Community Conservation Manager

Job Summary

The Community Conservation Manager leads the planning, field execution, and adaptive management of community programs around Ishasha. Key focus areas include mitigating human-wildlife conflict, securing community buy-in for conservation initiatives (such as species recovery), designing socio-economic research, implementing robust social safeguards (e.g., grievance redress mechanisms), and coordinating closely with law enforcement and biodiversity teams to ensure safe, inclusive park operations.

Key Roles & Operational Responsibilities

1. Community & Stakeholder Relations

• Build and maintain trusted, culturally respectful partnerships with local communities, traditional leaders, municipal authorities, and partner NGOs.
• Implement a structured stakeholder engagement strategy with clear, accessible channels for transparent dialogue.
• Establish local employment pathways within the Protected Area to foster local economic goodwill and shared value.
• Strengthen the governance, leadership, and operational capacity of local community-based institutions.

2. Strategic Implementation & Conflict Mitigation

• Develop and adaptively execute the Ishasha Community Conservation Strategic Implementation Plan.
• Lead, evaluate, and scale human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation measures, such as community wildlife scout programs and physical barriers.
• Lead community consultations regarding ecological interventions and species recovery plans.
• Partner with local groups to implement community incentives, including educational scholarship programs and vocational skills training.
• Support spatial land-use planning to reduce agricultural encroachment and edge-of-park friction.

3. Social Safeguards & Socio-Economic Monitoring

• Collaborate with the Social Safeguards Coordinator to manage localized grievance redress mechanisms (GRM) to address community concerns.
• Design and execute socio-economic monitoring programs and targeted research to measure intervention impacts and guide adaptive management.
• Maintain deep situational awareness of local community dynamics and integrate these insights into broader security and park management plans.

4. Departmental Operations & Team Mentorship

• Manage, mentor, and build the capacity of a diverse field team, including HWC Officers, the Community Engagement Coordinator, and Community Wildlife Scouts.
• Foster a collaborative, problem-solving culture that balances conservation goals with community well-being.
• Manage the department's annual work planning, monthly activity tracking, and budget reconciliation in coordination with finance personnel.
• Draft high-quality technical progress reports for international donors and contribute to regional fundraising proposals.

Foundational Capabilities & Prerequisites

Required Technical Profile & Experience

• Academic Foundation: Minimum of a Master's degree in Social Sciences, Anthropology, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, or a closely related field.
• Field Experience: 5 to 10 years of direct, hands-on experience working with international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in Africa on community-based conservation or rural development.
• Project Management: Proven success managing donor-funded field programs, tracking budgets, and generating compliant donor progress reports.
• Leadership Capabilities: Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and keep diverse field-based teams safe in remote or logistically challenging environments.
• Communication Skills: Fluent written and spoken English, alongside strong proficiency in the local languages spoken in the Greater Queen Elizabeth landscape.

Desired Attributes

• Technical Specialties: Practical experience in environmental conflict resolution, collaborative land-use planning, or participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods.
• Soft Skills: Proactive, culturally sensitive, resilient, and highly collaborative with a profound personal commitment to wildlife and habitat conservation.

What WCS Uganda Offers

• High-Conservation Impact: Protect some of East Africa's most iconic wildlife and habitats inside the Queen Elizabeth landscape.
• Professional Autonomy: Lead and shape community-centric programs with a world-renowned conservation organization.
• Collaborative Field Environment: Work alongside multidisciplinary teams spanning law enforcement, research, and social safeguards in a supportive, mission-driven culture.

Skills Required:

• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development