Country Director Timor-Leste - Dili

The Coral Triangle area: including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands is home to the world’s most diverse marine life. The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) is a collective effort by these six coral triangle countries (CT6) and numerous partner agencies to enhance the conservation of these globally outstanding marine resources. The Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP) is a USAID funded consortium of the world’s three largest conservation Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) – CI, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with the goal of advancing marine conservation support to the CTI. CI is coordinating the funding and programmatic activity of CTSP in the DRTL.

The Country Director is responsible for programmatic oversight and leads the implementation, and monitoring of Timor Leste’s conservation and human well-being strategy as embedded in CI’s CTI work plans. The role will further ensure alignment to Conservation International’s institutional strategy. There is both a managerial and technical component to the role including managing financial and other resources; and ensuring a sound scientific base to the multi-disciplinary approach to community engagement, capacity development, marine protected area management and fisheries management.

The Country Director represents CI in the country and has a key role in building alliances, representing CI in high-level government and donor interactions, and maintaining a wide range of partner and stakeholder relationships.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Management and Oversight:

• Ensure the overall administrative, financial and staff management of the Program are conducted in a manner that ensures stability, provides a motivating environment and is in compliance with local laws and CI policies and compliments the CTI strategic plans.

Technical Lead:

• Provide technical input into the development and implementation of the CTI Timor-Leste work plan. Work with CI’s Global Marine Division (GMD) and Asia Pacific Field Division (APFD) to report on CTI activities. Incorporate Timor-Leste work plan into CI’s overall framework.

Stakeholder Engagement and Liaison:

• Engineer and build CI’s institutional presence in order to deliver on the portfolio of conservation and human-wellbeing outcomes identified in CTI work plans for Timor Leste.

Fundraising

• Serve as point of contact with US-AID Timor-Leste Mission staff. Identify additional funding opportunities, for example, development agencies.

Working Conditions:

The position will be based in Dili and will be required to conduct field work on a regular basis and travel nationally and internationally approximately 30% of the time.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Masters or higher education in Marine Biology or allied disciplines with 8+ years experience in program management and implementation of multi-disciplinary conservation efforts, preferably within the Coral Triangle region.
• Proven leadership in the administration of similar complex international programs with skills in strategic planning, management, supervision and budgeting.
• Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse stakeholders and effectively represent CI at all levels.
• Knowledge and understanding of ecosystem services, climate change, and human wellbeing linkages with natural resource management and biodiversity conservation including such factors as food security.
• Well-developed personnel management skills with significant experience in effectively leading teams toward common outcomes, including the ability to motivate and mentor.

Preferred:

• Experience in managing USAID funded programs
• Experience working in East Timor with some knowledge of Tetum, Bahasa Indonesia, or Portugese desirable.
• Knowledge of conservation issues and important drivers in and around East Timor

Country Director Timor-Leste - Dili