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Country Representative
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BACKGROUND
The IUCN Regional Programme in eastern and southern Africa
The countries of Eastern and Southern Africa host a vast variety and abundance of the world’s biological and natural resources, including seven of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. From Ethiopia to the Cape, the region contains several centres of endemism where species of birds, mammals and plants reside nowhere else in the world. Africa’s biodiversity is comparatively in a better state than many other parts of the world, partly because of a long early history of co-existence between humans and other living species. However, this situation is rapidly changing with major increases in the human population and changing demographics, economies and climates. Today, approximately half of Africa’s terrestrial eco-regions have lost more than 50% of their area to cultivation, degradation and/or urbanization. Currently, much of the
focus of the region’s governmental bodies is directed towards immediate needs linked to poverty alleviation and development – often at the expense of longer term sustainability. This is manifested in changing land use, such as the introduction of biofuels, agriculture intensification and mining.
The IUCN eastern and southern Africa regional programme (ESARP) cuts across 24 countries in the Horn of Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and the western Indian Ocean. The Programme builds on the growing global recognition and understanding of the trends and links between ecosystem changes and human well-being. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to the region’s development in a way that benefits both ecosystem and human-wellbeing now, and in the future. The eastern and southern Africa regional programme cuts across the 3 key areas of the IUCN Global Programme: i) Valuing and conserving nature; ii) Effective and equitable governance of nature’s use; and iii) Deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. Within the region, the Programme is operationalized through Thematic Areas that seek to bring about positive change in relation to one or more of these three areas. Thematic Areas are headed by a Technical Coordinator that is responsible for providing technical leadership, is supported by a team of programme officers and works closely with the regional Country Offices as well as relevant Global Programmes
The countries of Eastern and Southern Africa host a vast variety and abundance of the world’s biological and natural resources, including seven of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. From Ethiopia to the Cape, the region contains several centres of endemism where species of birds, mammals and plants reside nowhere else in the world. Africa’s biodiversity is comparatively in a better state than many other parts of the world, partly because of a long early history of co-existence between humans and other living species. However, this situation is rapidly changing with major increases in the human population and changing demographics, economies and climates. Today, approximately half of Africa’s terrestrial eco-regions have lost more than 50% of their area to cultivation, degradation and/or urbanization. Currently, much of the
focus of the region’s governmental bodies is directed towards immediate needs linked to poverty alleviation and development – often at the expense of longer term sustainability. This is manifested in changing land use, such as the introduction of biofuels, agriculture intensification and mining.
The IUCN eastern and southern Africa regional programme (ESARP) cuts across 24 countries in the Horn of Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and the western Indian Ocean. The Programme builds on the growing global recognition and understanding of the trends and links between ecosystem changes and human well-being. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to the region’s development in a way that benefits both ecosystem and human-wellbeing now, and in the future. The eastern and southern Africa regional programme cuts across the 3 key areas of the IUCN Global Programme: i) Valuing and conserving nature; ii) Effective and equitable governance of nature’s use; and iii) Deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. Within the region, the Programme is operationalized through Thematic Areas that seek to bring about positive change in relation to one or more of these three areas. Thematic Areas are headed by a Technical Coordinator that is responsible for providing technical leadership, is supported by a team of programme officers and works closely with the regional Country Offices as well as relevant Global Programmes
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Head of Office is responsible for overseeing the effectiveness of IUCN’s Programme of Work at a sub-regional level, providing strategic oversight and day to day management of the Office, as well as providing a representation role through supporting and building IUCN’s Constituency in the region.
More specifically, roles and responsibilities of the Head of Office are as follows:
1. Organizational management and leadership
The Head of Office is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the office and its resources. This includes overarching responsibility for the financial viability and sustainability of the Office.
The Head of Office bears responsibility for the management of the offices human resources. The office is comprised of Programme and Project Officers, Finance and Administration as well as Support staff – all of whom report to the Head of Office. The Head of Office is responsible for both individual performance as well as ensuring that all individuals across the different departments work together as a team. The Head of Office is also responsible for ensuring that IUCN policies and procedures are adhered to in the day to day running of the office and management of all assets.
2. Overseeing the effectiveness of IUCN’s Programme of Work
IUCN is seeking to build on the success of the Programme to date and consolidate and further develop this into a cohesive sub-regional programme – covering transboundary ecosystems as well as underlying drivers affecting biodiversity across Uganda and its neighbouring countries. The Head of Office will play a lead role in this process, working closely with regional Technical Coordinators as subject matter specialists. This will involve the following:
• Working the (regional and sub-regional) Programme team to clearly define strategic areas of focus, in line with the IUCN Global and Regional priorities and multi-year Programme;
• Identifying core issues and opportunities for project/programme development;
• Working with the relevant Technical Coordinators to make decisions on growth areas and to develop and secure new projects and programmatic initiatives; and
• Effectively planning for and mobilizing resources (financial, human and physical) necessary for the effective implementation of the Programme.
The Head of Office will also be responsible for ensuring that all programmatic initiatives are effectively implemented. This will involve strategic oversight, ensuring that projects are realizing their overall results/objectives; high quality and timely delivery of outputs as well as efficient use of resources in line with approved budgets. This involves establishing clear mechanisms for adaptive management – guiding both the strategic direction of the portfolio of activities at the sub-regional level as well as coordinating the day to day operations.
3. Representation
The Head of Office acts as a liaison between IUCN and its constituency, particularly the IUCN membership at country level. This includes providing support to the National Coordination Committee (NCC), ensuring that regular meetings are convened, supporting individual members in matters related to IUCN and acting as a liaison between the membership and the IUCN Regional Director. The Head of Office is also responsible for identifying new members and recruiting with the support of the IUCN Regional Membership Administrator.
The Head of Office is also responsible for monitoring key sub-regional developments and trends affecting biodiversity conservation across the sub-region and bringing these to the attention of the Regional Programme Team.
S/he will represent IUCN in various forums, including the public and private sectors, with partners and donors and will ensure that IUCN is participating in the right forums, is presenting a consistent message, is engaging and being engaged by all key stakeholders to address crucial conservation issues. From time to time, the Head of Office may also be required to issue formal statements on behalf of IUCN as directed by the Regional Director.
More specifically, roles and responsibilities of the Head of Office are as follows:
1. Organizational management and leadership
The Head of Office is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the office and its resources. This includes overarching responsibility for the financial viability and sustainability of the Office.
The Head of Office bears responsibility for the management of the offices human resources. The office is comprised of Programme and Project Officers, Finance and Administration as well as Support staff – all of whom report to the Head of Office. The Head of Office is responsible for both individual performance as well as ensuring that all individuals across the different departments work together as a team. The Head of Office is also responsible for ensuring that IUCN policies and procedures are adhered to in the day to day running of the office and management of all assets.
2. Overseeing the effectiveness of IUCN’s Programme of Work
IUCN is seeking to build on the success of the Programme to date and consolidate and further develop this into a cohesive sub-regional programme – covering transboundary ecosystems as well as underlying drivers affecting biodiversity across Uganda and its neighbouring countries. The Head of Office will play a lead role in this process, working closely with regional Technical Coordinators as subject matter specialists. This will involve the following:
• Working the (regional and sub-regional) Programme team to clearly define strategic areas of focus, in line with the IUCN Global and Regional priorities and multi-year Programme;
• Identifying core issues and opportunities for project/programme development;
• Working with the relevant Technical Coordinators to make decisions on growth areas and to develop and secure new projects and programmatic initiatives; and
• Effectively planning for and mobilizing resources (financial, human and physical) necessary for the effective implementation of the Programme.
The Head of Office will also be responsible for ensuring that all programmatic initiatives are effectively implemented. This will involve strategic oversight, ensuring that projects are realizing their overall results/objectives; high quality and timely delivery of outputs as well as efficient use of resources in line with approved budgets. This involves establishing clear mechanisms for adaptive management – guiding both the strategic direction of the portfolio of activities at the sub-regional level as well as coordinating the day to day operations.
3. Representation
The Head of Office acts as a liaison between IUCN and its constituency, particularly the IUCN membership at country level. This includes providing support to the National Coordination Committee (NCC), ensuring that regular meetings are convened, supporting individual members in matters related to IUCN and acting as a liaison between the membership and the IUCN Regional Director. The Head of Office is also responsible for identifying new members and recruiting with the support of the IUCN Regional Membership Administrator.
The Head of Office is also responsible for monitoring key sub-regional developments and trends affecting biodiversity conservation across the sub-region and bringing these to the attention of the Regional Programme Team.
S/he will represent IUCN in various forums, including the public and private sectors, with partners and donors and will ensure that IUCN is participating in the right forums, is presenting a consistent message, is engaging and being engaged by all key stakeholders to address crucial conservation issues. From time to time, the Head of Office may also be required to issue formal statements on behalf of IUCN as directed by the Regional Director.
REQUIREMENTS
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• At least 8+ years of proven experience with an advanced degree in natural science related to the management of natural resources or related fields; • Demonstrated experience in working with international/regional organizations would be an asset; • Proven high level of knowledge about policy and political issues in the sub-region related to the management of natural resources with demonstrated experience in engaging with relevant national and sub-regional forums and other policy processes; • Familiarity with established and emerging relevant conservation and natural resource management approaches, methodologies and processes – including Landscape/Ecosystem based approaches; • Demonstrated experience with climate change adaptation and mitigation would be an added advantage; • Demonstrated fundraising, budgeting and programme planning abilities and past performance, including experience of development and successful marketing of project proposals with donors, and subsequent delivery and reporting; • Experience with result based portfolio and project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation methodologies and principles and facilitation skills; • Strong interpersonal, management and supervisory skills and experience, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in managing organizations and/or teams; • Demonstrated experience in facilitating the establishment of networks and multi-stakeholder participatory processes; • Excellent verbal and communication skills in English essential, with a working knowledge of French an added advantage; • Computer literacy in relation to office applications (word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint) use of internet and online communication tools; and • Be willing to undertake frequent travel (approximately 40% of ones time) and interact with different stakeholders from diverse cultures. |
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
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