CCI Program Support Officer

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction. Through the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists and our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. 

The African Range-Wide Cheetah Conservation Initiative (CCI), formerly the Range Wide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dogs (RWCP), aims to halt the decline of cheetah in Africa. CCI works with governments and other partners to support the development and implementation of regional strategies and national conservation action plans for cheetah and other large carnivores, specifically African wild dogs.  Over the next five years (2021 to 2025) our work will prioritise Corridors, through safeguarding large, transboundary Cheetah Landscapes; Communities, by fostering sustainable coexistence between people and carnivores; and Capacity, by strengthening institutional and national capacity. Our approach is science led, and we undertake primary research to provide knowledge needed to inform decision makers and deliver effective conservation at scale to support cheetahs and other wildlife. The program is run by a Project Leader, Prof. Sarah Durant, at the Zoological Society of London in the UK, three Regional Coordinators based in Benin, Tanzania and Zimbabwe and an Angolan team of two.

The CCI is looking for a motivated, flexible and dynamic team player to serve as a Program Support Officer for this expanding initiative based in UK, Kenya or Benin. The officer will work with the management team and other program staff in the UK and in Africa to ensure effective delivery of CCI activities. This role is very broad in scope and the officer will be expected to undertake a variety of tasks to support operations including (but not limited to) accounting, database management, workshop organisation, website updating, technical and financial reporting, and administrative support

• Providing financial management support, including but not limited to: checking receipts against expenses, and expense allocations to grants, monitoring spending, reconciling expenditure, keeping consolidated accounts.
• Providing administrative support to the program, including but not restricted to: taking minutes at key online meetings, preparation of monthly program summary reports; sourcing, procuring and inventory of equipment and materials; arranging travel for team members.
• Helping organise workshops and training courses, including logistics around the deployment of training and contracting of training providers for overseas sites, accommodation, flight booking, visa applications, etc.
• Coordinating operational support from UK-based teams in other departments to ensure efficient and timely support to the program team from HR, finance, legal, communications, PR, health & safety and procurement etc.)
• Working with program staff and volunteers to keep social media sites active and engaging, the program website up to date, and to curate all project databases, ensuring backups are kept and data confidentiality is maintained.
• Supporting the coordination of the program’s student bursary activities (helping CCI supported students with university registration processes, logistics, travel plans, payments etc as necessary).
• Supporting program staff in the compilation of technical and financial reports to donors (and any ad hoc special reports) as required by the donor, the program team or ZSL.
• Supporting the program management team, and other program staff, in tracking project activities to ensure that deliverables are achieved according to the grant contract, work-plan and budget.

For a full job description, please click here.

• A degree in a relevant subject or equivalent work experience in a relevant field (a minimum BSc Hons is desirable).
• Experience of technical and financial report writing, of financial management and budgeting.
• Experience in management of databases / large datasets / multiple sources of data.
• Experience of working in conservation in Africa, in developing countries.
• Well-developed skills in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience managing social media accounts desirable.
• Fluent spoken and written English and French essential, accompanying good communication and team skills.

Applicants will need to upload their CV plus a covering letter (detailing relevant experience and skills, stating why they want the position and including details of availability) and can do this by clicking the "Apply for this job online" button on the ZSL website.

Closing Date: Midnight (23:59) Sunday 15th August 2021

Anticipated Interview Date: W/c – 25th August

The Zoological Society of London is a charity registered in England and Wales: no. 208728.