Regional Community Conservation Coordinator – Central Africa & Gulf of Guinea

Location: Kigali, Rwanda (with regional travel)
Organization: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Posted: 29 November 2025
Closing Date: 31 December 2025
Position Type: Full-time

About WCS

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a leading international NGO headquartered at the Bronx Zoo in New York, USA. Operating in over 60 countries, WCS is dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places while addressing global environmental challenges. WCS upholds the principle that conserving nature and natural resources is essential for biodiversity, human wellbeing, and the cultural identity of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP & LCs).

The Central Africa & Gulf of Guinea Program is one of WCS’s largest regional programs, covering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and Gabon. The region faces significant conservation challenges, including wildlife decline driven by unsustainable wildmeat use and trafficking, and the need for sustainable livelihood opportunities that support conservation. WCS responds to these challenges through rights-based conservation approaches and effective protected area management.

Position Purpose

The Regional Community Conservation Coordinator will play a critical role in strengthening community conservation initiatives and improving the participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in conservation across Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The coordinator will integrate social science research, wildmeat management strategies, and sustainable livelihood development to support evidence-based conservation outcomes aligned with WCS’s regional and global priorities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Community Conservation Strategy & Research Leadership

• Lead the development, harmonization, and adaptation of community conservation strategies aligned with WCS’s national, regional, and global frameworks.

• Support technical teams in designing and implementing qualitative and quantitative social science research, including community perceptions, behavior change studies, household surveys, use of KoboToolbox, Conservation Standards, and ethical research protocols (IRB compliance).

• Standardize the application and analysis of key Rights & Communities (R+C) tools (e.g., BNS, NRGT) across the region.

• Develop and refine indicators for community wellbeing, health, livelihoods, and conservation outcomes in collaboration with regional M&E colleagues.

• Provide technical guidance on integrating research findings into program planning and adaptive management.

2. Community Conservation Technical Support – Wildmeat & Livelihoods

• Coordinate the development of a regional wildmeat strategy in partnership with national programs, Counter Wildlife Trafficking (CWT), and One Health teams.

• Offer technical support on demand reduction, protein diversification, and zoonotic risk reduction strategies aligned with R+C and One Health priorities.

• Guide field teams in monitoring the effectiveness of alternative livelihood initiatives, including microcredit schemes, poverty graduation models, and sustainable protein production.

• Support evidence-based donor and partner reporting on community conservation and livelihood outcomes.

3. Additional Responsibilities

• Contribute to accurate and high-quality reporting of community conservation results.

• Support proposal development to advance the community conservation agenda across the region.

• Document and share lessons learned to improve future program design.

• Represent WCS Central Africa at regional and international workshops, conferences, and meetings.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Postgraduate degree (MA/PhD) in conservation social science, anthropology, sociology, environmental policy, or a related field.

• Strong expertise in qualitative and quantitative social science research methods.

• Proven experience working on wildmeat issues, One Health approaches, and/or alternative livelihoods in conservation or development contexts.

• Familiarity with Central Africa and experience working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

• Ability to design, track, and evaluate community wellbeing and conservation indicators.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French.

• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and train diverse field teams.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to apply through the application tab on or before 31 December 2025.

WCS is an equal-opportunity employer committed to building and supporting a diverse, inclusive workforce. We welcome applicants who share our values and dedication to community-focused conservation.