Rights & Communities Manager

Job Description

Requirements

• A minimum of a master’s degree in social sciences, Community Development, Natural Resource Management, Conservation, Development Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Environmental Sciences or a related field.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience, preferably with international conservation or development organizations, including substantial field experience in community-based conservation, natural resource governance or rural development in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating multidisciplinary programmes involving community conservation, livelihoods, governance, social science, safeguards or human-wildlife coexistence.
• Strong practical knowledge of rights-based conservation, participatory approaches, social inclusion, community governance, environmental and social safeguards, grievance mechanisms and benefit-sharing approaches.
• Proven ability to develop strategies, annual workplans, budgets, monitoring and learning systems and high-quality donor and program reports.
• Demonstrated ability to design, oversee or use socio-economic, behavioral or governance research to improve program implementation and demonstrate social and conservation impact.
• Proven ability to manage, coach and strengthen multidisciplinary field teams and to work effectively with government authorities, local leadership, communities, NGOs, private sector and development partners.
• Excellent facilitation, analytical, negotiation, interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to communicate in languages relevant to communities around Ishasha is a strong advantage.

Responsibilities

• Providing technical leadership, guidance and coaching to the Rights & Communities team, ensuring Livelihoods, Governance, Behavior Change, Community Engagement and Safeguards functions are coordinated, technically sound and implemented through an inclusive and collaborative approach.
• Promote participatory learning and adaptive problem-solving across the programme, supporting technical teams and field staff to use community feedback, social evidence and field experience to continuously improve intervention design and delivery.
• Lead the development, implementation and periodic review of the Ishasha Rights & Communities Strategy and annual workplans, ensuring alignment with the Co-Management Partnership, WCS Uganda conservation priorities, donor commitments and the needs and aspirations of frontline communities.
• Ensure rights-based approaches and Environmental and Social Safeguards are embedded in programme delivery, including meaningful participation, informed consultation and consent processes where applicable, gender and social inclusion, equitable benefit sharing, grievance mechanisms, accountability and protection of vulnerable groups.
• Ensure integration of community conservation with wider protected area management priorities, particularly human-wildlife coexistence, fence effectiveness, natural resource governance, livelihood resilience, conservation awareness and community participation in addressing threats to biodiversity.
• Provide technical oversight for socio-economic, behavioural and governance research and monitoring, working with Social Science, Conservation Impact and other technical teams to measure changes in community wellbeing, attitudes, trust, participation, behaviour and conservation outcomes and use this evidence for adaptive management.
• Strengthen strategic relationships and partnerships with UWA, local government, community institutions, civil society, private sector and development partners, ensuring conservation and community development interventions are coordinated, complementary and responsive to local priorities.
• Provide technical representation of the Rights & Communities portfolio in relevant government, donor, partner and community forums, and support WCS leadership in maintaining constructive relationships with stakeholders across the Ishasha landscape
• Provide high-quality technical inputs to donor reports, funding proposals, programme reviews and budget development, ensuring commitments related to community engagement, livelihoods, governance, safeguards and social outcomes are appropriately planned, resourced and reported.
• Lead documentation, learning and communication of Rights & Communities results, including development of technical guidance, lessons learned, case studies and other knowledge products that demonstrate how improvements in community wellbeing, relationships and participation contribute to conservation impact.
• Maintain close coordination with WCS Queen Elizabeth Landscape technical, programme and operational teams, ensuring consistency between Rights & Communities strategy, field implementation, conservation planning and organizational standards.
• Perform other related responsibilities assigned by the relevant WCS Uganda leadership, consistent with the purpose and level of the position.