Position: Regional Community Conservation Manager (Sudano-Sahel). Reports to the Regional Technical Director. Location: Kigali, Rwanda (Africa Regional Hub). Full-time.
About WCS: The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. It works to save wildlife and wild lands in over 50 countries. In the Sudano-Sahel region, WCS has conservation initiatives in Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria and Cameroon, including protected area management, wildlife law enforcement, local livelihood support and counter-wildlife trafficking work.
Job Purpose: Lead and support the region in advancing a rights-based approach to conservation and strengthen the role of local communities in conservation solutions. Work with community conservation teams and senior management across country programs to design and implement community-based conservation initiatives. Collaborate with the global Rights+Communities and Markets teams, and mentor and supervise community conservation programs in the region.
Major Responsibilities:
- Leadership and program development: lead rights-based community initiatives, champion inclusive conservation in proposals, mentor country programs in Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and CAR, and elevate technical reporting.
- Market-linked conservation and sustainable livelihoods: partner with the WCS Global Markets team to scale community-led cocoa and shea commodity chains, design Benefit Sharing Mechanisms linked to Payment for Ecosystem Services, and support soil carbon and REDD+ strategies.
- Technical support and landscape implementation: co-create community conservation strategies with site managers, guide zoning and management plans using Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), build inclusive governance structures, develop training materials, ensure conflict-sensitive approaches, and design interventions against threats such as wildmeat consumption, illegal hunting and illegal mining.
- Applied social science: provide technical guidance on qualitative and quantitative methods (household surveys, Kobo Toolbox, Conservation Standards), develop indicators for social, livelihood and community well-being outcomes with M&E colleagues, and design training modules for field teams.
Qualifications:
- Post-graduate degree in social or environmental sciences (social or cultural anthropology is an advantage) or a similar field.
- 7 to 10 years of field experience with international organizations in Africa in community-based conservation and natural resource management.
- Proven ability to deliver research on the human dimensions of conservation, and to contribute to capacity building.
- Knowledge of social safeguards and/or conservation social science.
- Experience working with diverse groups of people.
- Excellent written and spoken French and English; regional languages are an advantage.
- Willingness to travel frequently to WCS offices and field sites across the region.
Salary: Commensurate with experience.
Closing date: 2026-10-31
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates who meet the eligibility criteria and have the required skills, experience and qualifications are encouraged to apply via the WCS careers website. The posting is open until October 31, 2026, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.