WWF Tanzania - Country Director

Country Director, Tanzania Location: Dar es Salaam Remuneration: Competitive Closing date: This position remains open until filled Starting date: As soon as possible Reference: WWF-CD-Tanzania

About WWF

For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.

About the WWF Tanzania

Tanzania is located in East Africa, and borders Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. To the east it faces the Indian Ocean. The country's landscape spans from the hot and humid shore of the east coast to the mountainous northeast, which is dominated by Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania borders with Lake Victoria in the North and Lake Tanganyika to the west. The centre of the country consists of a large plateau with plains and some arable land. About a third of Tanzania is covered by forests and woodland, which includes the coastal forests and thickets of Tanzania, remnants of the once extensive lowland forests of East Africa. Out in the great wide plains, populations of wildebeest, lions, antelope, cheetahs and flamingos thrive in areas that remain mostly unspoilt. In the marine realm, the country' mangrove forests are home to oysters and crabs, and nursery areas for fish and prawns. There are extensive sea-grass areas, an important food source for invertebrates, fish, dugong, and greens and hawksbill turtles. Coral reefs are common along much of the Tanzanian coastline and well-developed barrier reefs occur along most of the ocean-facing eastern coastline of the islands. The reefs are located along about two thirds of Tanzania's continental shelf.

Mission Talent has been tasked by WWF with providing an exclusive search for the position of a Country Director.

Mission of the Department

To ensure a high performing WWF Tanzania Country Office with efficient operating systems, professional and skilled staff, and strong financial resources, delivering conservation impact on issues and in places that are key for WWF’s Global Initiatives and other global conservation priorities.

Major Functions

Ensures that the WWF Tanzania Country Office is managed effectively and efficiently in all key programme areas – Programme, Finance and Administration, People / Development, Partnership Development, and Communications – achieving WWF Tanzania’s vision and first-rate KPIs; Provides advice and collaboration as appropriate to the Leader of the Coastal East Africa Network Initiative (CEA NI) and other relevant WWF offices / teams, as appropriate; Promotes the vision and objectives of the WWF Tanzania Strategic Plan to external and WWF stakeholders, and participates in strategic partnership-building / fundraising approaches to them, in coordination with the CEA NI Leader(s) as appropriate; and Establishes and implements effective internal organizational / management structures, policies, and processes; and Ensures that WWF Tanzania’s legal and reporting requirements are met, and adhere to WWF policies, procedures, and standards.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures that an overall Strategic Plan (comprising a Conservation Plan and Operational Plan) relevant to national policies, constituencies, and civil society, and aligned with the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Conservation Plan, is developed, and approved by the Representative Eastern and Southern Africa, the CEA NI Shareholder Group, and relevant WWF committees; Ensures that the WWF Tanzania Strategic Plan is effectively implemented and contributes to the vision of the CEA NI and other priorities defined in WWF’s Global Programme Framework; As a member of the CEA NI Shareholder Group (SHG), participates in all SHG meetings, and ensures that relevant decisions and recommendations are implemented effectively and in a timely manner; Provides the CEA NI Leader(s) with advice and collaboration as required to do his/her/their job(s) most effectively; In line with the Strategic Plan, develops annual workplans with clear priorities for WWF Tanzania, as well as for SMT members and other key managers, and oversees their efficient implementation; In line with the requirements of a Network-wide monitoring and reporting system, ensures the establishment and implementation of a monitoring and reporting system at WWF Tanzania measuring its performance against its Strategic Plan; Ensures strategic engagement with relevant international and national stakeholders on conservation and related issues; Promotes the vision and objectives of the WWF Tanzania Strategic Plan to government, donor, civil society, corporate, and WWF stakeholders at national- and international-level meetings, conferences, and fora, in collaboration with the CEA NI Leader(s) as appropriate; Develops, participates in, and oversees strategic partnership-building / fundraising approaches with government, donor, civil society, corporate, and WWF stakeholders, in coordination with the CEA NI Leader(s) as appropriate; Ensures the implementation of a Communications Strategy to support all of the above, at the same time promoting the WWF brand and raising the image of WWF in Tanzania and the region; Ensures timely technical and financial reporting to donors, the Representative Eastern and Southern Africa, and all relevant parts of the WWF Network, according to agreed standards; Ensures appropriate high-quality staffing of the WWF Tanzania office, based upon regular analyses of staffing needs (technical, financial, management, policy, lobbying / advocacy, linguistic), detailed job descriptions for all positions, and the hiring of qualified staff; Establishes appropriate organizational structures, policies, processes, and departmental / office responsibilities, and ensures that these are understood by all senior managers, to promote effective teamwork within the office, particularly between technical and financial sections; Ensures comprehensive and appropriate Human Resource policies / practices are developed, managed, and implemented; Ensures that WWF Tanzania cooperates with financial, operational, and programmatic audits, and implements audit recommendations in a timely manner; Establishes an effective internal communication system to ensure that all staff working for WWF Tanzania are fully informed of WWF’s Mission and its Global Programme Framework, and are kept abreast of new developments, policies, and procedures as and when they arise; Holds semi-monthly Senior Management Team meetings to ensure participative and effective decision-making with respect to key WWF Tanzania governance, strategic, and management issues; Holds monthly staff meetings in Dar es Salaam, and staff meetings in other WWF Tanzania offices as regularly as possible, to ensure that staff are kept well-informed of all important governance, strategic, management, and Human Resources issues; Works closely with, and seeks support from, the Representative Eastern and Southern Africa and his/her team, WWF International, and other WWF offices as appropriate to undertake the above tasks most effectively, and Performs other duties as requested by the Representative Eastern and Southern Africa or his/her designate.

Required Qualifications

Advanced university degree in Business Management, International Relations / Development, or other related fields. Additional academic training or a degree in an environmental / conservation field would be a strong asset; Proven track record in successfully developing, leading, and managing large-scale programmes and/or institutions in the field of conservation, natural resource management, international development, and/or other related fields; At least 10 years professional experience in a leadership role, 3-5 years of which should be in the Southern Africa region (preferably Tanzania), with demonstrated success in managing multi-disciplinary teams; and Knowledge of the institutional and legal framework in Tanzania, as well as of relevant policy issues.

Required Skills and Competencies

Proven leadership skills Demonstrated experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategic plans; Strong skills in project planning, financing, management, implementation, and evaluation; Excellent capacities in managing human and financial resources; Demonstrated fundraising skills, and experience working with donors; Negotiation, influencing, and media relation skills, preferably at a high level; Proven knowledge and experience of the not-for-profit sector, preferably of environmental non-government organisations; Excellent inter-personal skills, with the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships at all levels, both internally and with local communities, government agencies, the not-for-profit sector, the scientific community, the business community, and the WWF Network; Excellent oral and written communications skills in English and Portuguese; and Adherence to WWF’s values, which are: Passionate & Optimistic, Challenging & Inspiring, Credible & Accountable, Persevering & Delivering Results.

How to apply:

Since WWF Tanzania has tasked Mission Talent to undertake this search, all applications must be sent directly to Katja: applications@missiontalent.com stating WWF-CD-Tanzania in the subject line. Kindly attach your relevant CV (in English) and a suitability statement (not more than 350 words).

Thank you in advance for your interest in this position. Please note that only candidates under serious consideration can be contacted