ThaiNGO

I. 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.

In 2022, more than 100 nations met at the 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention of Biological Diversity (COP15) and committed to “30 by 30,” the goal of protecting 30% of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats worldwide by 2023. The Government of Thailand endorsed this initiative.

While meeting this challenge is a fundamentally governmental activity, WWF-Thailand plans to provide support to key government agencies in achieving this goal. We are now initiating our 30 by 30 Conservation Program, designed to support agencies in two elements that we believe will be central to this initiative:

The proposed project aims to secure the long-term integrity of the Dawna Tenasserim Landscape (DTL), one of Southeast Asia’s most significant biodiversity strongholds, by protecting and conserving at least 225,000 acres of strategically important forest and wildlife corridor habitat. Through a combination of new and expanded national parks and the recognition of community-managed forests as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), WWF-Thailand and its partners will help advance Thailand’s commitment to the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 target. The initiative will safeguard critical habitats that support globally important populations of tigers, leopards, elephants, banteng, tapirs, and hundreds of other species while promoting conservation approaches that actively involve local communities and ethnic groups.

The project is designed to address the growing challenge of habitat fragmentation, which represents the most serious threat to the ecological integrity of DTL. Increasing agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, illegal logging, poaching, drought, and wildfires are steadily reducing connectivity between the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) and the Mae Ping - Om Koi Forest Complex (MPOK). If left unaddressed, these pressures will isolate wildlife populations, restrict species movement, and weaken ecosystem resilience. By securing key habitats through protected area designation, OECM recognition, and strengthened management interventions, the project will maintain landscape connectivity and ensure that wildlife populations can continue to disperse, adapt, and thrive across the broader ecosystem.

The current policy and political environment present a unique opportunity to achieve lasting conservation outcomes. Thailand has made strong national and international commitments to biodiversity conservation through its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the global 30x30 agenda, while also advancing the development of a national OECM framework. These favorable conditions create an important window for expanding protected and conserved areas before competing land-use pressures intensify. WWF-Thailand has already laid the groundwork through extensive engagement with government agencies, local stakeholders, and conservation partners, making this a pivotal moment to secure permanent protection for the corridor and strengthen Thailand’s broader conservation network.

In the near term, the project will facilitate the legal designation of three new or expanded national parks, support the registration of ten community forests as OECMs, strengthen biodiversity monitoring and law enforcement systems, and establish effective mechanisms for community participation and co-management. Over the longer term, these interventions will create a resilient ecological corridor connecting WEFCOM and MPOK, support the recovery of threatened wildlife populations, enhance community stewardship of natural resources, and preserve high-integrity forests that provide essential ecosystem services, including carbon storage, watershed protection, and climate adaptation. By demonstrating the effectiveness of integrated, landscape-scale conservation, the project will help position Thailand as a regional leader in biodiversity conservation and a model for achieving ambitious global conservation targets.

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

II. Major Functions:

A Project Field Officer will serve as a key field-based staff member responsible for supporting
the effective implementation of project activities and achieving project objectives at the site level. The position will work closely with operational-level representatives of government agencies, local communities and ethnic groups, community-based organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure effective coordination, stakeholder engagement, and inclusive project delivery.

Key responsibilities include supporting in facilitating stakeholder engagement, community participation, and partnership development among local communities, ethnic groups, community-based organizations, government agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. The Project Field Officer will support community-led conservation initiatives, strengthen local capacity for natural resource management, facilitate consultations and participatory planning processes, and ensure that community perspectives, priorities, and traditional knowledge are appropriately reflected in project implementation and decision-making.

The position will support Program Manager play a key role in implementing community engagement processes in accordance with the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), ensuring that local communities are fully informed, meaningfully consulted, and actively engaged in conservation planning and decision-making. The Project Field Officer will support awareness-raising, stakeholder consultations, and community dialogue processes related to the establishment and expansion of protected areas, as well as the identification, assessment, and recognition of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). The position will help strengthen community understanding, participation, and support for conservation initiatives while promoting transparent, inclusive, and rights-based approaches to conservation.

The Project Field Officer will be responsible for collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting socio-economic, community-based, spatial, ecological, and biodiversity-related data to support project planning, adaptive management, and evidence-based conservation actions. The position will also coordinate community meetings, training workshops, field missions, and other project interventions to promote effective stakeholder engagement and local ownership of conservation outcomes.

In addition, the Project Field Officer will support biodiversity monitoring, field assessments, and conservation activities within protected and conserved areas, working closely with local stakeholders and technical partners to contribute to the project's conservation objectives. The position will ensure that all field activities are implemented effectively and in accordance with approved workplans, technical standards, safeguarding requirements, FPIC principles, and WWF policies and procedures.

The Project Field Officer will play a critical role in strengthening community stewardship, fostering collaborative partnerships, maintaining constructive relationships with stakeholders, and supporting the successful delivery of project outputs and conservation outcomes. Through effective field coordination, community engagement, and stakeholder facilitation, the position will contribute to advancing WWF’s conservation goals, strengthening landscape connectivity, supporting protected and conserved areas, and promoting sustainable landscape management within the project area.

III. Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the Program Manager in establishing, maintaining, and strengthening effective working relationships and partnerships with relevant government agencies, local authorities, community institutions, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders. Emphasis will be placed on coordinating and fostering collaboration with Tak Provincial authorities, Protected Area Regional Office 14 (Tak), Forest Resource Management Office No. 4 (Tak), National Park Offices, Local Administrative Organizations, community forest committees, local communities, and ethnic groups to support the successful implementation of project activities and conservation objectives.
• Serve as WWF’s field representative and consistently demonstrate professionalism while upholding WWF’s values, credibility, reputation, and code of conduct. Promote constructive collaboration and partnership among stakeholders to support conservation objectives and sustainable landscape management.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, community participation, partnership development, and consultants to support project implementation, strengthen local stewardship of natural resources, and enhance community ownership of conservation outcomes.
• Support and facilitate community consultation processes in accordance with the principles FPIC, ensuring that local communities are appropriately informed, consulted, and engaged in conservation planning and decision-making processes.
• Support awareness-raising, dialogue, and stakeholder engagement activities related to the establishment and expansion of protected areas, the recognition of OECMs, and other landscape-level conservation initiatives.
•  Coordinate and support community meetings, consultations, training workshops, study visits, field missions, and other project-related activities at local and regional level.
• Conduct and support field surveys, biodiversity monitoring, ecological assessments, socio-economic assessments, and other field-based activities related to protected and conserved areas.
• Collect, compile, manage, analyze, and maintain socio-economic, community-based, spatial, ecological, wildlife, and data to support project implementation, adaptive management, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting requirements.
• Contribute updating information to the preparation of technical reports, field assessments, progress updates, case studies, maps, databases, and other project documentation as required.
• Support project planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting processes under the guidance of the Conservation Director, Senior Program Manager and Program Manager.
• Process project expenditures, facilitate budget disbursement procedures, and maintain accurate financial, procurement, and administrative records in accordance with WWF policies, donor requirements, and organizational procedures.
• Ensure compliance with WWF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) and Gender Equality Disability and Social Inclusive (GEDSI), risk management procedures, quality assurance standards, occupational health and safety requirements, and all applicable WWF policies and guidelines.
• Support stakeholder feedback, grievance management, safeguard monitoring, and conflict-resolution processes to ensure transparent, inclusive, and accountable project implementation.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by supervisors in support of project objectives and WWF’s conservation priorities.

IV. Profile:

Required Qualifications

• Graduated degree in social science, conservation biology, natural resource management, or related fields;
• At least 1 years of experience in (Thailand preferred) in protected and conserved area management, wildlife and forest monitoring, or biodiversity conservation.
• Experience in conducting field working and survey with community, biodiversity monitoring, socio-economic assessments, and data collection.
• Experience supporting the implementation of conservation, community forestry, landscape management, or rural development projects.
• Understanding of land conservation processes that support community participation and empowerment.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and community outreach skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with government agencies,
  local communities, ethnic groups, and other stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and coordination skills.
• Willingness and ability to work extensively in remote and challenging field conditions.
• Willingness to undertake frequent travel and extended stays in rural and remote project sites.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and adaptive management skills.
• Basic skills in data collection, field monitoring, report writing, and information management.
• Demonstrated commitment to conservation, community engagement, and sustainable natural resource management.
• Good command of spoken and written Thai, with working knowledge of English.

V. Working Relationships:

Internal: WWF-Thailand Conservation, Finance, M&E, ESSF and Communications staff, as well as WWF Greater Mekong specialists and WWF-Network donor offices.

External: Tak Provincial Authorities, Protected Area Regional Office 14 (Tak), Forest Resource Management Office No. 4 (Tak), National Park Offices, Local Administrative Organizations, other relevant governments, community forest committees, local communities, and ethnic groups, as well as 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.