Director Sustainable Lands and Waters Mozambique

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.

Conservation International is committed to helping societies adopt a more sustainable approach to development—one that considers and values nature at every turn and improves human well-being through the conservation of healthy ecosystems and the goods and services they provide. There is a significant dependence on the nature for livelihoods and economic development in Mozambique. Despite this, Mozambique’s ecosystems are some of the least protected. Governance constraints for coastal,marine and terrestrial environments, overexploitation of natural resources, and climate change are weakening Mozambique’s ability to support a growing population.

Conservation International's vision in Mozambique is that coastal, marine, and terrestrial biodiversity is sustainably used and effectively managed to provide lasting contributions to biodiversity persistence, food security, sustainable livelihoods and inclusive economic development, climate stability, and resilience; and that the contributions of Mozambique’s coastal, marine and terrestrial ecosystems to people are valued, maintained and enhanced for the benefit of present and future generations.

Our aim is to protect and restore coastal, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems at scale, promote inclusive green and blue economies, enhance ecosystem protection, and maintain and increase carbon sequestration where feasible. We are focused on community-driven approaches to ecosystem management and sustainable production. Building off decades of protecting and managing landscapes and seascapes working with small-scale farmers and fishers through a stewardship approach, our work in Mozambique will start with an application of a Seascape approach in the Inhambane Province and a Landscape approach in the Great Limpopo TFCA. Conservation International's work in Africa is collaborative, and the successful candidate in Mozambique will work closely with their counterparts in South Africa, Madagascar, and Liberia, and provide direct support to Kenya and Tanzania.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Mozambique

The Sustainable Lands and Waters Director for Mozambique will drive the refinement and implementation of CI’s Southern Africa Seascapes and Landscape program, building strong partnerships and delivery approaches in Mozambique and providing support to coastal initiatives in Kenya and Tanzania. The Director will be drawing on and disseminating lessons and best practices from prior implementation of the Seascape and Landscape approaches from CI to inform the design and implementation of existing and new initiatives. They will inform how to best measure, monitor, and communicate impact. They will work closely with existing centers within CI (such as the Moore Center for Science, Conservation Finance Division, Brand and Communications, and the Project Delivery Team) to leverage all available CI and partner expertise towards the successful and durable delivery of Seascapes and Landscape objectives in Mozambique and to bring collaborative new ideas and opportunities to the region. They assess and strengthen our Mozambique portfolio of Seascapes and Landscapes to support the cultivation of donors critical to CI’s success.

The Director will be responsible for liaising closely with all National, Provincial, and District government structures to ensure alignment, capacity building, and a common vision for achieving landscape and seascape impact through an effective co-ordination and hosting of learning exchanges. The Manager will also be responsible for liaising closely with all relevant NGOs and community structures toward the implementation of Landscape and Seascape objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme Design, Delivery and Stakeholder Engagement

• Convene, support, and co-ordinate all government, NGO, and community stakeholders with interests and mandates towards relevant seascape and landscape initiatives.
  
• Support the design, communication, fundraising, and implementation of CI’s Mozambique seascape and landscapes programme including a focus on lesson sharing with Kenya and Tanzania.
  
• Ensure existing and emerging seascape and landscape strategies are aligned to CI’s regional, divisional, and institutional priorities.
  
• Co-design and facilitate the development of a new seascape strategy for Inhambane Province to ensure sustainable management of the Tofo and Greater Bazaruto KBA areas.
  
• Oversee the technical component of seascape strategies with a particular focus on Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Consultation, and Conservation Finance.
  
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to build seascape and landscape delivery capacity within Mozambique including the facilitation of workshops with multi stakeholders.
  
• Recruit and manage interns, and staff as funding allows, to support the advancement of CI’s portfolio in Mozambique.
  

Learning Exchanges and Lesson Sharing

• Draw on existing seascape and landscape guidelines and training materials to develop locally applicable tools and training materials to build the capacity of local communities, NGOs, and Government to understand and implement seascapes and landscape approaches.
  
• Co-ordinate and co-host seascape learning exchanges within the Regenerative Seascape initiative, ensuring the active participation of relevant government officials from Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania.
  
• Document and disseminate lessons learned from seascape and landscape initiatives in Mozambique.
  
• Build and maintain a network of partners across the region interested and engaged in Mozambique's landscape and seascape-related work.
  
• Facilitate the collection, and dissemination of lessons learnt and best practices across CI Africa and Global programs, through learning exchanges, Seascapes workshops, and the production of compelling communications materials.
  
• Work with Government and Stakeholders to share lessons from Seascapes design and implementation to inform and guide policy development.

Fundraising and Reporting

• Actively identifying funding opportunities in collaboration with CI’s Oceans Teams.
  
• Facilitate the development and contribute to the implementation of the seascape fundraising strategy. Prepare fundraising proposals and materials.
  
• Help manage public and private funds and reporting to progress seascape goals in existing and emerging sites as needed.
  
• Take primary responsibility for reporting on donor activities in Mozambique.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Based in Maputo with regular travel to Inhambane Province.
• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in natural resource management, biodiversity conservation and planning, rural development or related field, or significant equivalent expertise and experience.
  
• 7 or more years of experience managing integrated conservation and development projects in South Africa with at least 5 years experience in Mozambique.
  
• 2 or more years in leadership and management, including program and staff management, with a strong focus on developing talent and mentorship, and skills working on inclusivity, diversity, and equity.
  
• Experience in working in multi-year programme design and implementation.
  
• Experience working with government around capacity development and /or policy development.
  
• Proven track record of identifying strategic issues and priorities, and engaging successfully in high-impact partnerships.
  
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including effective synthesis and presentation of technical topics for non-technical audiences and negotiation skills in English and Portuguese.
  
• Proven ability to multitask and meet priority deadlines.
  
• Fluency in English and Portuguese.
  
• Experience working in an environment with multiple languages and must be comfortable to facilitate workshops and be understood by Portuguese and English speakers.

Preferred

• Advanced degree
• Experience in engaging in regional and/or international conventions, agreements, or fora, including direct engagement with senior-level government officials.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

Application Deadline: August 20, 2024 (11:49PM EST)

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.