Policy and Advocacy Manager at Nature Kenya

Duties

• You support the Executive Director to develop and implement an effective programme of policy and advocacy for conservation actions for priority species, sites and habitats, in line with Nature Kenya strategic plan. You take responsibility for fostering ecological sustainability in ways that safeguard Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and priority landscapes and species including those regarded as common. You promote uptake of Multilateral Environmental Agreements and participate in national and global meetings and processes.
• You lead/coordinate campaigns to safeguard KBAs in danger and lobby Government and developers to take action to safeguard these places.
• You build the capacity of grassroot organisations working with Nature Kenya to champion site advocacy, education and awareness efforts.
• To achieve this, you will support the Executive Director to:
• Disseminate the science on species and ecosystems to safeguard nature services and link human wellbeing with conservation and development
• Mainstream KBAs/IBAs and biodiversity in general into key sectors of the economy: agriculture, energy, water, infrastructure and others.
• Analyse policies, legislation and institutional frameworks at all levels and develop recommendations for key target groups.
• Catalyze and influence policies, legislation and institutional frameworks for ecosystem resilience
• Empower local communities and Site Support Groups to advocate for species and sites
• conservation
• You will support the Executive Director to promote an understanding and acceptance of the importance of a healthy environment to well-functioning production sectors. This will require an extensive strategy of research, communication, education and public awareness and advocacy.
• You will research, develop and implement mechanisms to bring together representatives of various sectors in order to coordinate research and policy outcomes and activities and use science to address common conservation concerns.
• Through mainstreaming, biodiversity science and concerns will be internalized into the way economic sectors, development models, policies and programmes operate. By integrating biodiversity concerns into the way sectors operate you will enhance the immediate benefits of improving environmental quality and productivity, and which also serve as a long-term safeguard for sustainable development.
• You are responsible for developing a national constituency of institutions that recognise and support Nature Kenya work. An important part of the job is to ensure that Nature Kenya conservation work is packaged and disseminated to a broad range of stakeholders, partners and members.
• A critical component is to ensure that Nature Kenya is adequately represented in key advocacy national fora and that Site Support Groups and national institutions understand their roles and obligation in the implementation of key policies, legislation, treaties, agreements and conventions to ensure IBAs/KBAs conservation in perpetuity. To support these strategic goals, fundraising is a key component of your work and you will raise resources to support your position and others working with you to achieve your planned targets

Key qualification and skills include:

• University level education in natural resources management.
• At least 10 years’ experience in natural resource conservation involving lobby and advocacy or demonstrable track record in policy and advocacy
• Excellent oral and written communication, networking, presentation, drafting, research, analytical, team work, taking the lead and creativity.