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Programme Officer - Conservation action - Madagascar

Vacancy #:   6703
Unit:   Species Conservation Action
Organisation:   International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:   Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya
Reporting to:   Senior Grants Officer – Species Conservation Action Team
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   P1
Expected start date:   01 February 2024
Type of contract:   Fixed-term
Closing date:   31 January 2024 (extended)
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND

PLEASE NOTE:
This is a local recruitment. Only Malagasy nationals, individuals with residence status, or those with the appropriate employment visa for Madagascar are eligible to apply. The Programme Officer will be recruited locally by a temporary agency and will eventually be directly recruited by IUCN. S/he will be based in the upcoming Madagascar Country Office, in Antananarivo, Madagascar. As a temporary arrangement until the office opens, the Programme Officer will work remotely from home.

IUCN is seeking to recruit an experienced and enthusiastic candidate to join the IUCN Species Conservation Action Team as Programme Officer – Species Conservation) to support the IUCN SOS – Save Our Species programme.

IUCN SOS – Save Our Species aims to improve the conservation status of globally threatened species, their habitats, and the people depending on them. It provides grants for conservation projects targeting globally threatened species. By strategically focusing on species conservation priorities and by providing rapid action funding that can be mobilized quickly during crises, SOS provides critically needed resources where and when they matter most.

IUCN Save Our Species supports science-based conservation action on the ground that saves animals, plants, and fungi from extinction. We focus our efforts where they will have the biggest impact by funding frontline conservation organisations across the world that have unique knowledge of their region and the local biodiversity. IUCN Save Our Species is IUCN’s response to the challenges identified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ mobilising IUCN’s unique knowledge and expertise of the IUCN Expert Commissions.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The primary task of the Programme Officer will be to contribute to the effective implementation of the SOS Lemurs (Phase II) initiative in Madagascar. This position will also contribute to delivering other species-related initiatives, project development, and liaison with IUCN Programmes, Members, commissions, and partners.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

- Ensure the efficient implementation of the SOS Lemurs (Phase II) initiative and other initiatives with the same geographic scope;

- Be responsible for the day-to-day management of the grants following IUCN SOS standardised procedures and in coordination with the Grants Coordinator;

- Support the development of operational guidelines and templates and contribute to preparing the documentation for calls for proposals to be published on the IUCN Grants Portal;

- Assist in reviewing applications received by the SOS Secretariat, including review of applications’ eligibility under SOS criteria and supporting the SOS Technical Advisory Group's review of applications;

- Liaise with grantees;

- Monitor grants and organise and conduct project monitoring missions, as well as prepare mission reports in coordination with the Grants Coordinator;

- Review progress and final reports submitted by grantees and prepare project evaluation reports;

- Lead on the data collection process for SOS Lemurs (Phase II) grants to feed into the SOS monitoring and evaluation framework and other tracking tools;

- Support the collation of impact data and the capture of lessons learned towards the development of various communication outputs;

- Support the organisational development and capacity-building activities of SOS Lemurs;

- Support policy interventions at national, regional and international level and make linkages between the IUCN Save Our Species on-the-ground work and relevant policies at these levels;

- Ensure timely and quality communication of the SOS Lemurs (Phase II) initiative through IUCN’s regional and global communications channels;

- Support the organisation of workshops and webinars;

- Keep the IUCN Eastern and Southern Regional Office and other programmes implemented in the Western Indian Region updated on SOS Lemurs projects and beneficiaries in order to avoid duplication and increase efficiency, e.g. updates on calls for proposals, the project pipeline, joint visibility and communications opportunities, grantee due diligence processes, etc.

- Contribute to drafting yearly progress reports to the donor;

- Regularly liaise with relevant donors (i.e French Development Agency, EU Delegation, KfW, etc.) in the country, providing regular updates on the status of relevant SOS Lemurs projects;

- Assist in identifying opportunities for partnerships and project development, and support IUCN SOS fundraising efforts;

- Support the development of proposals for the Species Conservation Action team.

- Represent IUCN at relevant international events;

- Contribute towards knowledge management for conservation in conjunction with the Center for Science and Data;

- Carry out other relevant tasks at the request of and in agreement with the line manager.
REQUIREMENTS
  • • MSc degree (or higher) in biodiversity conservation, species/habitat management, environmental sciences or other relevant discipline;

• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in the field of biodiversity conservation, preferably involving on-the-ground conservation activities;

• Knowledge of and experience with the main biodiversity conservation challenges in Madagascar;

• Experience in grant-making or project management, with strong project management skills at multiple levels, including planning, implementation, reporting, and monitoring;

• Experience in developing and implementing activities aimed at building the capacity of civil society organisations;

• Fundraising experience is an asset;

• Experience in monitoring and evaluation is an asset;

• capacity to produce high-quality briefs and reports;

• Good knowledge of IUCN standards and knowledge tools for species conservation is an asset;

• Fluency in Malagasy, excellent spoken and written English and French;

• Computer literacy in MS Office packages;

• Excellent organizational and networking skills;

• Solution-oriented approach: demonstrates a ‘thinking outside the box’ attitude;

• Demonstrated ability for critical thinking, analysis and strategic planning;

• Proven ability to bring ideas from concept through realization and implementation;

• Outstanding writing and editing skills; strong attention to detail;

• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills;

• Ability to cope with varied workload and flexible working hours;

• Capacity to work effectively under time pressure and extended hours;

• Willingness to travel sometimes at short notice;

• Team-oriented attitude and ability to work independently;

• Proven ability to work with multi-disciplinary groups, including governments, experts, civil society and local communities;

• Respond well to remote supervision;

• A demonstrated high-level ability to work in a multi-cultural, international organisation, applying high standards of respect, tolerance, and support as required.
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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