Job Opportunity: Conservation Finance Specialist for WCS: Global Fund for Coral Reefs project in East Africa

The Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking to hire a Conservation Finance specialist to serve as the Program Director for its new programme - Miamba Yetu: Sustainable Reef Investments to be based in Mombassa, Kenya. The program, supported by Global Fund for Coral Reefs, will implement a blended finance facility to support community-based and private sector initiatives aimed at achieving protection of target coral reefs in Kenya and Tanzania. WCS is building this program with support of specialized external implementation partners in conservation finance. Find out more about the job posting at the following link and Below: https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25965&siteid=5168#jobDetails=696474_5168

Closing Date: 28 February, 2022

14-Feb-2022

Programme Director (Conservation Finance) Miamba Yetu

Kenya, WCS Global Conservation Full-Time

Job Description

Position Title: Programme Director (Conservation Finance) Miamba Yetu- (GFCR Project Director)
Reporting to: WCS East Africa & Western Indian Ocean Regional Director in close collaboration with the Regional Marine Director
Location: Mombasa, Kenya

Internal Relations: Will be a part of the regional marine team and will closely collaborate with the national marine team. In addition, the Program Director will maintain a working relationship with the WCS Director of Business and Conservation, based in the US, who will provide additional technical support and global outreach.

Organization Background:
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding, and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

Program Background:
The Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking to hire a Conservation Finance specialist to serve as the Program Director for its new programme - Miamba Yetu: Sustainable Reef Investments. WCS is receiving funding from the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) to implement a blended finance facility to support community-based and private sector initiatives aimed at achieving protection of coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean of Kenya and Tanzania. WCS is building this program with support of external implementation partners in conservation finance. The core of the program is an area between Malindi on the coast of Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania know as the Trans-Boundary Conservation Area (TBCA), but investments may span the coastlines of both nations. The programme will support the incubation and development of businesses that will contribute to the conservation of coral reefs in the region and support coastal community development. The programme will generate new business opportunities and develop a pipeline of projects that will attract private sector investment whilst delivering conservation benefits to reef ecosystems through sustained income streams for conservation or reducing negative impacts. The programme will work to leverage GFCR funds to generate additional investment in support of coral reef conservation and has been designed to operate over a period of eight to ten years.

Expected results from the project (under the leadership of the Program Director) include the following:
• Completed scientific/feasibility studies to gain greater understanding of key hot spots and of the value of ecosystem services provided to identify priority areas for investments (with support of regional and national science teams);
• Reduced pressure on coral reef ecosystems and improvement in the livelihoods of people living in and around coral reef systems in the region through investment in sustainable enterprises;
• Establishment of transparent work flow and procedures for accepting and reviewing proposals that meet WCS ecological criteria and demonstrate potential for financial returns on investment in the future;
• Successful early-stage investments to test and implement the approach;
• Establishment of an incubator, or “venture studio” in the region to incubate start-up projects that can later receive blended financing through the programme;
• Leveraging of GFCR grants to attract private sector capital and other funds to address growing threats to reefs from coastal development, unsustainable fishing and other key threats.
Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will lead the implementation of the programme, and will work as part of the WCS East Africa marine team conservation team. This will involve close collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Director, Kenya Marine Director, Tanzania Marine Director, and two science support positions. The Program Director will coordinate activities between WCS, which will provide the project coordination and marine conservation science expertise, and existing and yet to be identified implementation partners that will contribute on the financial side. Current implementation partners include Okavango Capital and Conservation Capital, both located in Kenya and Blue Finance, which is operating a project in Tanzania.

The Program Director will be responsible for:
• Oversee the management of the project; maintaining regular contact with GFCR, the UN Mult-Party Trust Fund and United National Capital Development Fund;
• Develop an efficient and transparent system for vetting and approval of projects for submission for funding;
• Ensuring WCS evaluation of coral reef and community benefits prior to investment and prioritization of projects to support thus ensuring that supported projects meets both conservation and financial criteria (with support from WCS regional marine team and two project scientists);
• Work with partners to develop a pipeline of feasible projects that could receive investment from the program and coordinate submission of proposals to UNCDF, or to Pegasus capital for larger feasible investments;
• Developing an incubator process for smaller-scale projects that need support in developing an investable or scalable plan;
• Development of partnerships with conservation and finance groups nationally, regional and globally. Conduct regional and global presentations on the work as opportunities arise. Engage with national and regional partners including governments, businesses, NGOs, and communities.
• Coordinate with partners to explore effective approaches for disbursing funds/investing in projects, including potential development of a Special Purpose Vehicle that can leverage funds from multiple investment sources;
• Tracking project deliverables and targets and ensure the donor receives high-quality reports on the work (including any work produced by the project marine scientists)
• Undertake actions necessary to ensure the success of the program and manage project budgets under the Miamba Yetu project (GFCR funded);
• Contribute to WCS’s regional development of financial sustainability strategies as needed and as opportunities arise including Madagascar and Mozambique.
• Ensure that the Miamba Yetu program contributes to supporting WCS’s regional marine strategy.

Qualification Requirements

• The successful candidate will have at least a master’s degree in business, finance or related area of study.

• In addition the candidate will have experience in conservation or environmental issues, ideally related to marine conservation.

• The candidate should have at least five years of relevant finance or investment experience, along with several years of experience in program management.

• Strong writing and verbal English skills are essential.

Application Process:
Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications should apply by emailing an application letter and together with CV and the names and contact information of three references to: joleary@wcs.org by 28th February 2022 as the deadline. Please include "GFCR Project Director" on the subject line of your email.

Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted