Regional Program Development Manager East Africa, Madagascar and Weste
Wildlife Conservation Society
10-Sep-2025
Regional Program Development Manager East Africa, Madagascar and Weste
Rwanda
Global Conservation Full-Time
GLOBAL CONSERVATION
Job Description
Position: Regional Program Development Manager East Africa, Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean (EAMWIO)
Reports to: Regional Director (RD)
Position Managed: Regional Program Development Officer
Location: Africa Regional Hub-Kigali, Rwanda
Country Program/Sector: N/A
Position type: Full-time
Scope/Capacity: Regional
Coordinates with: EAMWIO Regional team, Regional Grants Managers, Country Directors, Global Thematic Leads, Country Program Managers/Leads
About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS):
WCS stands for wildlife and wild places. As the world’s premier wildlife conservation organisation, WCS has a long track record of achieving innovative, impactful results at scale. We run programs spanning the entire ocean and more than 3 million biologically critical square miles in nearly 60 countries. We build on a unique foundation: Our reach is global; we discover through best-in-class science; we protect through work on the ground with local and indigenous people; we inspire through our world-class zoos, aquariums, and education programs; and we leverage our resources through partnerships and powerful policy influence. Our 4,000 diverse, passionately committed team members in New York City and around the world work collectively to achieve our conservation mission.
About EAMWIO Region:
The East Africa, Madagascar, and Western Indian Ocean (EAMWIO) Region is one of WCS’s 13 Global Regional Programs, spanning Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. This rapidly growing program has a diverse and expanding portfolio of donors, partners and projects. The region presents a set of complex conservation challenges to biodiversity and wildlife habitats. WCS field programs are addressing these through several initiatives, including protected area management, community engagement, sustainable livelihoods, policy reform and sustainable financing. The WCS EAMWIO Region is based in WCS’s Africa hub in Kigali, Rwanda, which hosts a growing team of technical specialists and supports country programs and field office initiatives across the continent.
About the Regional Program Development Manager position:
The Regional Program Development Manager (RPDM) positions WCS with donors and leads the development of project proposals in line with WCS’s global and in-country programme strategy and ensures proper grant management. The RPDM ensures smooth internal communication and coordination with relevant departments and contributes to WCS’s external communication strategy.
Primary Responsibilities:
1. Positioning and Fundraising
Analyze country context, donor trends, needs and gaps; conduct regular stakeholder mapping; contribute to the development of WCS country strategies in line with regional/global priorities; identify opportunities to expand WCS’s work.
Identify funding opportunities and diversify EAMWIO’s donor and grant portfolio (including private sector/foundations).
Oversee development of concept notes/proposals with HQ Grant Management & Compliance (GMC) Unit; ensure compliance, quality, and lessons learned integration; involve finance and technical teams in proposal design.
Support in donor negotiations, review contracts and award modifications, and address donor feedback with HQ and finance input.
2. Program Coordination
Maintain a regional overview of all EAMWIO grants and lead overall coordination to ensure projects are successfully completed.
Take part in planning and review meetings with country teams and regional leads as needed.
Ensure alignment and cohesion among projects from the same donor across different countries and teams.
Support teams to improve workflows, harmonise reporting formats, and donor communications, ensuring consistency and high standards across the EAMWIO region.
Support the development of a regional work plan and ensure the timely delivery of program milestones.
Support country/landscape teams to track progress against indicators and contribute to adaptive management.
3. Grant Management and Compliance
Ensure systems are in place for effective program delivery and communication.
Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, reporting deadlines and donor rules; flag risks early and liaise with HQ.
Lead project kick-off/closeout meetings for regional grants and support process for national grants.
Oversee the coordination, tracking, review and submission of technical reports, ensuring they are donor-compliant, timely, of high quality, and follow an internal review process aligned with donor and WCS standards; incorporate monitoring/evaluation data.
Support country programs in the development and review of partnership contracts, MoUs, ToRs, and other implementation agreements, ensuring they are aligned with program goals, donor requirements, and internal policies.
4. Management and Internal Coordination
Supervise and mentor Program Development Management staff; ensure clarity of roles, workplans, performance appraisals, conflict resolution, training and career development.
Act as the link between program, operations, M&E, technical and finance teams to ensure smooth grant delivery.
Ensure information flow between bases, areas, country offices, region and HQ; support internal coordination mechanisms (meetings, minutes, follow-up); maintain regular communication with GMC, GR in HQ, and the Regional Technical Director.
Ensure proper filing of grant documents; maintain resource centres with updated internal/external references.
4. External Communication
Contribute to WCS external communication strategy by providing updates, photos, stories and articles; ensure PR activities, factsheets, and documentation of media coverage; update/design communication/visibility tools and ensure dissemination across teams.
Qualification Requirements
Minimum Requirements and Job Skills:
Education: Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. International Relations, Development, Political Science, Conservation, or related discipline) or equivalent professional experience.
Professional Experience: At least 8 years of experience in conservation programs and/or large-scale project management, ideally in Africa.
Leadership & Team Management: Proven ability to lead teams, set objectives, motivate staff, and deliver results on time. Skilled at building consensus and maintaining strong relationships with partners, donors, and stakeholders.
Grants & Fundraising: Extensive experience in proposal development, managing multi-donor portfolios, donor negotiations, and preparing high-quality technical and financial reports. Familiarity with government and non-government contracting, grant-making, and legislative processes.
Technical Knowledge: Knowledge or strong interest in conservation and natural resource management trends, particularly in Africa.
Languages: Excellent presentation and communication skills, with fluency in English (spoken and written).
Digital & Data Management: Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with project management tools (e.g. Asana); ability to manage and improve cloud-based databases and filing systems.
Interpersonal Skills: Highly organised, detail-oriented, able to prioritise multiple tasks; flexible, optimistic, self-motivated, and committed to excellence.
Cultural Competence: Experience working effectively in multi-cultural environments.
Additional Requirements:
Periodic need to work overlapping hours with teams located in different time zones
Travel within the region, including remote locations
How to apply
Interested candidates who meet the above qualifications, skills and experience should apply through the application tab below by September 25th, 2025.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organisation complies with all employment and labour laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensure that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and engaging a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and looking for future team members who share that same value. The organisation provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organisation does not discriminate for employment based on gender, race/ethnicity, religion, colour, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, caste, genetic information or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon a person’s membership in one of these protected categories in areas such as recruitment, selection, job assignment, supervision, training, promotions, job grading, transfers, termination, compensation, benefits, educational opportunities, WCS-sponsored recreational activities and facilities.
The organisation complies with the spirit and intent of relevant local laws and WCS’s employment policies.
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Salary Range
Competitive Salary commensurate with experience
