Senior Technical Terrestrial Advisor, WCS Indonesia Program

Position: Senior Technical Terrestrial Advisor, WCS Indonesia Program

Reports to: Deputy Country Program Director, WCS Indonesia Program

Location: Bogor, Indonesia (preferred); Jakarta could be considered for the right candidate

Country Program/Sector: Indonesia (Southeast Asian Archipelago Regional Program/SEAA)

Position Type: Full-Time

Internal relations: Country Director, Operations Director, Senior Managers (five programs), Senior Marine Technical Advisor, Science & Technology Unit lead, Communications lead, Regional Director, Global Thematic Directors

Expected travel: As required within the region, occasionally to Asia and to donor/technical meetings

Organization Background

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

WCS Indonesia Program Overview

WCS has worked in Indonesia since initial field surveys in the 1960s and opened a formal country program in 1997 under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF). Over the past five years, WCS-Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) has grown significantly, with the number of our full-time staff increasing from 70 to 345 and our average annual operating budget increasing from US$3.9 million to US$10.1 million. To achieve our mission, we work in close coordination with MoEF and through associated partnerships with a variety of government, non-government, private sector, and academic bodies.

To deliver our new country strategy (2022-2026), we are structured under five core thematic Programs: Forests; Marine; Wildlife Trade & Policy (WTP); One Health; and Rights & Communities. These Programs are supported by crossing-cutting Science & Technology and Communications units. Our thematic Programs are described as follows:

• The Forests Program is being implemented in five landscapes — Leuser, Bukit Barisan Selatan, Way Kambas, Bogani Nani, and Rote Island — through the following core activities: protected area strengthening and wildlife management (such as SMART patrols, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, problem-oriented policing, species recovery, and biodiversity monitoring); a Sustainable Landscapes program that is addressing the two main drivers of deforestation (infrastructure development and smallholder farmland expansion), jurisdictional green growth models and sustainable financing; and a Conservation Evidence Unit (based in Bogor) that is focused on data analyses, monitoring and evaluation, and national level policy reforms.
• The WTP Program is strengthening the capacity of government law enforcement agencies in the use of intelligence-led approaches with improved inter-agency coordination to yield a robust, multi-agency counter wildlife trafficking response. To support this, our field teams have prioritised preventing the trafficking of key species from our priority landscapes and seascapes and, from here, are working along the entire illegal wildlife trade supply chain by targeting connected trafficking networks operating at provincial and national levels. Our Policy Team is providing MoEF with technical assistance to reform wildlife regulations and data management systems for species protection and trade.
• The Rights & Communities Program, as a new WCS-IP program, is being developed to ensure that our conservation actions safeguard the rights and wellbeing of local communities, as well as to support our field staff with efforts to engage and ally with local communities.  We are deploying a Country Program-wide safeguards system, with supporting instruments, and are progressively implementing this in our landscapes and seascapes for use by WCS and partners. This Program is also developing scalable gender equity and social inclusion projects in our landscapes and seascapes.
• The One Health Program, as a new WCS-IP program, is being developed to strengthen multi-stakeholder efforts to implement a One Health approach that integrates environmental, wildlife, and human health. The Program will provide technical assistance to our other Programs to address the key infectious disease drivers: improving disease surveillance and response amongst different agencies; wildlife trade and commercial wild meat consumption; addressing disease at the livestock-wildlife-forest interface and supporting rural livelihoods (such as livestock vaccinations and outreach); a ‘Blue Health’ approach to address the devastating downstream consequences of poor land management (such as water-related human diseases and reduced coral reef health and resilience); and national policy support and awareness raising.
• The Marine Program is working in seascapes in the provinces of Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, and North Maluku, as well as three marine national parks. This Program prioritises an integrated approach that consists of the following: ecological and socioeconomic surveys; fisheries science and sustainable resource use; building climate resilient coastal communities; technical assistance for the creation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and marine national parks; legal compliance to reduce destructive fishing practices; marine and fisheries policy reforms; and sustainable financing.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for providing critical technical thinking and support into the delivery of the WCS-IP country strategy and detailed workplans for four programs (WTP, Forests, One Health and Rights & Communities). This role will provide key technical support for the ongoing development of WCS-IP, including maintaining and diversifying a global donor network, especially with the in-country representatives. The position sits within the WCS-IP Senior Management Team, reports to the Deputy Country Director and will work closely with the County Director, Head of Operations and other senior WCS IP staff, as well as the Regional Director and WCS Head Office.

Major Responsibilities

Programmatic

• Support the Country Director and Deputy Director in delivering the country strategy, consisting of the thematic program components and the cross-cutting components (peer-to-peer learning, leadership, youth and technology).
• Provide technical assistance to the Deputy Country Director and Program Managers (WTP, Forests, One Health, and Rights & Communities) to ensure timely and high-quality project implementation, including delivery against the work plan, staffing and grants management.
• Support the strategic growth of WCS-IP, generating ideas and concepts for new initiatives, including Programs (One Health, Rights & Communities), projects (such as Rote Island climate change adaptation, and provincial green growth models) and cross-cutting initiatives (such as the Protected Area and Biodiversity Fund and Biodiversity Research Hub).
• Support WCS IP's science driven approach, especially in supporting for our staff, developing scientific publications and participating in international/regional conferences, and maintaining/creating international academic collaborations.
• Support regional program learning and exchanges.
• Work with the Regional Director and Country Program Directors in SEAA to identify and implement strategic regional program activities.
• Support capacity development of WCS IP staff, identifying/creating opportunities for their professional development (such as trainings, conferences, post-graduate studies, short-term academic placements) and awards.

Donor cultivation, stewardship, and management

• Actively lead and manage donor (public, private and individual) relations through frequent networking (such as one-on-one meetings, attending ceremonial events and field trips) and support senior WCS-IP to effectively engage with key donors.
• Work with the Regional Director and WCS Thematic and Strategic Partnership Directors (especially in Europe and the US) to identify and cultivate new funding opportunities for Indonesia, and regionally.
• Support the Deputy and Country Director and program teams by leading or supporting concept note and proposal development and writing.
• Work with program leads to coordinate the completion and timely submission of donor narrative reports.
• Support the development of compelling donor communication pieces, such as presentations and infographics, that describe the impacts of WCS-IP projects.
• Contribute to additional fundraising and donor management activities as needed.

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD or post-graduate degree or equivalent experience in wildlife conservation, natural resource management or a related field.
• Minimum of ten years professional experience relevant to on-the-ground science-based conservation in tropical developing countries, preferably in Indonesia / Southeast Asia.
• Strong abilities to build partnerships with relevant national authorities, civil society, private sector, donor agencies and international institutions.
• Successful and diverse experience in proposal development/fundraising across a range of private, public and individual donors, coupled with strong grant management / grant reporting.
• A working knowledge of environmental and social safeguards processes.
• Ability to foster teamwork within the country program and across the region.
• Proven ability to work sensitively and effectively with people of diverse cultures, value systems, perspectives and levels of education.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a variety of partners and stakeholders, and to collaborate on solving complex issues that involve multiple actors and/or interest areas
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, management, and leadership skills.
• Fluency in English language required, with Bahasa Indonesia considered an advantage.
• A willingness to travel both nationally and regionally.
• Patience and flexibility a must.
• Commitment to WCS’s values of respect, accountability and transparency, innovation, diversity and inclusion, collaboration, and integrity.

Applications:

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should apply by sending an application letter and CV together with the names and contact information of three references, at the soonest possible time through the following link:

https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25965&siteid=5168#jobDetails=765958_5168

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on age, colour, disability, gender identify, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations.

Pre-screening will start as soon as WCS starts to receive incoming application.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.