Organization: TNC – The Nature Conservancy
Location: Nanyuki
Grade: Senior level – Senior
Occupational Groups:
Project and Programme Management
Managerial positions
Closing Date:
About (TNC)
The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our or on .
Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”
TNC’s work in Africa transcends three key pillars: securing ownership rights to lands and resources for indigenous people, strengthening leadership and resource management, and helping communities value nature through a holistic appreciation of its benefits while increasing revenue streams for conservation efforts and socio-economic development. Together with our partners, we are witnessing critical milestones in integrated land and fisheries management, ocean and source water protection, energy development, and sustainable food production working together and strengthening our resolve in tackling global challenges such as climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss that stands to adversely impact the nearly 1.4 billion people that share Africa.
Food production systems are responsible for approximately 80% of deforestation, 70% and 50% of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity loss, respectively. They contribute about 23% of all greenhouse gas emissions. In Africa, agricultural landscapes are where people and natural systems co-exist. Agriculture must go far beyond nature protection, to develop equitable household and community-level incentives for sustainable conservation. Traditional conservation efforts focused around protected areas will achieve little without going where nature is intertwined with agriculture. Lessons show that the future of agriculture in Africa will be derived directly from healthy ecosystems. Agriculture will be at the heart of climate mitigation, significantly and positively influencing Carbon sequestration, water and nutrient cycles, pollination, and genetic diversity that are key for long-term viability of land enterprises. In view of these, TNC’s Africa Agriculture program, Global Regenerative Food Systems team, Africa Business Unit, and other teams are working to better understand this and other complexities that underpin our global food system as a first step toward changing it. By driving systems change at the level of a foodscape we hope to build bridges between global ambition and local implementation.
TNC is working with partners to catalyse a transition to regenerative food systems; productive socio-cultural/economic arrangements that enable food security, food sovereignty, secure livelihoods, while supporting and valuing nature. Regenerative food system goes beyond sustainability. It ensures benefits and eliminate trade-offs. By developing smart strategies in partnership with producers and communities, we work to make farms, rangelands, ranches more productive, protect freshwater, increase biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions whilst securing the food supply for a rapidly growing population. This work constitutes TNC’s systemic effort in regenerative foodscapes across the globe. For more information on TNC’s work in Foodscapes, visit:
WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU
Are you looking for a career to help people and nature? Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that people and nature can thrive together.
We’re looking for someone who is passionate and a motivated problem-solver. Our team in Africa is dedicated to protecting the continent’s unique natural wonders, improve peoples’ lives and create vibrant and sustainable economies. Join us!
Specific Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- Develop a strategic and action-oriented work-plan to meet the goals of the CHEF program in consultation with key internal and external partners and lead its successful implementation.
- Supervise and coach CHEF staff and consultants and oversee/ensure integration of all the technical work.
- Serve as primary contact for the program, ensuring strong TNC internal coordination with other relevant programs and offices.
- Apply critical systems thinking to CHEF strategic functioning and obtain any required approvals at key decision points.
- Provide financial management oversight, analyze budgets, and provide updates to the BU on budget expenditures.
- Establish, lead the development of key partnerships, and manage required connections with key stakeholders.
- Lead the CHEF (partner) secretariat to define and implement common strategies, plans, and joint operational models.
- Support donor engagement and fundraising efforts and seek opportunities to collaborate with other relevant programs being implemented in the region.
- Responsible for timely delivery of required plans, monitoring of activities, and evaluation of the program performance.
- Responsible for risk management, issue resolution, conflict management and collaborative complex problems solving.
- Clearly, regularly, and timely communicates the progress of CHEF initiatives to internal and external stakeholders, including triannual program reporting and review.
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
• BA/BS degree in an agricultural or related field and minimum 7 years’ experience in agriculture, conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in critical systems thinking at the agriculture-conservation nexus.
• Experience writing and editing skills for scientific documents such as grant proposals, and technical reports.
• Experience with strategic partnership management skills for maximising the success of the complex agriculture-conservation program.
• Experience leading complex programs; building strong team spirit and supervision of multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience with financial management of a large program.
• Experience with technical expertise in one or more the following technical areas: land health, water management, biodiversity, climate mitigation, and livelihoods and community development.
• Experience with ffundraising and/or donor relations, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
• Experience in living and working in remote field sites often with limited amenities.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Master’s degree in an agricultural or related field such as business management, rural development, and 10 years of experience in agriculture-conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong experience in partnership management/development with major scientific organisations, non-profit partners, and proven track record in influencing and working productively with these stakeholders.
• Strong English language communications skills, including ability to communicating clearly via written, oral, and graphical forms, and ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Experience developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
• Experience and knowledge of methods and approaches to conceiving and implementing strategic and transdisciplinary initiatives.
• Experience working in a matrix organisational setting.
• Developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant
• Politically savvy.
WHAT WE BRING
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our on nature.org/careers.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.
How to apply
Simply click on the apply button, fill out of the form, and upload your documents