Job Opportunity for Program Associate – Conservation at The Nature Conservancy in Assam/Meghalaya

WHO WE ARE

A PIONEER IN CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP

This is an exciting time at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as we are shifting our strategy for greater impact in the world, seeking to address some of the most complex challenges facing people and nature — issues such as climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient and sustainable.  

Our Mission

TNC’s mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Rather than viewing development –
including economic growth – and conservation as contradictory goals, TNC works to demonstrate how nature has value for people and development and how nature can provide enormous economic benefit. TNC envisions a future where people and nature can flourish together.

Our Vision

A world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfil our needs and enrich our lives. 

The Conservancy Team

We achieve this through the dedicated efforts of our 3,800 diverse staff, including more than 600 scientists, all of whom support conservation in 76  countries and all 50 United States. We are striving to develop a workforce as diverse as the places where we work, and we have a deep commitment to diversity.

Organizational History

TNC is the largest conservation organisation in the world, working in all 50 states in the United States and more than 76 countries. It was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the District of Columbia on October 22, 1951. TNC is science-based and in every place, we work, we partner with governments, businesses, and local communities. TNC is advancing its mission by protecting and restoring rivers, landscapes and oceans for people and their development at an unprecedented scale; it is transforming the way humanity uses the Earth’s natural resources to sustain ourselves.
 
YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

TNC is initiating a project on Equitable Protection, with the current focus being on the North-eastern States. The goal of this project is to promote conservation of nature and natural resources, while also meeting the sustainable development needs of the communities who share their space with biodiversity. Gender equity is a particular focus under this project, as is the strengthening of local institutions to document and monitor wild and domesticated biodiversity, support improved management of community forests or community conserved areas and develop best practices for sustainable use.    

This position is based in Assam or Meghalaya as per mutual agreement. They will work closely with the local partners who will undertake specific activities in the identified priority geographies, liaise with the governmental stakeholders at the state- and district-levels. They will serve as the local point of contact for communities, partners, and government agencies in the state and in priority districts/clusters. They will be responsible for effective implementation of activities at the ground level, through partners. They will also support in identifying and troubleshooting challenges, that may arise. 

This position is with a one-and-a-half-year fixed term contract and this position is based in Assam or Meghalaya as per mutual agreement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Program Associate (Conservation) is responsible for ensuring effective implementation of field activities, through partners, in the priority geographies. This position will be responsible for providing technical and programmatic management support (particularly from the perspective of biodiversity conservation) to project activities, thereby ensuring that activities are rooted in good science. They will be responsible for visiting field sites, implementing activities, coordinating work plan(s) at the field level, supporting technical design and execution of the planning process, managing partners and overseeing all field operations within the project. They will work closely with our field partners, local communities, and government agencies and are a key representative of the project and organization in the landscape. 

The incumbent will report to the project lead and work in close collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team working on this project, contributing significantly to the project technically and in managing stakeholder relationships. S/he will coordinate with a wide variety of stakeholders, manage local partners, prepare technical work products, and contribute to the overall project strategy.

• Executes all field-level activities of the initiative, in coordination with local partners and a multi-disciplinary team.
• Provides technical and programmatic hand-holding support to local partners.
• Manages relationships and engagements with local partners, communities, and government agencies.
• Designs, facilitates and coordinates trainings of partners’ teams, frontline staff from government agencies, community, other stakeholders.
• Organizes consultations, workshops, roundtables to advance project goals.
• Contributes to technical reporting of the project to donor.
• Provides technical inputs to the project lead on issues related to conservation and community-driven management planning.
• Captures lessons learned and applies an adaptive management approach.
• Manages reporting (both technical and financial) from field partners.
• Proactively identifies opportunities, potential challenges, and needs to ensure the project is successfully executed.
• Frequently travels domestically.
• Periodically may have to work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS degree in zoology, botany, ecology or another related field of study and minimum 3 years’ related experience in application of these skills to conservation, environment, natural resource management, or any related field or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience in conservation in Northeastern India. 
• Experience in managing partnerships (partners, community, government).
• Experience of implementing complex conservation projects, including developing and overseeing work plans, and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners.
• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary diverse teams.
• Expertise in common computer applications such as MS Office.
• Geographic Information Systems experience.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree and 5-8 years’ related experience in project implementation and project management in the field of conservation will be an advantage. 
• Direct experience of working on conservation and/or forest restoration issues with communities, including promoting equity in conservation or natural resource management
• Experience of working with community-level governance systems. 
• Ability to collaborate and work with a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Expertise in Geographic Information Systems
• Excellent knowledge of computer applications such as MS Excel and MS PowerPoint (or equivalent applications).
• Experience of designing, managing, and executing field projects in coordination with multiple partners and/or consultants. 
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and at least one language relevant to the Northeastern States. Demonstrated competence in both technical and non-technical writing skills.
• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Politically savvy.

ADDITIONAL JOB INFORMATION

Successful candidates for this position will be hired as an employee with Nature Conservancy India Solutions Private Limited (NCIS). 

Nature Conservancy India Solutions Private Limited (NCIS) is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act 2013, having it registered office in India in New Delhi. India. It is a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of The Nature Conservancy.  The company currently provides technical consultancy, monitoring & evaluation and other related services in the domain of conservation and environment to its various clients within and outside India.