Community Development Manager

BACKGROUND:

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. We currently manage 23 national parks and protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares in: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Gambella National Park was established as a protected area in 1973 and is 4,575 km² in size. It forms the northern anchor of a much larger contiguous system, with a network of protected areas in southern Ethiopia and neighboring South Sudan. The park hosts several wildlife species including an important population of Nile Lechwe, Ethiopia’s largest population of elephant, healthy lion populations, one of the most endangered giraffe populations in the world and a shoebill population. Gambella also forms part of the white-eared kob migration between South Sudan and Ethiopia – the largest land mammal migration on earth comprising around 6 million animals.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Community Development Manager will coordinate all community level work in Gambella National Park. Together with the Park Manager, the Community Manager will help to conceptualize and implement a strategy to build a constituency for conservation amongst local communities through a 3E+ Strategy, overlapping with the development of a Land Use Management Plan (LUMP) program to the benefit of both the people and the wildlife living in the region. The Community Development Manager supervises the management of a constituency for conservation in Gambella National Park

MAIN ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supervision of the Community/Sustainable Development Department, associated operations and of the implementation and monitoring of 3E+ Strategy

• Ensure the direct supervision, coordination and monitoring of the Department, including its teams (community, sustainable development), budget, activities and operations (vehicles, infrastructures, logistics in collaboration with the Operations Departments)

Development and implementation of Community Conservation Initiatives.

• Understand the AP Community 3E+ SOP and guidelines and identify opportunities and needs as to the 3E+ strategy.
• Implementation of the 3E+ Community Engagement Strategy in Gambella NP, its surroundings and with partners.
• Identify partners and funding opportunities 3E+ activities in Gambella NP.
• Manage the community activities in all AP activity hubs in Gambella National Park.
• Identify quick win community development projects such as WASH, Schools, and Healthcare.
• Participate in the sensitization and consultation of/with communities and state and local authorities on conservation and park interventions.
• Contribute to the creation of a land-use vision through supportive data and spatial presentations of the current situation.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Academic & experience required

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as social work, public administration, urban planning, or community development.
• At least 8 years’ experience working to establish similar community programs;
• 5 years’ experience working in a Senior Position within Protected Area Management or similar environment an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to work under trying conditions in the field for extended periods of time;
• Knowledge and experience working in a rural, remote and multi-cultural environment;
• Experience working with similar groups of teams and coordinating their actions and attending to their needs;

Inter-personal & technical skills required

• Culturally sensitive, able, and interested in working across multi-ethnic groups.
• Emotional intelligence, patience & communication skills, using calm, listening but firm and solutions-centred demeanour for effective team management;
• Trusted and disciplined person, demonstrating sensitivity to sometimes missed cultural keys to having a productive relationship;
• Organized and structured, with attention to details and procedures;
• Able to work independently as well as a team player;
• Creative “outside of the box” thinking;
• Showing a high level of respect for staff and people, demonstrating team approach to staff management;
• Strong willingness to live and work for long periods in remote areas;
• Excellent writing, reporting and presenting skills;
• Computer literate – Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook;
• Good command of written and spoken English; Amharic or other local language beneficial.