TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to the conservation of nature. We actively monitor and investigate wildlife trade and provide information to diverse audiences worldwide as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is an international network, organised into eight regional programmes.

The Wildlife Trade Project Officer will assist with implementing a range of interventions designed to reduce illegal and unsustainable trade in wild species throughout East and southern Africa with a focus on East Africa. More specifically, the Wildlife Trade Project Officer will be tasked to deliver on actions under the US Agency for International Development (USAID) ‘Wildlife Trafficking, Response, Assessment, Priority Setting’ (Wildlife-TRAPS) Project. This initiative is designed to tackle the illegal and unsustainable trade of terrestrial and marine wildlife between Africa and Asia.

Reporting to the East Africa Programme Coordinator of TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa (T-ESA), the Wildlife Trade Project Officer will perform the following tasks:

1. Ensure that TRAFFIC’s Wildlife-TRAPS and TESA’s work-plan of activities are successfully implemented and results secured, and that delivery is effectively coordinated with project counterparts in Africa/Asia and others across the TRAFFIC network;
2. Assess governments’ actions and practical steps towards satisfying commitments to various regional frameworks, declarations and initiatives;
3. Complete national level illegal wildlife trade assessments, such as Uganda;
4. Establish where there are needs and opportunities for Asian counterparts to assist African countries to curb illegal wildlife trade;
5. Assist in developing activities to inform and increase understanding amongst government, inter-government, private sector and civil society representatives around how trans-continental wildlife trafficking can be relevant to institutions dealing with broader issues; including for example, the wider trade agenda, good governance and corruption and food security;
6. Provide technical assistance, data entry and analysis, scientific information and research support;
7. Provide assistance as needed on the formulation of wildlife trade recommendations for TRAFFIC, WWF and IUCN;
8. Prepare and submit fundraising concepts and proposals to help leverage the additional resources;
9. Prepare policy briefing papers in order to help address illegal wildlife trade issues relevant to trans-continental trade between Africa and Asia in line with the findings arising from delivery of the Wildlife-TRAPS initiative; and
10. Provide thoughtful input into the production of quarterly/annual reports and work plans and other documents.