| Description |
Location: Micronesia (Palau/Pohnpei/Guam)
Start date: January 2012
Length: Initial 30 month contract with potential to become permanent position
Reports to: Director, Pride English Program and/or Vice President, Pride English Program
Travel: Average about 30%, some months may be much higher, primarily but not exclusively in Micronesia/Pacific.
The Program Director is responsible for management of a group of 10-12 two-year partnerships with NGOs and the Government throughout Micronesia (Palau, FSM, RMI, Guam and CNMI) as these partners implement Pride campaign training and campaign execution. The campaigns focus on island conservation in and around a selection of marine protected areas and key watersheds in each of the main jurisdictions that make up the Micronesia Challenge.
The ideal candidate has bilingual and bi-literate skills in at least one Micronesia language and English as well as academic preparation in marine and/or terrestrial/watershed conservation. For non-native speakers, an assessment will be taken on their language proficiency. S/he has an ability to build, manage, and oversee a successful cohort of conservation campaigns at 10-12 sites across the region focusing on working to strengthen community ownership in natural resource management through improved MPA management, watershed management and best erosion control practices. S/he possesses excellent team and partner management skills, a deep commitment to community-based conservation of biodiversity, and will have had proven success managing projects or organizations involving multiple stakeholders, partnerships and contracts. S/he will be proactive, consultative and results oriented and will have strategically driven their organization’s mission forward while simultaneously striving to improve that organization’s business model.
Areas of Responsibility
Operational Management
- Establish, supervise and inspire a to-be-hired team of 3-4 Micronesian and/or locally based staff.
- Work with Rare’s Training Director to implement the training and on-boarding of all newly hired Pride Program Managers and other staff in the region.
- Facilitate communication and lessons learning and sharing between the program and Rare’s US-based team and other regional programs.
- Develop and oversee relevant parts of the annual program plan and budget.
- Implement high standards of HR practices and program management.
- Report to the Director, Pride English Program, weekly and/or as needed with full openness and candor concerning any issues and challenges, and ensure monthly reporting scorecards and similar tools are always submitted on time.
Conservation Outcomes
- Manage the Pride cohort in Micronesia. Ensure high quality delivery of Pride training, including teaching, monitoring visits, RarePlanet presence.
- Contribute to design of new cohorts and program development in the Pacific region.
- Ensure meaningful conservation objectives for each campaign and successful campaign implementation, on time and on budget, supported by the Director and VP, Pride English Program.
- Oversee and analyze the scientific monitoring and impact activities of the program, ensuring that each campaign and the cohort at large are achieving the intended conservation results.
- Assist in mentoring Pride partners, especially the supervisors of campaign managers and senior executives of partner organizations.
- Assist local campaign managers when developing long-term follow-up strategies and financing efforts to turn initial momentum into lasting conservation results.
- Oversee Pride monitoring visits to support staff training, scientific monitoring, technical barrier removal work (developing and implementing MPA management/enforcement plans, community/stakeholder involvement plans, and erosion mitigation activities) and address specific issues and opportunities.
- Technical sign off on campaigns jointly with the Director/VP.
Relationship Management
- Manage partnerships with local partners and government, with input as needed from regional staff and others.
- Coordinate strong relationships and communications with the key agencies involved in the Micronesia Challenge (MCT, the MCRO, MC steering committee) as well as other regional organizations (MIC, PIMPAC, etc.),
- Manage local levels of some national relationships as agreed with the VP.
- Strengthen existing partnerships and identify new opportunities for partnerships as they arise.
- Help to raise profile of Rare with local media.
Fundraising
- Implement fundraising tasks and targets as agreed with VP.
- Help to identify new opportunities for funding.
- Help write and review proposals as needed in an effort to secure additional funding.
- Participate in donor trips as schedule allows.
- Help to ensure fundraising activity is well-coordinated with development staff at Rare headquarters
Qualifications, Skills & Core Competencies Required
- Master’s degree, MBA, or higher educational attainment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Conservation background required. Marine/terrestrial/watershed Conservation is strongly preferred. Knowledge of regional governance structures relating to marine and terrestrial protected areas.
- Patience, strong communications and relationship management skills, and strong experience in managing multiple workflows with multiple partners at the same time.
- Experience working at the community level—building community ownership of project activities.
- Experience with speaking, and writing proficiently in one or more of Palauan/Pohnpeian/Marshallese/Kosraean/Chuukese/Yapese and English.
- Demonstrated leadership and expertise at a senior level in program administration, business operations, or management, preferably in partnerships with non-governmental organizations or other public government entity with a strong preference for candidates with working knowledge of non-profit policies and procedures related to training and program administration.
- A minimum of five (5) years experience in a management, supervisory, or leadership position that demonstrates the ability to effectively supervise, delegate, communicate, mentor and solve problems in a multi-cultural setting.
- Project management and organizational skills to plan and independently execute projects/tasks within specific and sudden deadlines, and successfully assess, balance, and prioritize numerous competing concerns; successful experience serving as a team lead on projects; ability to teach, motivate, and influence others in order to accomplish a goal.
- Experience in establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with local partners and government.
- Ability to develop and implement long-range communication and campaign plans.
- Experience in successfully meeting budgets and deadlines.
- Experience providing creative direction, analyzing situations and giving sound professional judgment on community-based conservation projects
- Proven outstanding oral and written communications skills that demonstrate the ability to effectively present information and complex data, make persuasive speeches and presentations, and prepare information for funding proposals.
- Network development and alliance building skills to consult and collaborate across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals; demonstrated ability to build consensus.
- Willingness to travel internationally and locally as responsibilities dictate and work extended hours when necessary.
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