Backup Manager At African Parks

Context :

1. African Parks

African Parks is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization that assumes sole responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities.

To this end, African Parks has signed a partnership with the Central African government for the management of the Chinko Conservation Area (ACC) for a period of 25 years.

1. Object

African Parks is seeking a full-time Safeguards Officer to ensure the effective and secure management of data related to the Chinko Protected Area. Plan, organize, and deliver training on human rights and social safeguards for all park staff, with a focus on the application of human rights according to African Parks (AP) procedures.

African Parks is seeking motivated Central African candidates who are passionate about conservation and who are able to withstand stressful situations and adapt to field challenges. The employee will be based at the Kocho Operations Centre , in the heart of the Chinko Conservation Area, located in the east of the Central African Republic and covering three prefectures: Mbomou, Haut-Mbomou and Haute-Kotto.

1. Description :

The Backup Manager is responsible for managing and protecting the organization’s critical data. They ensure effective strategies are in place for backing up, archiving, and recovering critical information. They ensure compliance with security protocols, guarantee data integrity, and optimize storage systems. They also rigorously monitor backup and recovery processes to prevent any loss of information. Finally, they play a key role in raising awareness and training teams on best practices for backup management and data security.

The position requires:

• Work under the direction of the Park Manager based in Kocho;
• Working within a multicultural team;
• Collaborate with other Department Managers based in Kocho;
• Collaborate with the community;
• Collaborate with representatives of local administrative and traditional authorities.

1. Job Description:

• Plan, organize and conduct human rights and SSE training and capacity building for all African Parks (AP) staff in the park, prioritizing human rights in conservation law enforcement and SSE/community relations;
• Establish proactive monitoring systems, safeguard policies and processes – such as the use of internal and/or external human rights experts, recourse mechanisms, audits, consultations, investigations or field visits – designed to identify activities that may pose risks to human rights and/or SSE, and design and implement mitigation strategies in coordination with park management;
• Integrate safeguard policies and processes – with specific objectives to integrate project risk assessments and install a recourse mechanism in the park;
• Ensure the integration of human rights and SSE considerations into park-level planning and programming (e.g., five-year business plans; community engagement plans; disciplinary codes; etc.), park-level performance monitoring and park-level evaluation;
• Ensure the establishment of a functional appeals mechanism in each park, with implementation of a prompt review of all appeals and the development of appropriate mitigation and/or follow-up measures in coordination with the AP Appeals Officer, Park Management and the Regional Safeguards Manager;
• Ensure the application of safeguards to key projects and complex initiatives – with a focus on compliance with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) guidelines;
• Lead the monitoring and evaluation of human rights and SSE compliance, and ensure professional standards in all human rights and SSE reporting;
• Support parks in implementing agreed action plans to meet ESS standards, and in carrying out formal assessments, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
• Maintain partnerships at the local and national levels with human rights/SSE communities to identify emerging human rights and SSE concerns, create and maintain a risk register, and provide periodic reports to park and regional management;
• Lead AP’s internal investigations and/or investigations into well-founded allegations of activities that may constitute human rights abuses, and document and report the findings;
• In coordination with the Park FRM, prepare and/or contribute to reports, briefings, analyses or any other communication required by donors, partners or other PA departments regarding human rights and SSE;
• Assist park management in identifying, training and supervising human rights and SSE staff at the park level;
• Foster an environment of excellence, teamwork, integrity and professionalism in all human rights and SSE related programs and operations;
• Developing the next generation of APN leaders through positive example and mentoring; and
• Perform other duties, as required, that contribute to the success of AP operations and programs.

Skills, abilities and experience

• Academic or professional experience, preferably legal, demonstrating in-depth knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights and humanitarian issues, particularly in security, conservation or development contexts.
• Strong analytical, research, investigative, monitoring, reporting, and verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to identify and analyze complex social, legal, and political issues.
• Experience in training, particularly in multicultural environments.
• Results-oriented with a strong ability to work independently.
• Willingness to travel and work in remote areas.
• High personal integrity and reliability.
• Commitment to Africa and conservation.
• Proven discretion and ability to work with sensitive information.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office products.
• English/French/Sango, with a preference for strong English proficiency.