement

• Coordinate the development and implementation of priority anti-poaching activities under the Zero Poaching framework for Central Africa, promote the national rollout of tested tools and technologies.
• Lead the implementation of community-based crime prevention recommendations, coordinate with stakeholders like INTERPOL for LEM activities in priority landscapes and oversee anti-poaching and ethical law enforcement projects in transboundary areas, focusing on TNS, TRIDOM, and Lac Tumba/Mai Ndombe.

Ranger Welfare

• Promote quality ranger training institutions in Central Africa by partnering with leading global colleges and using best practice materials.
• Represent WWF Central Africa region in IRF, GRAA and other ranger related meetings at national, regional and international level.

Intelligence led enforcement

• Support the development and rollout of WWF operational guidelines for ethical law enforcement, provide legal expertise for effective judicial follow-up on wildlife cases, and assist in investigating ranger conduct and human rights allegations.

Program development & monitoring

• Support WWF offices and TRAFFIC with technical expertise in fund raising initiatives;
• Coordinate monitoring the impact and progress of the Zero Poaching activities.
• Facilitate capacity building and knowledge sharing on new technologies.
• Enhance visibility of Hub activities and priorities through internal and external communication.

Profile:

Required Qualifications:

• At least 10 years’ experience in field anti-poaching work and in national and/or regional/international policy advocacy including high level political negotiations, preferably within a Central African context;
• Minimum master’s degree in wildlife or bachelor’s degree with Diploma in environmental crime or environmental law;
• Demonstrated ability to deliver anti-poaching initiatives in the field as well as high level policy outcomes;
• Strong working knowledge of law enforcement, anti-poaching and wildlife crime scenario as well as political and policy making processes within Central Africa;
• Significant experience in nature conservation, knowledge of biodiversity policy trends, and understanding of effective law enforcement’s role in reducing poaching of critically endangered species.

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Must be able to work with minimal supervision, both in the field and office;
• Proven track record in successfully developing, leading, and managing projects in the field of wildlife conservation or law enforcement;
• Excellent communication skills, fluent in English and French;
• Frequent travel within the region, occasionally to remote locations, is required;

WWF’s Values & Behaviors:

• Able to demonstrate WWF behaviors in ways of working: strive for impact, listen deeply, collaborate openly and innovate fearlessly.
• Aligns and identifies with the core values of the WWF organization: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration.

Working Relationships:

• Internal

Works closely with all members of the WC ACAI staff, Biodiversity Practice Team, Ethical law Enforcement Team, Species Action Program leads, WWF field teams in Central Africa and WWF donors’ offices.

• External

Works closely with a very large variety of individuals and representatives of organizations working on species conservation, donors, local and central governments and private companies.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.