Kenya Conservation Director at Nature Conservancy

WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER

A major goal for this position is to strengthen integration across strategies and projects for greater effectiveness, impact, and equity. The Kenya Conservation Director oversees all conservation program aspects of the Kenya program in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, providing technical, scientific and programmatic leadership to successfully execute the Kenya Strategic Plan. They provide strategic leadership and support for TNC’s conservation planning work and establish overall conservation priorities for Kenya program initiatives. The Kenya Conservation Director serves as the principle contact to conservation organizations, foundations, and the academic community within their area of responsibility. They will engage with key stakeholders to amplify conservation developments in Kenya come up with innovative solutions to improve conservation efforts in line with TNCs 2030 Goals and the Kenya Strategic Plan. They disseminate best practices, oversee trainings and analysis to best implement organizational measures of success.  They will work closely with the Africa regional IPLC, terrestrial, freshwater, marine and climate strategies as well as with the regional fundraising team to ensure that all programs are well coordinated.

This position will report to the Kenya Country Program Director, supervise a team and work closely with the TNC Kenya and regional conservation teams. The position will be based in Kenya and will involve regular travel to the field. No employment visas or assistance is being offered with this position except for the local labour employment requirements.

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, and a motivated problem-solver. 

This is an exciting new position within the Kenya conservation team, responsible for leading a body of integrated terrestrial, freshwater and marine conservation work across Kenya ensuring durable outcomes for nature and people.

The responsibilities and scope for this position are:

• Provide technical, strategic, and scientific leadership to TNC Kenya’s conservation programs under the terrestrial (including agriculture), freshwater, and oceans workstreams ensuring alignment with the Kenya Conservation Strategic Plan, while incorporating cross-disciplinary knowledge to support landscape-scale program objectives.
• Oversee the coordination and implementation of conservation actions as articulated in the Kenya Strategy
• Coordinate workstream design and implementation in northern Kenya, which includes conservation planning under the larger goal of achieving 30x30 and geography specific deliverables under the PFP. 
• Cultivate and develop new and existing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders including government agencies, public and private partners, implementing partners, collaborating partners and communities to achieve strategic goals and objectives.
• Identify and resolve technical issues and widely communicate solutions, innovative scientific methods, analysis, tools and frameworks to address the natural system needs. 
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and provide technical support to the TNC staff and partners in Kenya in the identification and strengthening of linkages and collaborations between organizations working on community based natural resource management, community development, species protection and wildlife security.
• Support fundraising efforts for Kenya conservation priorities. 
• Identify and design how to effectively leverage partnerships and  build their capacity to develop and implement risk management protocols to reduce and mitigate risk and improve quality controls of projects. 
• Support efforts to strengthen community land rights and land use planning in community conservancies.
• Be accountable for tracking progress, reporting to donors and stakeholders on progress and impact of integrated landscape initiatives – terrestrial, freshwater and oceans.
• Leverage the relationships between community and private conservation efforts by building strategic scientific and technical capacity amongst conservation partners to build landscape connectivity. 
• Improve quality controls and coordination of interventions across the different strategic programs touching down in northern Kenya, including but not limited to, rangelands (including carbon projects), holistic grazing, source water management and regenerative agriculture.
• Working with the leading team members, coordinate and integrate the conservation programs into the Kenya Project Finance for Permanence (PFP), 30x30 and Focal Place workstreams.
• Manage the performance of direct reports.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• BA/BS degree and 10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
• Experience directing a major program or project of strategic importance, including management /supervision of multi-disciplinary teams and meeting deadlines.
• Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and geographic regions.
• Experience in conservation planning and systems thinking. 
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives, and managing performance. 
• Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or   government agencies.                                        
• Experience negotiating.                                                
• Experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans at the country level. 
• Experience with financial management of a large program.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated with excellent communication skills via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and Kiswahili. Knowledge of Maasai and/or Samburu language would be beneficial.
• Over 12 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A master’s degree in natural resource management, environmental sciences or a related field will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, environmental policy, land management, and natural resource preservation in Kenya.
• Knowledge of the Kenya ecosystem and community-based natural resource management principles and the legislative provisions that facilitate a co-management approach.
• Knowledge of ecosystem and landscape scale management conservation practices and conservation science in Kenya.
• Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong organizational and communications skills.   
• Completing tasks with minimal supervision with respect to timeline(s).    
• Sensitivity in handling confidential information with respect to project activities and outcomes.
• Politically savvy.