Job Details

Job Description

WeForest is a fast-growing international non-profit association with headquarters in Belgium and legal entities in France, USA, Ethiopia and Zambia. The organization is promoting Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) best practices and our activities are growing as we are looking for an experienced conservation officer to further capacitate the Zambia team. WeForest has been active around reforestation and non-timber livelihood creation with local communities in Zambia since 2011. Currently, five projects are running, two in the Copperbelt and three in Muchinga provinces.

Mpumba Community Conservation Project

The Mpumba Community Conservation project (MCC) in Muchinga province spans across both CFA’s and private lands and aims to enhance the ecological integrity of natural resources and the resilience and health of natural resource-dependent communities through sustainable forest management practices and strong public-private-community partnerships and enterprise.

For this project, WeForest seeks to recruit a dedicated and passionate Conservation Officer to be based at the Mpumba office in Mununga, Lavushimanda District.

The Conservation Officer will be responsible to coordinate together with the Mpumba Community Resources board (CRB) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) the implementation of all conservation related tasks on private lands and adjacent areas in the Mpumba Chiefdom.  These will focus on, but are not limited, to forest patrols and law-enforcement and fire management.

The Conservation Officer will report to the Project Manager and will mainly be active in the field. S/he will also work closely with the Muchinga M&E officer. The Conservation Officer will be based at the WeForest Mpumba office in Mununga Quarry area in Lavushimanda which is situated along the Great North Road, app. 115 km south of Mpika.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Together with the DNPW and the CRB, co-plan, coordinate and monitor patrol operations with Village Scouts in the private lands, adjacent areas and where necessary within Mpumba chiefdom
2. Together with the DNPW and the CRB, co-plan, coordinate and monitor of a fire management program that includes controlled early burning and establishment of fire breaks with village scouts
3. Support the implementation of a forest structure and biodiversity monitoring program
4. Support monitoring and evaluation through valuable data collection on the different conservation programs
5. Supervise the law-enforcement equipment and assets and ensure that best practices are in place for use
6. Identify training needs and coordinate training session where necessary with village scouts
7. Prepare reports on performance of the different conservation programs and infractions against the wildlife and forest act
8. Be the focal point and ensure best relations are kept with the (local departments of the) Department of National Parks and Wildlife and with the Mpumba Community Resources Board
9. Be the focal point for conservation related matters from the private landowners and their staff and ensure that best relationships are kept with these stakeholders

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Education : a minimum of Diploma in Forestry, Biology, Conservation, Wildlife Management or equivalent
• Language : Fluent in Bemba or Bisa or Lala and English (both spoken and written)
• Work experience : minimum 5 years relevant work experience in the sector
• Skills :
  • Excellent communication and analytical skills
  • Proven applied experience with conducting forest patrols, including coordinating patrol operations, tactics and monitoring as well as with fire management programs
  • Knowledge of the Wildlife act and forestry act is a strong plus
  • General knowledge of fauna and flora and specific knowledge on forest restoration and regeneration techniques is a strong plus.
  • Competent with Microsoft Office applications, email and other relevant computer skills.
  • Knowledge of SMART Tools, EarthRanger and other tools to monitor sustainable forest management
• Be willing to (relocate and) live near Mununga Quarry where the office is based in the Lavushimanda District, Muchinga Province
• Be comfortable with the challenging conditions associated with the remote area and wilderness

Terms & Conditions

Duration of Contract: One year with possibility of a renewable 2-year contract afterwards upon performance.

Salary :  Level 2c Officer

Starting date : 14 October, or earlier if possible

Location : Willing to live and work in Lavushimanda

Extras :  Bonus of 5% based on performance, please note that there are no field allowances as this position is also expected to carry out fieldwork regularly.

Hours of Work : Full-time, working a minimum of 8 hours per day and up to 44 hours per week. Hours will however vary depending on project needs and flexibility is essential.

Reporting line : Will work under the supervision of and report to the Project Manager with regular contact with other team members including the M&E Officer and the Muchinga Manager.

APPLICATION DETAILS

• Please send applications to [email protected] by 20 ^th September, 2024.
• We only consider applications that contain the following documents: a CV (including 2 recent, contactable references), a motivation letter (max one page), and a two-pager law-enforcement plan which outlines the law-enforcement program that you aim to implement in the area. Some numbers: 10000ha; 12 Village scouts; monthly budget of K15,000
• Make sure to mention the job title in the subject of the email, and to indicate where you saw the job post. In your motivation letter, we’d love to read about what makes you interested to work with WeForest.
• Due to the anticipated high number of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We thank you in advance for your interest.