Job Opportunities at WWF South Africa

Minimum Requirements

• A tertiary qualification in conservation ecology, natural resources management, environmental management, or relevant field
• 3 to 5 years’ experience in the conservation sector.
• Knowledge and experience in conservation approaches and models, especially Biodiversity Stewardship in South Africa.
• Experience in Protected Area Management, Biodiversity Management, and application of conservation planning strategies will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of legislation related to protected area expansion and environmental management is important.
• Sound knowledge of fynbos ecological processes and threats to fynbos.
• Good understanding of sustainable agriculture practices and associated industry standards
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Outlook)
• Good working knowledge of and use of GIS software, spatial data management and mapping.
• Good presentation skills
• Ability to develop project planning schedules and work according to specific deadlines and targets.
• Excellent communication skills in both English and Afrikaans.
• Hold a valid driver’s license and willingness to travel extensively.
• Hold good interpersonal and communication skills
• Have a meticulous approach to work and keen attention to detail
• Be self-motivated, with strong analytical, administrative and project management skills
• Ability to develop professional working relationships with relevant partners in the public and private sectors.
• Ability to innovate, develop new approaches to achieve strategic targets and contribute to critical thinking to overcome barriers to implementation of relevant strategies/ planned project outcomes.
• Ability to work closely with a diverse team to achieve strategic goals.
• Be mindful of cultures and working styles of individuals.
• Have a passion for the conservation and the involvement of people and businesses in the implementation of practical solutions to the challenges facing the environment.
• Have a collaborative spirit and ability to work in team settings across cultures and internally within a diverse institution.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Secure priority areas within the fynbos biome using biodiversity stewardship mechanisms
• Conduct all due diligence processes to identify and prioritise potential stewardship sites, aligned to WWF’s Fynbos Strategy for engagement. This includes:
• Desktop spatial planning activities, producing regular reports and presentations and maintaining project databases.
• Developing short and long-term project planning schedules and meeting project deadlines.
• Prepare for and undertake necessary partner and landowner engagements including convening meetings with landowners and other stakeholders in accordance with stewardship processes.
• Maintain and build relationships with stakeholders and participating landowners. Arrange and conduct carry on site biodiversity assessments and present findings to relevant provincial led biodiversity stewardship review panels.
• Negotiate relevant stewardship agreements with landowners.
• Work closely with provincial conservation agencies and contacted legal services to ensure concluding of agreements and declaration processes where applicable.
• Provide post declaration support to landowners
• On finalising relevant biodiversity stewardship agreements:
• Develop site level biodiversity management plans for stewardship sites
• Assist landowners with the implementation of management objectives provided in site management plans
• Where necessary convene relevant stakeholders to support the biodiversity management and applicable technical support required.
• Together with relevant stakeholders, conduct necessary annual audits and develop annual plans of operation in accordance with management plans for landowner implementation.
• Where applicable, support the landowner in accessing incentives to assist in achieving management objectives.
• Work closely with relevant municipalities and experts where applicable to ensure landowners receive any applicable fiscal and tax incentives related to stewardship agreements and management plans.
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders
• Maintain a professional working relationship with project funders. This includes keeping funders informed of progress through regular reporting and providing periodic presentations.
• Work closely with and maintain relationships with provincial conservation authority, the provincial stewardship program and relevant stewardship platforms.
• Work closely with supporting stakeholders such as conservation-based NGO’s and supporting partners such as LandCare and CapeNature.
• Attend and actively participate in relevant workshops, peer learning events, stewardship and area-based platforms.
• Collaborate with other WWF programmes to support the work WWF implements in common landscapes and to make use of opportunities for securing biodiversity stewardship sites.
• Communicate with stakeholders timeously in a professional and efficient manner

go to method of application »

Minimum Requirements

• Appropriate Master’s level qualification, preferably in biological, conservation or environmental sciences, international relations, or a similar field
• Proven track record of at least 5 years’ experience in proposal writing and fundraising applications. Specific preference will be given to candidates with experience in engaging with public sector, finance institutions, or fundraising.
• Excellent writing skills and technical capacity to translate conservation and sustainability approaches and complex funding needs into appealing donor proposals.
• Experience in managing administrative and financial data, and reporting requirements for public sector funders.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is a prerequisite and fluency in another African language would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Excellent planning and organising skills, and outstanding attention to detail.
• Accurate, self-starter.

Duties and Responsibilities

Resource Mobilization: supporting the Public Sector Partnerships Manager. 

• Support the Public Sector Partnerships Manager to raise funding for WWF SA’s highest priority work, develop comprehensive funding proposals, while also building partnerships and exploring further opportunities.
• Build and manage proposal development timelines and strategies, ensuring that the proposal development team meets strict deadlines. Revise timelines as necessary in line with priorities.
• Develop a diverse range of funding opportunities across different themes, working with multiple internal WWF-SA portfolio teams.
• Write proposals as necessary, overseen by the Head of BDU, with engagement with the Strategy Delivery Lead
• Liaise with environmental teams to develop projects and proposals in reaction to calls, as well as building up a project proposal pipeline.
• Monitor opportunities and calls, while building up a database of funders. Manage intelligence gathering, research, data collection, and competitive analyses related to funding opportunities.

Partnership Development: supporting the Public Sector Partnerships Manager. 

• Align, influence and strengthen WWF-SA’s agenda with key public sector partners.
• Support the PSP Manager to establish and nurture relationships with funders and prospective funders.
• Manage processes and requirements for specific donors/funders, with the Accredited Entity, and oversee teams/consultants developing/writing the proposal.
• Keep track of delivery of PSP projects with environmental teams, including supporting on reporting, reviewing progress, and ensuring timely delivery as per contracts.
• Provide a coordination role between the partner funder and the Environmental Programmes teams implementing the project.
• Ensuring and developing, where necessary, effective and efficient admin and financial systems for financial and technical reporting, and liaising with the Finance and Business Teams to do this.
• Connecting proposals in development, and reporting on project delivery, to MEL framework and systems, and liaising with the MEL team to do this.
• Manage and ensure the quality of applications and contract delivery working with the Programme and Finance and Business Support teams.
• Facilitate an improved understanding of the public sector and finance environment within WWF-SA in order to grow opportunities and partnerships in this area.

go to method of application »

Minimum Requirements

• Masters Level qualification, preferably in biological, conservation or environmental sciences, international relations, or a similar field. 
• Proven track record of at least 10 years’ experience in proposal writing and fundraising applications.
• Specific preference will be given to candidates with experience in engaging with public sector, finance institutions, or fundraising.
• Excellent writing skills and technical capacity to translate conservation and sustainability approaches and complex funding needs into appealing donor proposals.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is a prerequisite and fluency in another African language would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Good interpersonal skills and experience in relationship management with partners.
• Competent multi-tasker, who can manage multiple engagements and proposals, and can coordinate multiple partners and colleagues around a specific objective.
• Excellent planning and organising skills, and outstanding attention to detail.
• Accurate, self-starter.
• People management
• Embraces diversity of opinions and backgrounds.

Duties and Responsibilities

Major Duties and Accountabilities: 

• Raise funding for WWF SA’s highest priority conservation work.
• Coordinate strategic Relationship Management with local Government Aid Agencies (GAAs), International Development Public Sector Partners, International Trusts and Foundations and Public Finance and Multi-Finance Institutions.
• Identify critical funding partners, establish and nurture relationships.
• Market research and horizon scanning on international development funding opportunities and pipeline information at the behest of the Head of Business Development.
• In cooperation with the Environmental Programme team, match conservation needs with available sources of funding.
• Design projects suitable for funding at the behest of the Head of Environmental Programmes,
• Close co-operation with the WWF International and WWF PSP network on Mega-potential relationships, with support from the Environmental Programme Team.
• Oversee engagements with National Government, in collaboration with key colleagues, especially the Nationally Designated Authority/Focal Point, etc. to ensure national processes are followed and national support is secured.
• Integrate a regional approach in terms of priority initiatives with other WWF offices.
• Responsible for quality management of applications.
• Oversee and be accountable for proposal development and contract delivery.

Detailed Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Lead the identification of strategic international partners within international development, public sector partners, public and multi-lateral finance environments, and international human development NGOs (situated predominantly in US and Europe) that offer significant potential to add impact to WWFs work, either through their presence or networks, influence, technical capacity, strategic alignment with WWF, or financial resources. 
• Develop in-country and international relationships with this group, in order to identify strategic alignment, cooperation and collaboration opportunities, focusing on significant, or step-change, interventions that WWF has identified (e.g. addressing shortfalls in finance to meet strategic targets, or investment in southern African strategic water source areas).
• Undertake ongoing liaison with potential financing partners and other relevant institutions.
• Lead dialogue within WWF, & between WWF and these partners, in order to improve overall strategic alignment, identify opportunities for collaboration, and strengthen collective response to the challenges identified through the WWF conservation strategies.
• Contribute to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
• Identify and provide quality information and technical advice on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities;
• Engage proactively in resource mobilization processes, and facilitate, coordinate, develop and submit funding proposals/grant applications that support principally the step-change interventions WWF SA has identified.