KAZA Transboundary Leader/Team Lead

Company Description

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) is the world’s largest terrestrial TFCA. It is a priority conservation landscape for WWF given its globally significant wildlife populations, iconic tourism attractions, critical freshwater water systems and opportunities for local communities. WWF has invested considerable resources into the landscape over the last two decades at both national and regional levels, including but not limited to:

• Freshwater and land-use planning, management and governance
• Conservation area management and planning
• Species monitoring and management, combatting wildlife crime, and human-wildlife conflict management
• Connectivity science (freshwater and terrestrial)
• Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM)
• Climate-smart and conservation-compatible development and market-based opportunities for local communities
• Green Economic development pathways for KAZA member countries and their partners
• Relevant communication, advocacy and policy reform

WWF investments in KAZA are designed to deliver on the TFCA’s overarching vision as articulated in its Conservation and Development Plans as well as the relevant conservation and sustainable development aspirations and plans of its Member States. The Team Lead (TL) is responsible for coordinating and guiding WWF’s significant investments in KAZA as outlined in the WWF in KAZA Strategic Plan (2020-2030), ensuring they are strategic and impactful and deliver on WWF’s conservation ambitions in KAZA. The TL is the point of contact for the WWF Network on all transboundary KAZA related matters, responsible for forging and maintaining communications and partnerships with relevant KAZA stakeholders, including the KAZA Secretariat and funding and programmatic partners.

Mirroring KAZA where national sovereignty of its member state comes first, the three WWF Country Offices (Cos) in KAZA hold the decision making and implementation authority for activities and partnerships that land in their respective countries. Thus, while the focus and responsibilities of the TL is transboundary, s/he is required to coordinate with CO leadership and their programmatic staff and be familiar with the KAZA components of CO Strategic Plans. The TL reports administratively to the WWF-Namibia Country Director and programmatically according to the structured outlined in the WWF KAZA Program Implementation Agreement (PIA) and its enabling team.  The PIA enabling team is comprised of CO Directors and representatives from WWF National Offices (NOs) that invest in KAZA (currently Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and US), and the WWF Regional Office for Africa (ROA). The TL will supervise a nimble team of programme staff, scattered across the KAZA Partner States and COs. This includes Angola, where WWF has a liaison officer that reports to the TL.  

The TL shall work closely with Government, NGO and private sector partners, many of whom WWF will support through grants or sustainable financing solutions and technical expertise.

Job Description

1. Main Functions

The WWF in KAZA programme objective is to provide a coordinated and strategic approach to WWFs engagement in the KAZA landscape with the goal of delivering on ‘A connected, resilient, economically viable conservation landscape for people and nature’.

The goals of the position include:

• Positioning KAZA as an African conservation priority amongst the five KAZA Member States and with the WWF Network and its partners.
• Leading the implementation and monitoring of WWF in KAZA Strategic Plan (2020-2030)
• Enhancing the ability of WWF to deliver on its conservation and sustainable development goals by leveraging resources and expertise from the WWF Network and partners.
• Ensuring alignment of WWF investments and activities in KAZA with the strategies of the three WWF CO, with particular attention to CO activities that land in and/or impact KAZA.
• Leveraging funding and capacity for the implementation of the WWF in KAZA Strategic Plan (2020-2030) together with WWF COs, NOs, and the Regional Office for Africa (ROA).
• Liaising with the KAZA Secretariat on behalf of WWF.
• Tracking emerging priorities, threats and opportunities (e.g., Lobito Corridor, nature-based solutions, AI) and integrating as appropriate into WWF strategies and the way WWF works in KAZA.

1. Key responsibilities

Leadership:

• Work with WWF COs to liaise with national government institutions, the KAZA Secretariat, donors, partner NGOs and the private sector to identify key transboundary conservation and sustainable development priorities and provide advice on how they can be integrated into a larger conservation and development planning process;
• Support advocacy and decision-making through science-based information and knowledge especially in support of KAZA Member States;
• Facilitate the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the WWF in KAZA Strategic Plan, the WWF in KAZA monitoring and performance plan, and database (natural resources, social, and economic data);
• Lead the organization of WWF supported transboundary workshops, forums, and platforms that coalesce region-wide synergies on relevant KAZA thematic areas of need or operation as part of a WWF convening role in KAZA;
• Lead strategic planning and delivery on WWF KAZA related matters and ensure that the WWF KAZA activities are integrated and coordinated with national governments, the KAZA Secretariat, donors (such as KfW, Green Climate Fund (GCF), the EU) and participating NGOs and private sector partners.

Management:

• Supervise a nimble team of Programme staff; scattered across the KAZA Partner States and COs (including in Angola and Botswana as relevant);
• Oversee the development, management, and coordinated implementation of select transboundary grants to WWF transboundary partners (i.e., KAZA Secretariat, NGOs, WWF COs, etc.);
• Embed gender equality, youth engagement, and inclusive participation across coordination processes.
• Contribute to the development of KPIs (corridor functionality, coexistence incidents reduced, livelihoods/jobs, finance mobilized, governance milestones) and deliver on all relevant reporting requirements.

Coordination and collaboration:

• Coordinate the development, sharing, implementation, and monitoring of collective WWF in KAZA annual work-plans and technical progress reports in accordance with Network Standards or applicable donor standards;
• Ensure regular and effective communication with the PIA Enabling Team and other stakeholders on WWF KAZA Strategic Plan highlights, successes and challenges;
• Engage Enabling Team Members, together with the Chair, to help secure and ensure their commitments to the WWF in KAZA Strategic Plan;
• Manage the over-arching WWF in KAZA annual budget of unrestricted basket funds, ensuring congruence with programmatic workplans;
• Develop meeting agendas, prepare for Enabling Team meetings, and document meeting proceedings;
• Ensure coordination of WWF in KAZA contributions with the KAZA Secretariat;
• Coordinate WWF inputs into landscape planning activities across KAZA;
• Coordinate with other WWF supported transboundary initiatives, sharing lessons learned;
• Forge and maintain communications and partnerships with relevant KAZA stakeholders and partners, especially the KAZA Secretariat;
• Develop strong advocacy frameworks that inform and strongly position KAZA Members States for pro-conservation and sustainable development decision-making in the trans-boundary context;
• Coordinate and implement inclusive and transparent stakeholders’ engagement through in-country and transboundary stakeholder’s workshops and consultations, applying WWF’s best practice guidance on inclusive conservation. Promote digital collaboration, data standardization, and open dashboards for cross‑border M&E (respecting data‑sharing agreements)

Fundraising and Partnerships:

• Advance a sustainable finance agenda for the WWF in KAZA work and KAZA;
• Develop transboundary-focused proposals, collectively with COs, NOs and other partners, as required;
• Assist, advise and support the KAZA Secretariat and/or member states with developing proposals, compiling reports, managing data, and conducting wildlife and socio-economic monitoring;
• Ensure  compliance by consultants, partners and stakeholders to donor/WWF policies and systems;
• Co‑create pipelines without displacing CO lead roles;
• Ensure proposal leadership aligns to comparative advantage and existing donor relationships.
• Ensure Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF)/ Grievance Resolution Mechanism (GRM) integration at design stage and support CO‑led safeguards capacity and audit readiness.

Compliance, risk, and safeguards:

• Ensure the consistent application of ESSF, GRM, and Health and Safety (H&S) standards across all transboundary activities, and alignment with the KAZA ESSF and relevant Country Office (CO) frameworks, to support COs in maintaining audit readiness;
• Maintain a comprehensive transboundary risk register covering operational, fiduciary, political, security, and Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) risks, including agreed-upon mitigation actions with relevant COs.

1. Working Relationships  

• Internal: The TL reports administratively to the WWF-Namibia Country Director and programmatically according to the structured outlined in the WWF KAZA PIA and its enabling team.  The PIA enabling team is comprised of CO Directors and representatives from WWF NOs that invest in KAZA (currently Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and US), and the WWF Regional Office for Africa (ROA). The TL will supervise a nimble team of programme staff, scattered across the KAZA Partner States and COs. This includes Angola, where WWF has a liaison officer that reports to the TL.
• External: Lead contact with WWF transboundary grantees, complementary donor funded projects, the KAZA Secretariat, regional partners (government, private sector, NGOs, CBOs, etc.), and existing and potential funding donors. Ensures geographic and thematic synergy with WWF COs and projects which have overlapping activities, inclusive of coordinating or leveraging technical expertise and resources from the WWF Network, as appropriate. Promotes  balanced representation of all five KAZA States and equitable partner engagement across the landscape.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as biological sciences, natural resources management, development planning or economics or a related discipline is required.
• Extensive field experience and networks in Africa is required, favorably from within the KAZA countries.
• At least ten (10) years of senior-level experience in biological conservation, natural resources management (including CBNRM), development planning, economics or a related discipline, with demonstrated success in designing and overseeing complex, transboundary conservation and development initiatives.
• Experience in landscape planning and management of transboundary natural resources management programmes is an advantage.

Skills and Abilities

• Proven ability and experience in networking with governments, international conservation organizations, donors, and stakeholders is required.
• Proven ability to direct the formulation of complex conservation and development projects.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Administrative and project management experience is essential, inclusive of overseeing the development and management of budgets.
• Strong diplomatic skills and a desire to work in multi-cultural and national frameworks.
• Ability to analyze, prioritize, complete work with minimal supervision, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to facilitate the work of others, take initiative, use independent judgment, and work effectively as the member of a team.
• Willingness to work and live in remote areas, with the duty station being within the KAZA landscape.
• A valid driver’s license.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required; basic understanding of Portuguese would be an added advantage.
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:

1. Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
2. Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
3. Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
4. Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

Additional Information

Duty Station 

Within the KAZA landscape (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola and Botswana)