Country Director, Madagascar

Job title:                     Country Director, Madagascar

Based in:                     Antananarivo, Madagascar

Job type:                     Permanent hire

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an international conservation NGO with headquarters at the Bronx Zoo, New York, USA, currently seeks a new leader for our Madagascar Program as Country Director.   This long-term position, based in Antananarivo, Madagascar, provides an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to global biodiversity conservation, lead a talented team, and pioneer new approaches to sustainable natural resource management.

 WCS has been working in Madagascar for 20 years and currently employs 120 Malagasy staff in field sites and at the capital city HQ in Antananarivo.  The largest program is the MaMaBay Landscape-Seascape in and around Masoala NP, Makira NP, and Antongil Bay.  In Makira WCS leads the largest and most developed REDD+ program in Africa.  WCS also works in Mikea in the southwest and in marine sites around the country.

 The Madagascar Country Director is WCS’s legal representative in Madagascar and is responsible for all WCS activities in the country.  The previous holder of the position also served as WCS’s Western Indian Ocean Coordinator, and once the new Madagascar Country Director is appointed WCS will consider whether the selected candidate might take on all or some of these responsibilities as well. 

Position Objectives

1. Direct overall strategic and program planning and budgeting processes for the Madagascar Country Program in order to grow and develop the program and contribute materially to conserving Madagascar’s biodiversity;

2.  Ensure the effective functioning of financial and administrative matters and adequate    internal control between the WCS central office, WCS Madagascar country office and    field offices;

3.   Engage with multilateral and bilateral agencies, as well as private individuals and organizations, to secure support (financial, organizational and logistical) in order to implement WCS’s Madagascar’s priority activities.

Responsibilities:

The Country Director will be responsible for the continued developing of a WCS Madagascar Program that has, at its core, a site-based, species based and conservation challenges strategy, which promotes linkages across thematic sectors through collaboration with Government ministries, civil society, private sector, and other technical and financial partners working in the environmental sector.

WCS Madagascar program strategic development:

The Country Director oversees all WCS initiatives in Madagascar, and in this capacity he/she will lead a team of senior technical and administrative staff in overall strategic development, program planning and budgeting processes.  He/she will be responsible for following Madagascar environmental politics and serving as the barometer for ensuring net positive linkages between national policy and governance and WCS/Madagascar site-based, species-based and conservation challenges policy and programmatic decisions.

• Develop, implement and evaluate a Country Program strategic plan that addresses WCS Global Conservation Program (GCP) goals, while adapting to the social, political and ecological landscapes that are Madagascar.

• Foster and maintain an ongoing dialogue and partnership with donors, government aid agencies, foundations and individuals to mobilize financial resources for WCS/Madagascar program, where appropriate in collaboration with other key environment and development partners

• Ensure appropriate and effective communications reflecting WCS GCP positions, including representing WCS in meetings with Government of Madagascar and technical/financial partners and ensure continued development of conservation initiatives and partnerships.

• Engage in strategic and programmatic forums with Malagasy partners and other conservation and development technical and financial partners in addressing policy and strategic level issues through working multi-actor committees and commissions

• Direct international attention to important sites and species for conservation in Madagascar

 WCS Madagascar program technical planning and management:

• Ensure that WCS/Madagascar programs and/or projects address the country program strategic orientation in harmony with stated WCS GCP conservation goals and objectives relating to site-based, species-based and critical issues so as to effectively implement GCP strategy.   

• Continue the development of, and adherence to, a tracking system to improve monitoring technical and financial progress against results as defined in projects/grants and overall financial management system.

• Ensure WCS representation in policy, strategic and programmatic dialogue at the national and regional levels to foster better coordination, harmonization and implementation of environment and sustainable development activities and further enhance the understanding of the linkages between biodiversity conservation, natural resources management, improved livelihoods and good governance.

WCS Madagascar program human resources and financial administration:

•  Hire, coordinate train and mentor Madagascar-based WCS senior and field-  basedtechnical, administrative and financial staff to ensure the development of a  highperforming,interdisciplinary team.

• Oversee administrative and financial planning and processes, providing direction and guidance to senior administrative and finance staff

•  Ensure timely evaluation of senior and field-based technical, administrative and financial staff

•  Ensure appropriate development and administration of annual fiscal year budgets, including maintaining communication with and providing timing reporting to WCS GCP office.

•  Contribute to, enlarge and uphold the WCS’s policies towards Equal Employment Opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, the handicapped, and other protected groups.

  Required and preferred qualifications for candidates

•  Required: Master’s degree or higher in a discipline related to natural resources management, environment or rural development studies, protected area management, or wildlife or conservation biology 
• Preferred: Expertise and experience in both terrestrial and marine conservation.
• Required: Minimum of ten years of progressively increasing responsibility for protected areas or natural resources management, sustainable development, and/or other environmental assistance or related work in developing countries; proven ability to build capacity and direct initiatives in community-driven natural resource management, oversee field research, conservation biology, conservation advocacy, and project management
• Required: Proven knowledge and experience with government agencies and management of large agency grants
• Preferred: Proven fundraising record from government/agency sources, foundations, and private individuals
• Required: Substantial experience in partner government relations, and knowledge of international conservation policy issues (including environmental treaties); proven ability to develop and maintain a network of high-level contacts with government officials, multi-lateral and bilateral technical and financial partners; demonstrated tact and negotiation skills
• Preferred: Significant work experience in Madagascar, knowledge of Madagascar environmental and political issues, and strong reputation in the Madagascar environment community
• Required: Demonstrated experience effectively managing staff
• Required: Superb English communications skills both written and oral
• Required: French fluency (speaking, oral comprehension, written comprehension) including the ability to participate effectively in meetings; ability to draft written French
• Preferred: Knowledge of Malagasy language

Please apply on-line at www.wcs.org, scroll to ‘careers’ at the bottom of the page and follow the prompts to apply on-line (you must register online in order to be considered). IN ADDITION TO APPLYING ONLINE: Please send a cover letter, resumé and at three references (with contact information including phone numbers) by email to the Hiring Manager, Graeme Patterson (gpatterson@wcs.org) copied to Nina Holbrook (nholbrook@wcs.org) using the following in the ‘Subject Line’ of the email <yoursurname_Madagascar_Director>. The deadline for applications is October 3rd, 2013.

EOE M/F/V/D