ThaiNGO

Background:

For over 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. As the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works across 100 countries and is supported by close to 5 million members globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at all levels locally to globally, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.

WWF-Thailand is initiating its Rewilding the Dawna Tenasserim Program, a holistic program to restore the Tenasserim Corridor, the 120 km-long natural linkage between Thailand’s two primary tiger ecosystems, the Western Forest and Kaeng Krachan Forest Complexes, both designated as World Heritage Sites.

 Over 5 years, the program will collaborate with local communities, provincial and national agencies, and small and large landholders to implement a suite of complementary landscape recovery activities, including technical support for community forest designation and management, collaboration with government land managers to manage remaining forests to maximize connectivity for wildlife movement, and assessment and mitigation of existing and planned linear infrastructure barriers to wildlife movement (roads, high tension lines, pipelines, etc.). Our ultimate goal is to stop forest fragmentation and establish a positive trajectory of restored habitat connectivity, ultimately leading to improved movement of a range of wildlife species throughout  the corridor.

WWF is seeking a Project Officer at 100% level of effort to lead the project in Thailand

Major Functions:

The Project Officer  (PO) will be responsible for overall project management to achieve the project’s goals and targets, ensure all activities comply with the project agreement and WWF’s contractual obligations, and donor’s requirements.

The project manager will take full responsibility for technical, financial and administrative aspects of the project.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Build relationships with local communities, government agencies,  academics, CSOs and INGOs;

Host workshops, site visits, and community consultations to identify potential connectivity conservation opportunities, including community forest gazettement, public land management approaches, protected area gazettement, linear infrastructure mitigation, and reforestation;

Collaborate with government agencies (Royal Forest Department, Treasury Department, Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, and others to assess public land management policies and determine policy and management approaches to improve connectivity;

Identify and undertake or contract for needed spatial, economic, or wildlife assessments and/or inventories;

Purchase supplies and equipment in collaboration with Finance Department;

Supervise up to one staff member and/or consultants as needed;

Coordinate with partner INGOs/CSOs;

Monitor deadlines and tangible achievements;

Report on activities according to donor requirements and M&E plan;

Support other work as required.

Profile:

Required Qualifications       

Postgraduate degree (MSc.) in conservation biology, landscape ecology, natural resource management, forest management, or related fields;

At least 5 years of working experience in community forestry and/or community livelihood technical support, protected area management, or landscape-level conservation;

Substantial work experience in Southeast Asia; Thailand preferred.

Required Skills and Competencies

Excellent interpersonal, communication and diplomatic skills with the ability to manage and interact at all levels of an international, multicultural and multilingual organization;

Ability to advance the goals of an untried, multi-dimensional habitat conservation program that may experience scientific, management, and/or political uncertainties;

Familiarity with WWF’s Environmental Social Safeguard Framework or a similar framework preferred;

Familiarly with governmental and non-governmental environmental conservation initiatives, key players, and challenges in Thailand;

Fluency in Thai (required) and competence in English (strongly preferred).

Working Relationships:

Internal: Interact on a regular basis with WWF-Thailand Conservation, Finance, and Communications staff, as well as WWF Greater Mekong specialists and WWF-Network donor offices (WWF European and other national offices).

External: Local community leaders, Thailand government officials, consultants, and academic and INGO partners.

This JD covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.