Regional Community Conservation Manager, Sudano Sahel
- Cocoa
Not enough detail in this posting to match
Internal Job Description
Major Responsibilities
Leadership & Program Development
Drive community conservation delivery across the Sudano-Sahel by leading the development and implementation of high-impact, rights-based community initiatives.
Champion inclusive conservation in project proposals, ensuring that community-led solutions are at the heart of our regional growth and funding strategy.
Act as a mentor and technical catalyst for country programs, cultivating a culture of adaptive, innovative problem-solving among community teams in Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, and CAR.
Elevate technical reporting to ensure the voices and successes of local communities are accurately and powerfully reflected to stakeholders and partners.
Market-Linked Conservation & Sustainable Livelihoods
Partner with the WCS Global Markets team to architect and scale community-led commodity chains specifically for cocoa and shea that provide robust, forest-positive economic alternatives.
Lead the design of transparent Benefit Sharing Mechanisms linked to Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), ensuring that ecological stewardship translates into tangible community dividends.
Support the development and implementation of soil carbon and REDD+ strategies and policies.
Technical Support & Landscape Implementation
Work alongside site managers to co-create community conservation strategies that are grounded in local reality and align them with wider WCS national, regional, and global strategies
Guide field teams in establishing zoning and management plans, working with the regional safeguards coordinator to create a step-by-step process that prioritizes Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and meaningful local participation.
Empower communities’ role as stewards by building resilient, inclusive governance structures that integrate local institutions, traditional practices, and indigenous knowledge.
Lead the development of immersive training materials and provide hands-on mentoring to strengthen the technical expertise of field-based community managers.
Work with international and local peacebuilding actors to ensure conflict-sensitive approaches and mitigate community-based conflicts related to protected area management.
Work with country teams to understand drivers, supply chains, and severity of critical threats like wildmeat consumption, illegal hunting and illegal mining; from this design interventions to improve community-based sustainable management programs or mitigation projects
Applied Social Science
Leadership and technical guidance of national and site-based technical teams in the use and application of qualitative and quantitative social science methods into community conservation program planning and adaptive management (e.g., community perceptions, behavior change, household surveys, use of kobo toolbox, understanding of Conservation Standards, application of the Institutional Review Board).
Develop and implement action plans for effectively incorporating conservation social science into community conservation activities throughout the region
Develop and refine indicators for social, health, livelihood, community well-being and community conservation outcomes in partnership with country and regional M&E colleagues, and standardize the approach to, and analysis, of key R+C research tools (e.g. BNS, NRGT) throughout the region.
Design training modules and train field teams based upon an analysis of existing tools and capacities, including addressing donor specific requirements. Develop monitoring systems for country programs and sites to ensure staff have up-to-date training.
Internal Qualification Requirements
Minimum Requirements and Job Skills (Required)Post-graduate degree in social or environmental sciences (a background in social and cultural anthropology is an added advantage) or similar field.
Field experience of seven (7) to ten (10) years within international organizations in Africa working on community-based conservation and natural resource management
Proven ability to deliver research related to the human dimensions of conservation in international development contexts
Proven ability to contribute to capacity-building activities
Knowledge of social safeguards and/or social science in the context of conservation
Demonstrated experience successfully working with diverse groups of people such as those of different cultures, nationalities and backgrounds
Excellent written and spoken communication skills in French and English (regional languages an advantage)
Proactive, resilient, team-oriented, creative, and ambitious work ethic
Willingness to live in a multicultural environment
Additional Requirements:
Frequent travels to the WCS offices and field sites across the region.
Professional proficiency in English and French
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the eligibility and required skills, experience and qualifications are encouraged to apply via our website. This posting will be open until April 10, 2026 and applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and engaging ina diverse workforce.
We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and alooking for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on gender, race/ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, caste, genetic information or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon a person’s membership in one of these protected categories in areas such as recruitment, selection, job assignment, supervision, training, promotions, job grading, transfers, termination, compensation, benefits, educational opportunities, WCS sponsored recreational activities and facilities.
The organization complies with the spirit and intent of relevant local laws and WCS’s employment policies.
- Salary Range: Commensurate with experience
Regional Community Conservation Manager, Sudano Sahel · Wildlife Conservation Society