Country Director, Cameroon

Supervisor: Vice President, Strategy, Knowledge Management and Impact

Supervises: Country Office Staff

Department: Program

Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon

On behalf of our client, an International NGO (INGO) we are looking for a qualified professional to undertake the role of Country Director in Cameroon. The Cameroon Country Director is expected to be a highly visible individual in the country’s conservation sector with ties to decision makers in other sectors shaping land and resource use, and the capacity to manage programs with social, political, cultural and economic complexities. He/she is expected to be results oriented and able to provide leadership to a team of highly qualified professionals to achieve results and meet program targets and goals. He/she will be expected to exercise a high degree of decision making and sound judgment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

General Management

• Develop and motivate staff members to contribute to their full ability to organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan
• Oversee the development and maintenance of the organization’s country office and ensure the organization is fully compliant with all laws and regulations in Cameroon

Leadership, Government Support and Policy

• Increase number of influential Africans who speak on behalf of wildlife conservation
• Establish a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationship with both internal and external stakeholders
• Enhance effectiveness and prominence of African conservation leaders
• Increase engagement of women and youth in conservation
• Drive the adoption of innovative development policies and investment plans that preserve and restore wildlife and wildlands
• Support government leaders with policy analysis, development and implementation at national and international levels including support for key international treaties including Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Promote the organization as the institution that assists the Cameroonian government and other partners in creating solutions that deliver on conservation and development ambitions
• Develop excellent working relationships with major stakeholder groups, national governments, protected area authorities, local government, community and private sector, in the region.
• Identify, engage and recruit potential candidates for the organization’s Board of Trustees

Strategy, Donors Relations and Fundraising

• Lead the development of the Cameroon Country Strategy in collaboration with key stakeholders, the Cameroon staff, Strategy teams and other organization departments.
• Support the expansion of organization’s conservation and development project portfolio in Cameroon.
• Regularly engage donor partners, providing donors with updates on organization’s programme priorities, insights from implementation, and facilitate connection to host country processes and people to raise profile of how wildlife and wild lands fit into donor programming
• Regularly inform the International Policy & Government Relations team of developments in country related to donor priority areas and collaborate to engage donors and facilitate alignment between donor and Cameroon government priorities; and
• Collaborate with fundraising, communications and technical teams to prepare materials for in-country donor engagement help design, develop and build new programs in Cameroon that meet organization’s objectives and mission.
• Participate in and support the development and design of funding proposals for submission to key donors for support of the program.
• Travel to cultivate and steward donors – prospective and existing – in key fundraising markets.
• Keep abreast of relevant programs and opportunities in Cameroon for organization’s involvement, including funding opportunities, and link as appropriate relevant staff to opportunities such as Program Design and Philanthropy.
• Represent the organization at national and district government levels and with other donors to ensure effective collaboration and maintenance of organization’s reputation and role as a conservation leader in Cameroon.

Program Oversight and Implementation

• Provide support to the landscape directors, technical advisors, project managers and their teams for the development, management and successful implementation of programs in Cameroon.
• Ensure program activities are based on strong evidence-based conservation that result in sustainable outcomes for conservation and communities.
• Ensure program activities are in line with Government objectives and are compliant with national laws and regulations.
• Ensure that landscape directors, technical advisors and project managers complied with all donor agreements and organization’s policies and procedures.
• Develop and motivate team members to contribute to their full ability to organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan.
• Establish a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationship with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee a fully operational data collection, management, reporting and learning framework (M & E).

Public Relations, Corporate Communications and Marketing

• Be the focal point for all organization’s communications within Cameroon.
• Work closely with the organization’s global communications teams to ensure consistent and coordinated messaging and branding within Cameroon.
• Collaborate with global communications team in promoting organization’s programmes and highlighting both successes and challenges within country and globally.
• Ensure strong internal communications for organization’s staff within the country.
• Ensure a collaborative approach to position the organization as a thought leader and draw on capacities within and external to the organization to achieve our country strategy.

Supervision

• Directly supervise the technical advisors, senior F&A and functional (matrix) supervision of the Landscape Director.
• Develop and motivate team members to contribute to their full ability to organization’s mission, vision, and strategic plan.
• Promote teamwork, professionalism, and integrity.
• Ensure that organization’s culture is imbedded within the team; ensure roles & responsibilities are clearly defined and performance is managed with the required focus and discipline.
• Ensure effective recruitment of country staff in Yaoundé.

Qualifications

• Post graduate qualification (MSc or PhD) in natural sciences, social science, economics or any other field directly related to conservation.
• Minimum 12+ years of proven managerial and field experience in conservation and development.
• Experience in leading implementation of large and complex projects in Cameroon with a solid understanding of conservation in Cameroon and how to deliver effective sustainable conservation programs that benefit wildlife and communities
• Results focused orientation with proven track record of delivery
• Ability to manage and motivate a highly qualified team of professionals in different fields
• Solid understanding of financial management and budgeting
• Proficiency in French and English (spoken and written)
• Experience leading and managing large complex projects budgets, delivering and reporting results, and ensuring compliance with donor requirements
• Outstanding interpersonal skills including the ability to build coalitions, negotiate, and manage conflict situations
• Outstanding communication skills with ability to clarify vision and strategy
• Experience working with different levels of government (especially senior levels) and partners in Cameroon
• Genuine respect for the skills and perspectives of communities, partner organizations and the private sector
• Good report writing skills and working knowledge of computers and MS Office software package
• Sound understanding and motivational fit in conservation
• Commitment to the organization and its mission