Technical Director, Democratic Republic of Congo, AMFD, Field Programs

The Technical Director is a professional position in which the candidate will be expected to make decisions on the technical aspects of CI-DRC’s work. The job requires a large amount of creativity and independence as well as a sense of innovation to achieve conservation outcomes in a complex political and socio-economic context. This is a field based position that requires great cultural sensitivity and excellent interpersonal and inspirational leadership skills. CI-DRC’s Technical Director is responsible for overseeing the technical component of the program’s portfolio of projects implemented in the DRC, including procuring financial and technical resources and ensuring proper monitoring and evaluation of all projects. The Technical Director has a key role in ensuring that all projects (including grant responsibilities, e.g., USAID) undertaken and supported by CI and its partners are technically well integrated and managed appropriately to contribute to organizational goals and achieve CI’s mission and vision. The Technical Director serves as “Landscape Leader” and key personnel under CI’s cooperative agreement with USAID’s CARPE program in Congo Basin Forest Partnership Landscape 10 (Maiko Tayna Kahuzi-Biega). In this role, the technical director has well defined responsibilities such as coordinating the consortium of partners, ensuring accomplishment of the consortium’s objectives, ensuring on-time delivery of the work plan’s activities and timely reporting on semi- and annual basis. The Technical Director provides technical input on other programmatic matters to the Country Director and the Projects Directors as well. For the former, the Technical Director provides support for national and regional level interventions, for example in assisting the Country Director in promoting policies (e.g., REDD) that incorporate the value of nature’s assets into the development process, and helping governments and civil society enact such policies. For the latter, the Technical Director focuses on local level interventions, and provides guidance to leaders of projects focused on landscape scale conservation and REDD demonstration. The Technical Director also ensures that the program is well connected to CI headquarters-based technical Divisions, plays a key role in strengthening a complex network of existing partnerships with government, the private sector and civil society, and works in concert with the Country Director on expanding that network. RESPONSIBILITIES: Work with and support the Country Director to define CI-DRC’s strategy and work plan aimed at achieving key conservation outcomes; Lead and coordinate the work of the CARPE consortium for Landscape 10 (Maiko Tayna Kahuzi-Biega) in accordance with CARPE II and support the inception of CARPE III; Oversee the implementation of CI-DRC project portfolio to ensure timely delivery of the work and work products including program staff management, project monitoring and report submission; Support the Country Director to define CI-DRC fundraising plan ensuring that it achieves CI’s conservation objectives while being well grounded in DRC’s development plans; Support the Country Director to establish partnerships with donors, government agencies, NGOs, research centers and universities, as well as civil society organizations; Maintain and strengthen existing regional institutional alliances and partnerships and ensure that consortium partners are well integrated into the work plans and activities for the CI landscape program; Ensure that the program has sufficient material, technical and financial resources to achieve conservation outcomes; Initiate and implement collaborations with CI-Washington departments; Develop research and conservation initiatives. Working Conditions The Technical Director position will be carried out in Kinshasa, DRC; The Technical Director will be required to travel extensively throughout the country often in difficult travel conditions (30%); The Technical Director will be asked to travel internationally several times a year (20%) to work with CI staff in headquarters in Virginia, USA, and to other CI programs around the world. QUALIFICATIONS: Required: Master’s Degree plus a minimum of 5 years of experience in Conservation Biology, Environmental Economics or Similar. Demonstrated ability to create, manage and sustain innovative strategies, partnerships, and programs, including financial management; Technical conservation experience (such as natural resource management, protected area development/ management, or wildlife management); Knowledge and understanding of community development and alternative livelihood issues; Experience managing and analyzing biodiversity information; Ability to apply technical information, data, and analyses to the practice of conservation; Proven experience in project and staff management; Significant fundraising experience, including grant writing and grant management; Ability to work in English and French speaking environments; Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills; Skills in synthesizing scientific information as demonstrated through scientific publication experience; Leadership skills in assembling and creating the vision and conditions for multicultural stakeholders to work toward common objectives. Preferred: PhD Knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS); Familiarity working with a large international organization

Technical Director, Democratic Republic of Congo, AMFD, Field Programs