IMPORTANT: This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders. Other applicants need not apply.
The IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) is establishing a programme of work on Forest Landscape Restoration based in Rwanda. The programme is to provide technical support towards the Government of Rwanda’s contribution towards the restoration of 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested lands by 2020 – also known as the Bonn Challenge. The Bonn Challenge is an initiative of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR), for which IUCN provides the Secretariat.
The FLR – Extension officer will contribute his/her mobilization and community engagement and technical skills to the Rwanda-based delivery of economically, socially and environmentally feasible and innovative solutions to large-scale forest and landscape efforts of the Bonn Challenge. Specifically the Extension officer will support the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority and District Authorities in applying practical restoration efforts in pilot/priority landscapes within the Districts.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Extension Officer will:
1 Assume overall responsibility on behalf of IUCN in support of RNRA and District institutions for the timely and quality delivery of field-related work for district level landscape restoration initiatives in Rwanda.
2. Assist the Programme manager to collate a comprehensive database of all FLR activities underway in Rwanda as a basis for national monitoring and improved coordination.
3. Support district agricultural and forest extension agents to deliver a combined forest landscape restoration technical, extension and investment service aimed at farmers and landowners to share information about the economic benefits of restoration and promote agroforestry & other restoration practices.
4. Lead in the development and facilitation of district level capacity building programmes and aggregation of producer organizations that enable key actors to attract investment at pilot sites and enter securely into investment partnerships.
5. Lead in the collection of district level monitoring data working with other colleagues and support the documentation of project experiences and results to further improve the national delivery of the Bonn Challenge.
6. Lead in the establishment of pilot water catchment/ landscape or district level restoration structures and their integration with within existing district structures.
7. Lead in the development and implementation of FLR packages in the district, including agroforestry, improved woodlot, protective forest establishment, plantation management, and farmer managed regeneration.
8. Support with the organization of district and national investment forums and/or ‘financing tours’ in high restoration potential areas that demonstrate to large and small investors the opportunities for investment in FLR technologies.
REQUIREMENTS
• B.Sc. Agroforestry/Forestry or other relevant discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working with communities and local government in Rwanda on environmental projects
• Demonstrated understanding of issues related to land-use dynamics at the field, national and international level
• A good knowledge on land-use dynamics, and its social, environmental and economic implications
• Strong networks with local community based organizations and local government.
• Excellent diplomacy and negotiation skills to work with local and national entities and stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills in English and Kinyrwanda, good written and spoken abilities in French is an asset
• Good computer skills in MS-applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively in Rwanda
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).
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.
IUCN works on biodiversity, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.
