TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to the conservation of nature. We actively monitor and investigate wildlife trade and provide information to diverse audiences worldwide as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is an international network, organised into eight regional programmes.

TRAFFIC is seeking a Senior Programme Officer (SPO) for its Madagascar project office. The SPO will play a pivotal role in developing and implementing TRAFFIC’s work programme in Madagascar and other parts of the Western Indian Ocean. The SPO will be responsible specifically for implementation of TRAFFIC’s timber and reptile trade component of the WWF programme “Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources” supported by USAID.

The salary range for this role is USD60,000 – USD65,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience and this role will be hosted for TRAFFIC on a WWF contract.

The SPO will be responsible for expanding the innovative work done in the region by TRAFFIC on wildlife trade since 1992. The main responsibilities will focus on documentation of trade, exposure of unsustainable and illegal activities, ensuring that effective natural resource management and regulations are in place and that trade is conducted under conditions of transparent governance. In carrying out these duties the SPO will ensure that all activities are implemented effectively and efficiently, consistent with TRAFFIC policies, the Guidelines for the Operation of the TRAFFIC Network and the TRAFFIC Network Financial Policies and Procedures Manual. The SPO will work in close collaboration with other TRAFFIC’s offices and TRAFFIC´s partners WWF, the global conservation organization, and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The SPO will, amongst others, be responsible for the co-ordination and implementation of activities to be conducted as part of WWF Madagascar’s “Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources” programme, supported by USAID in Madagascar. This project seeks to expand available knowledge of Madagascar’s timber (Diospyros spp. and Dalbergia spp.) extracted from Madagascar’s forests, the reptile trade and associated socio-economic factors, by collecting baseline data amongst primary industry stakeholders and promoting sustainability of trade in these commodities in Madagascar through the development of appropriate legality frameworks.

The SPO for the Madagascar project office will:

• Develop and coordinate TRAFFIC’s Work Programme with a focus on Madagascar in consultation with the Regional Director and ensuring synergy with IUCN and WWF.
• Oversee, manage and implement selected programmatic areas in Madagascar including partnership development, project proposal writing, fundraising, budget management, financial and technical reporting, staff supervision, liaison with donors, undertaking research and compilation of research results.
• Assists the TESA Regional Director with strategic planning and regional programme development, budgeting and management of contracts, technical and financial reporting and fundraising.
• Develop and implement programme and policy objectives that proactively resolve non-sustainable wildlife trade issues and promote solutions based on sustainable wildlife trade in the Madagascar.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Lead in the co-ordination and implementation of TRAFFIC’s activities under the USAID supported “Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources” programme in Madagascar including planning and design, technical and financial reporting, communication and monitoring;
• Develop and lead the Madagascar component of TRAFFIC’s work programme, including timber, animals used for pets and fashion, capacity building, medicinal and aromatic plants;
• Utilise dynamic communication approaches to provide targeted information through radio, booklets, newspaper articles, web-based information to reach TRAFFIC’s target audience;
• Establish strong connections with the Madagascar donor community and strengthen fundraising to support programme delivery;
• Focus efforts on clear priorities for the greatest conservation impact, and to be able to demonstrate that impact;
• Provide objective baseline data for partners and third parties to act upon;
• Initiate trade monitoring, adaptation and mitigation programmes based on climate change priorities, such as REDD and REDD+, ensuring that it identifies and mitigates trade impacts that drives these phenomena, supports adaptation changes wherever people depend on the use of harvests from the wild, and meshes with cross-regional climate change mitigation efforts and TRAFFIC’s work on, for instance, medicinal plants, timber, reptile trade and coastal fisheries;
• Building on TRAFFIC’s track record of governance building through capacitating the human resources of wildlife departments and their partners (for instance, customs, police, airport/port authorities);
• Carries out technical review and, where required, sign-off of on reports and other communication materials, ensuring quality control and timely submission;
• Liaises with WWF and IUCN programmes and regional/national offices in Madagascar on TRAFFIC’s work programme and activities related to wildlife conservation, trade and utilisation, and liaises with other offices of the TRAFFIC Network on Madagascan wildlife trade topics;
• Liaises with intergovernmental organisations such as CITES and CBD Secretariats, the Western Indian Ocean Commission, with governmental agencies, NGOs, Scientific organisations and Capacity Building institutions in Madagascar to foster understanding and support for TRAFFIC’s programme objectives in a positive manner;
• Representing TRAFFIC at national, regional and international meetings, and other events as appropriate and after consultation with the Regional Director of TESA.
• Other tasks related to TRAFFIC’s global conservation programme as agreed with the TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa Regional Director.