Africa Grasslands and Pastoralists Senior Manager

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY – This position is based in South Africa, Botswana or Kenya

The Conservation International Africa Field Division Strategy is built around the vision of an Africa where growth and development across the continent is catalyzed through nature. The strategy is set to prove that the fastest, most equitable, and durable path to achieving Africa’s food, water, and climate security is through basing development on the protection and sustainable use of nature and to scale impact through partnerships, projects, and policy work. A dedicated focus on CI’s work in the grasslands, savannah, and scrublands of Africa is one of the core objectives of the new Africa Strategy.

Working closely with the Peace Parks Foundation, CI has established the Herding 4 Health Program that seeks to accelerate Africa’s grassland restoration efforts by partnering with pastoralists to improve livestock management systems, enabling people and nature to co-exist and thrive. This is implemented through a community-driven livestock management model for grassland restoration, biodiversity conservation, and improved livelihoods through herding, capacity building, and collective governance.

The Africa Grasslands and Pastoralists Senior Manager will contribute to the strategy and technical implementation of the Africa Grasslands and Savannah portfolio. A principal focus of the Senior Manager will be to contribute to strategy design and implementation and provide technical leadership to CI’s Herding 4 Health portfolio. With the guidance and support of the Africa Grassland and Savannah Senior Director, and the Herding for Health Senior Program Manager, the Africa Grasslands and Pastoralist Senior Manager will contribute to the oversight and strategic direction of the joint CI-PPF Herding for Health Program.

The Africa Grasslands Program is rapidly expanding, the ideal candidate will bring the necessary experience, skills, and character to add immediate value and capacity to the program.

Overall Responsibilities

The African Grasslands and Pastoralists Senior Manager is responsible for managing and supporting a range of technical and strategic duties and partnerships. This includes working closely with the Regional Grasslands and Savannah Senior Director and with local, regional, and global technical staff to deliver high-quality strategic and technical support. They monitor progress and provide periodic technical reports on progress against goals. The Senior Manager will significantly contribute to the oversight of external partnerships and support in building partner capacity on demand across the African region.

As directed, the Senior Manager supports fundraising efforts including developing funding proposals and budgets and supporting senior staff in pursuing funding opportunities.

This position supervises the Science Communication and Knowledge Management Manager, the Regional Grasslands and Savannah Impact Manager and the H4H Restoration Manager, and the African Pastoralism Technical Specialist.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Planning and Governance

Contribute to CI’s Grassland and Savannah strategy development and implementation in support of the Regional Grasslands and Savannah Senior Director.
Together with technical support teams, identify and prioritize activities needed to successfully achieve conservation and human development outcomes in grasslands, savannah, and other dryland ecosystems.
Lead CI teams in implementing the Herding for Health amplification strategy by working closely with PPF partner and CI’s Regional Project Managers and landscape leads and supporting external partners.
Provide technical leadership in rangeland ecology, climate adaptation, and mitigation strategies for deployment in Herding for Health sites and in line with the needs of the landscape.
Provide strategic and technical leadership in sustainable livestock management techniques including animal health, productivity, and nutrition for communal livestock farming.
Provide support to Herding for Health team in landscapes to ensure enhanced engagement of farmers/farmer groups and support landscape teams to establish community governance structures.
Provide strategic leadership to H4H teams and through working closely with enterprise partners. Act as a bridge between enterprises, and H4H implementation to ensure H4H implementation follows necessary standards for relevant markets.
Work with enterprise partners to help unlock relevant livestock value chains and provide access to markets for pastoralists and implement a market-based incentive approach for sustained implementation of the H4H model in the landscape.

CI’s H4H Portfolio Management and Reporting

Ensure all CI projects implementing the H4H model are aligned and delivering against objectives and intended outcomes in a consistent manner.
Develop annual work plans with H4H Implementation managers.
Ensure compliance with CI policies and frameworks across all implementation sites
Provide input in policy briefs developed from the evidence generated during implementation.
Where relevant, manage H4H budgets and costs in line with donor requirements and keep track of H4H budgets being implemented by other leads within CI.
Working with relevant project managers, provide periodic reports and assessments on progress against goals for internal and external audiences on the overall success of the H4H portfolio. Assess progress and refine action plans and outcomes as needed.
Supervise H4H technical team(s) including partner staff and contractors and ensure alignment with the H4H Toolkit
Collaborate with H4H Partners in Peace Parks Foundation and other organizations to implement and deliver commitments for the Herding for Health (H4H) program.
Co-lead the development of the H4H implementation framework together with PPF.
Co-lead in designing and implementing the Africa Rangeland Watch as part of regional monitoring of restoration activities across Africa.
Co-develop H4H feasibility studies as needed.
Support the development of Rangeland Stewardship Agreements together with H4H teams.
Oversee H4H reporting.
Develop capacity-building plans to support the implementation of H4H model and engage relevant training partners and institutions to conduct training.

Risk Management and Impact Monitoring

Support the design and review of H4H MEL framework.
Provide leadership needed for the implementation of the H4H MEL framework consistently across all CI sites.
Ensure the implementation of Environmental and Social Safeguards in H4H projects across all CI sites.
Record and manage risks across all CI sites and document and share lessons for adaptive management across all H4H sites.
Coordinate and manage H4H knowledge exchange events and participate in regional and international conferences

Stakeholder Relationship Management

Support the Africa Grassland Director in leading a technical community of practice focused on grasslands and savannah in Africa.
Cultivate new partnerships and manage existing ones in all CI H4H sites, and when needed, provide technical support to partners to ensure they achieve their intended H4H targets.
Create and manage partnerships with relevant research institutions to support H4H sites with applied research activities.
Serve as a recognized technical resource and share technical best practices within and outside CI.

Research, Knowledge Management and Science Communication

Oversee the search, knowledge management, and science communication activities for the Africa Grasslands Program to ensure the successful delivery.
Guide the t preparation of appropriate internal and external communication materials including case studies, fact sheets, and lessons learned from project sites.
Ensure research carried out in H4H sites is helpful, respectful, applied, and relevant to implementation with local community needs taking priority.
Archive and organize CI H4H program materials in SharePoint.
Oversee the H4H Impact portfolio and support partners to have an updated monitoring system.
Support in organizing high-level meetings including steering committee meetings, stakeholders’ meetings, training and partner meetings.

Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilization/Fundraising

Support the development and implementation of an H4H investment strategy including innovative conservation financing and unlocking soil organic carbon revenue opportunities for CI sites.
Support fundraising for the Africa Grasslands and Savannah Program portfolio.
Support the creation and growth of a funding pipeline for the Africa Grasslands and Savannah Program portfolio.

People Management

Supervise the Science Communication and Knowledge Management Manager, the Regional Grasslands and Savannah Impact Manager, and the African Pastoralism Technical Specialist
Where necessary, supervise Division and Country Level Technical staff.
Foster a culture of building a team for collaboration and teamwork and motivate and support team members as needed.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Extended work hours may be required.
Frequent travel of more than 30% may be necessary including travel to remote locations.
May need to work out of doors in adverse weather conditions.
This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.
Expected to be a 3-year assignment.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Bachelor’s in grasslands ecology, climate, and related sciences, grasslands and savannah production ecology, natural resource economics, livestock production, veterinary sciences, or wildlife management.
5 to 7 years of work experience in sustainable livestock management, community development with Pastoralists or landscape/grassland management involving pastoralists. At least 3 years working with communal livestock farmers and pastoralists on livestock management, with a proven track record of providing relevant market access opportunities and strategy development experience.
Up to 2 years of experience supervising implementation teams.
Someone who has a passion for African Pastoralism and the great potential pastoralism presents as a nature-based grasslands restoration solution.
Proven ability to understand, interpret, and apply technical and scientific information and data to achieve tangible results.
Excellent working knowledge of carbon projects.
Proven ability to work in a team environment and work well across cultures and within and across organizations.
Fluency in English is required.

Preferred

Multidisciplinary expertise and a Masters/PhD degree in any related field is an advantage.
Advanced skills in Project Management.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Experience in scientific procedures and reporting.
Passion for strategy design and delivery combined with a passion for the successful delivery of livestock interventions that provide benefits to farmers/pastoralists while delivering ecological outcomes.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Attention to detail and time management skills.
Proficient in Microsoft Office.
Be a highly flexible and dynamic individual able to work under pressure and deliver under various field conditions as part of a small and very dynamic team working with multiple partner organizations.