The Africa Freshwater Ecosystem Protection Specialist leads the development of freshwater ecosystem protection projects and implements them in collaboration with TNC staff and partners in the respective countries. The Specialist will be guided by the priorities of the Africa Freshwater Ecosystem Protection Strategy, and work in partnership with the TNC Global Freshwater Protection team, building a regional program for advancing freshwater ecosystem protection to benefit people and nature on the continent. The Africa Freshwater Ecosystem Protection Specialist provides technical and policy support to Conservancy freshwater field programs, particularly on Lake Tanganyika, Gabon, the Cubango-Okavango Basin, and the Upper Kafue River Basin. They will serve as the principal contact on freshwater ecosystem protection at the regional level to international finance organizations, other conservation organizations, private foundations, and the academic community. They establish the Conservancy as a leader within freshwater ecosystem protection, building strategic, scientific, and technical capacity in the field directly and through partners.
The Africa Freshwater Ecosystem Protection Specialist develops key partnerships with public & private organizations to identify and resolve technical issues and to widely communicate solutions and best practices.
The Specialist also helps ensure that community support for freshwater ecosystem protection efforts is in place, using Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and other key approaches, or is developed over time before protection actions are pursued.
Frequent travel internationally, and occasional evening and weekend hours are required. May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU
Are you looking for a career to help people and nature? Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that people and nature can thrive together.
We’re looking for someone who is passionate, motivated problem-solver. Our team in Africa is dedicated to healthy freshwater ecosystems supporting people and nature. Join us!
The Africa Freshwater Ecosystem Protection Specialist is someone that has experience with freshwater ecosystem conservation on the African continent and is interested in a mission-driven approach to accelerating the protection of a set of freshwater ecosystem priorities across the continent. The position requires understanding of what keeps a freshwater ecosystem healthy as well as skills in linking to marine and terrestrial protection priorities and actions of TNC and its partners, so that adequate funding can be brought to African freshwater ecosystem priority conservation on a long-term basis. In this way, moving across sector, cultures and habitat realms is as critical to success as a knowledge of freshwater ecosystems themselves. The position reports to the Africa Freshwater Ecosystem Protection Strategy Director and can be based in any of TNC Africa’s offices in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, South Africa, or Gabon.
The key roles and responsibilities shall include.
- Provide technical support on freshwater ecosystem protection to staff in priority Conservancy project areas including Lake Tanganyika, Gabon, the Cubango-Okavango Basin, and the Upper Kafue River Basin.
- Work with selected African governments in helping them improve their understanding, and fulfill their commitments, under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Advance community and government-supported freshwater ecosystem protection projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, South Africa, and/or Gabon.
- Building partnerships across the NGO, government, and private sectors to achieve a set of targeted, but collaborative, freshwater ecosystem protection goals.
- Assist in fundraising for freshwater ecosystem protection projects led by TNC or partners.