Jobs at WWF South Africa

Background

• The objective of this role is to enhance capacity and collaboration amongst South African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Youth and Labour for effectively participating in climate change governance for enhancing climate policy ambition, action and accountability and ensuring that South Africa’s contribution is consistent with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. The position will take on the specific role of the Secretariat and Activities Coordinator for the Climate Ambition to Accountability Project co-funded by the European Union (EU) and Swedish International Development Corporation Agency (Sida) and will report directly to Project Manager, Climate Action. The position is based in the WWF Johannesburg office.

Minimum Requirements    

• Post-graduate level qualification in Environmental Science, Environmental Politics, Development Studies, African Studies or equivalent
• 3 - 5 years of professional work experience in climate advocacy or climate activism, with at least 3 years of experience working with CSOs
• Knowledge of institutional landscape, domestic politics, and climate policy in South Africa
• Prior experience of civil society and labour engagement
• Familiarity with national climate policy landscape
• Ability to build, nurture, and maintain strategic relationships with a number of organisations.
• Prior experience of setting up organisational systems would be an advantage.
• Articulate and a confident communicator in English (Verbal and written), fluency in any other South African language would be considered an advantage.
• Ability to manage budgets efficiently and effectively would be considered an advantage.
• Soft skills: Team player, Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills, self-starter, systematic in approach, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders in crunch situations and comfortable with presenting and public speaking.

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Provide strategic and tactical leadership in capacitating and coordinating South African CSOs (including labour), as key actors in climate change governance.
• Facilitate the creation and functioning of innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Coordinating with CSOs and existing networks, particularly with the South African Climate Action Network (SACAN)
• Capacitating the next generation of climate activists and climate policy advocates by supporting the functioning of Youth Climate Champions (YCC) Programme for facilitating strong youth engagement in climate policy processes
• Building strategic alliances with CSOs, youth and gender-based organisations.
• Responsible for organising project activities.

Specific Responsibilities:
Build a strong cross-cutting civil society community, including social partners (labour)

• Engage with CSOs, youth and labour unions to build a community of climate activists and policy advocates to ensure enhanced climate ambition, implementation, and accountability in South Africa
• In collaboration with existing CSO networks run the CSO Climate Action Secretariat (CCAS)
• Maintain the established financial support mechanism to facilitate participation of CSO representatives in climate relevant policy engagements, in-person or virtually.
• Engage key stakeholders within and beyond the CSO affiliates to explore partnerships for ensuring accountability of climate action.
• Maintain the established digital platform.
• Operationalise the Thematic Working Group (TWGs) on issues of strategic relevance.
• Support the implementation of the incubation fund which provides technical and financial support for conceptualisation of innovative partnership models that contribute towards climate governance, mitigation and adaptation.

Support the capacitation of a cohort of Youth Climate Champions

• Working closely with YCC coordinator to implement the YCC programme.
• Support and maintain the established YCC steering committee.
• Support hosting of workshop series, webinars, workshops to capacitate youth to participate in climate policy processes.
• Contribute towards development of training module(s) on climate policy, politics and participation for wider youth community. 
• Facilitate youth bootcamp attendees’ participation in climate policy processes.

Mainstream the cross-cutting issues into national climate policy

• Support development of climate policy briefs and engagements
• Organise Policy Dialogues between the Government and civil society.
• Organise intergenerational dialogues series.

Stakeholder engagement

• Work closely with YCC Coordinator to develop workshops and training for CSOs.
• Develop capacity of CSOs through knowledge building webinars, seminars and workshops along the themes identified by TWGs.
• Dissemination of research and policy proposals in accessible format for wider dissemination.
• Build, maintain and strengthen stakeholder relationships.

Other

• Conduct Annual Stocktaking Workshop (ASW) for reviewing the action.
• Coordinate monitoring and evaluation to ensure project success. 

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This role will be based in the Northern Drakensberg SWSA but will require regular travel to the Eastern Cape Drakensberg area (approximately 1 week in 8). The role will require approximately 60% of its time to be dedicated to the Northern Drakensberg and 40% to the Eastern Cape.

Minimum Requirements    

• B.Sc. Hon or equivalent, in either of the following: water resource management, catchment management, environmental science, ecology, conservation, water governance. 
• At least 5 years’ experience of working on water stewardship/integrated water resource.  management/catchment management water governance issues.
• Experience of living or working in rural areas and engaging a range of rural communities including.  traditional leaders and people living on communal land to commercial farmers and government officials. 
• Knowledge and experience of Nature-based solutions, Natural Climate Solutions, Community-based Conservation, or other similar conservation approaches is essential.
• Experience of convening communities or practice and facilitating multi-stakeholder fora. 
• Technical capacity to translate water stewardship approaches into water related strategies/action plans and to manage project implementation.
• Efficient project management and administrative experience and leadership? skills are essential.
• Ability to work collaboratively and facilitate solutions focused engagements in a multidisciplinary and diverse working environment.
• Negotiation and diplomacy skills and ability to engage at senior management level in business as well as at a local level.
• Strategy development expertise as well as knowledge of key issues in water stewardship, water resource management, related policies and legislation and sustainability essential.
• An innovative and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Self-starter with ability to initiate new working relations and self-manage areas of work critical to achievement of deliverables.
• Excellent interpersonal, writing, presentation, and communications skills.
• Computer literacy essential (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Knowledge of the local catchments, institutions, role players, ecosystems etc. is advantageous.
• Fluency in English and a local language of the Northern Drakensberg areas is essential.
• Code 8 driver’s license with dirt road driving experience.

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Consolidate and grow the Northern Drakensberg Collaborative and the Umzimvubu Catchment Partnership, ensuring that the partnerships are well established and demonstrate their value to partners.
• Collaborate closely with local implementing NGOs, including ERS, INR, Wildtrust, Mahlathini and Lima.
• Develop networks and cultivate relationships in order to increase engagement/participation by key stakeholders in the partnerships and ensure that they continue to attract a vibrant voluntary community of stakeholders.
• Water stewardship projects are catalysed and implementation is effectively coordinated and/or supported.
• Unlock funding opportunities and catalyse new water stewardship projects through strategic engagements with funders.
• Project manage existing and future projects ensuring that they deliver successful outcomes in a timeous and locally acceptable manner.
• Actively lead and participate in the partnerships and any relevant communities of practice within them.
• Help to coordinate the various activities of the WWF Land and Biodiversity Stewardship, Sustainable Agriculture and Freshwater portfolios in the landscapes.
• Unlock funding opportunities through strategic engagements with funders, the WWF Business Development Unit and Freshwater management.
• Facilitate collaboration and learning between different partnerships alongside colleagues in the Freshwater Programme.
• Oversea monitoring, evaluation and learning on all WWF projects and of the partnerships as a whole.
• Develop communication that tell the stories of the partnership in collaboration with the WWF Communications team.
• Arrange and coordinate field trips in the landscapes for funders, colleagues, partners and other stakeholders.

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Background

• The Project Coordinator will support and facilitate the work of the Land and Biodiversity Stewardship Programme within the Grassland Biome focus area. The Land and Biodiversity Stewardship Programme vision of success is:
• A connected, representative, secure & well-managed resilient landscape incorporating priority biomes providing economic and socio-environmental benefits for South Africa. 
• This project initiative aims to facilitate scaled up sustainable wool production by communal and commercial sheep farmers in the Grasslands biome, thereby assisting in securing the Strategic Water Source Areas, protecting biodiversity corridors, and enhancing the buffer zone for protected areas / stewardship sites. It also aims to facilitate sustainable wool production at the landscape level in the South African Grasslands biome, with a focus on improving biodiversity and social development within the context of supporting H&M’s net-positive biodiversity ambition.

Minimum Requirements    

• Relevant post graduate qualification in Agricultural Science, Environmental Science or Rangeland Ecology qualification.
• Minimum of 3 years experience in Agricultural Management, Rangeland Management, Environmental or Biodiversity Management.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills with rural and agricultural farming communities.
• Experience in Project Management.
• Knowledge of alien invasive species management and control.
• Knowledge and skills in Animal Health would be an added advantage.
• Knowledge and understanding of the South African environmental sector, role players and respective mandates; specifically, the South Africa’s Protected Areas Network and Stewardship Programmes.
• Excellent administrative and finance management skills and experience.
• Ability to think and work independently as well as the ability to engage across organisation and hierarchical levels.
• Ability to self-manage with good planning and prioritizing skills in the context of a varied and pressurized working environment with a focus on delivering project objectives and outcomes.
• Valid driver’s license with substantial and proven experience driving off-road and valid South African citizenship or resident status.
• Computer literacy - in word processing (MS Word), spread sheets (Excel), databases for recording and reporting (Access), email and presentations (MS PowerPoint) including working knowledge of GIS.
• Ability to work with a team and to accept additional responsibility, show initiative, and proactively work to exceed targets.
• Excellent report writing, presentation, interpersonal and communication, skills.
• Fluency in English and two other local African languages (IsiXhosa, Sesotho or Afrikaans).
• Ability to take initiative and develop innovative solutions.
• Excellent communication.
• Good interpersonal skills. 
• High level of respect.
• Ability to establish and retain good relations with all stakeholders.
• A meticulous approach to work and keen attention to detail. 
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to multi-task. 
• Deadline-oriented and problem-solving skills. 

Duties and Responsibilities    
 Provide support to small-scale communal farmers and thereby facilitate access to markets that focus on regenerative grazing practices and certification, resulting in improved livelihoods for communities.

• Facilitate processes to ensure local communities have access and benefit from the natural resources of the region.
• Map viable economic, nature-based ventures, heritage, tourism and cultural ventures and implementation thereof.
• Support and strengthen existing cooperative governance and administration systems.
• Facilitate mentorship, training and capacity-building programmes for sustainable natural resource use, regenerative rangeland practices, flock welfare and access to market for communities.
• Capacitate communal farmers to provide preventative care for livestock, ensuring improved resilience and welfare of the herd and improve quality of the wool.

Oversee and facilitate clearing of alien and invasive plant species in Grassland Biome, resulting in improved water release, and restoration of key biodiversity areas.

• Facilitate and implement clearing of priority hectares of alien and invasive plant species in the in the Grassland Biome.
• Facilitate investigation of the use of alien invasive biomass for beneficiation opportunities, such as, mulching, energy, charcoal, etc. to ensure ongoing economic incentives for clearing work.

 Facilitate formal commitment by commercial and communal farmers to secure their land under improved regenerative grazing practices.

• Ensure that conservation agreements are put in place with grazing associations to ensure planned rotational grazing.
• Support the development of the land management plans, including determining appropriate stocking rates, determined by carrying capacity of the grassland ecosystem as well as areas of high conservation value, protected areas / stewardship sites buffer zones and corridors.
• Map and secure critical areas under stewardship or other effective area-based conservation measures including important corridors, buffer zones and habitats on both privately and communally owned land towards improving biodiversity and connectivity in the landscape.

 Facilitate sustainably managed land that results in support for the establishment of ecological corridors through an integrated biodiversity/ecologically focused approach to farming.

• Facilitate learning exchanges and strengthen partnerships between commercial and communal farmers.
• Facilitate training sessions and workshops for commercial and communal farmers in terms of wildlife conflict on livestock.
• Support expansion of grasslands under formal protection (Protected Area expansion) in order to secure key biodiversity areas.

 Oversee and facilitate the adoption of the Responsible Wool Standard by commercial farmers.

• Initiate dialogues with the Responsible Wool Standard to support improved biodiversity indicators and wildlife conflict management.
• Facilitate research connections between meat and wool supply chains in terms of certifications which addresses the issue of biodiversity loss.
• Through working with farmers and key partners, support farmers to implement the plans and actions required to become RWS certified.

General project administration.

• Track Programme Technical and Financial reporting in association with Project Executants (incoming reports).
• Manage Project finances against budgets.
• Ensure adherence to WWF & Funder’s reporting on a quarterly basis and Technical Progress Reports.

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Background:

• The WWF-SA Land Reform and Biodiversity Stewardship programme has its flagship project located in the Enkangala Grasslands project area (spanning over three provinces – KZN, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape). The programme has facilitated over 120 000 ha’s of land and engages over 70 000 people under various biodiversity stewardship arrangements and its expanding its influence at a rapid pace. The current staff contingent engages three provincial agencies and works work with rural communities to achieve effective protection of rich biodiversity in strategic water source areas in high-altitude grasslands.
• This position will report to the Programme Manager: Land Reform & Biodiversity Stewardship.

Minimum Requirements    

• A recognized tertiary qualification in an environmental or natural science field.
• At least three year experience in the conservation, natural science or related field, preferable with multidiscipline project management experience.
• Computer literate - good working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, GIS literacy a strong advantage.
• The successful candidate should be a good communicator, should be able to facilitate identification of stakeholder needs and develop effective responses.
• Strong negotiation and facilitation abilities are required to develop and nurture effective partnerships with relevant landowners, land associations, conservation/environmental organisations and governmental departments.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with the respective provincial agencies.
• A background in dealing with rural communities in the form of traditional authorities and communal property associations would be advantageous.
• South African Citizen with ability to speak, read and write English and isiZulu is vital, additional official language would be an added advantage
• A valid driver’s license (Code 8 or 10) accompanied by willingness and proven ability to travel and use a 4X4 off-road vehicle
• Ability to work in remote locations and be a self-managed individual with a task-orientated focus that delivers consistent outcomes.
• Proven team player, willing to accept additional responsibility, show initiative, and proactively work to exceed targets.
• Excellent presentation, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent administrative skills and accurate report-writing abilities

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Develop and maintain working relationships with the respective provincial conservation authorities, namely MTPA, EKZNW regional staff involved in biodiversity stewardship; government departments such as EDTEA, COGTA, DARDLEA, SANBI etc.
• Secure partnership arrangements with relevant stakeholders and role players for effective implementation of biodiversity stewardship agreements.
• Develop and manage biodiversity stewardship agreements (including the co-development and oversight of management plans) with relevant land reform beneficiaries and commercial farms in the area.
• Provide a support service to relevant land reform beneficiaries and provincial conservation authorities in developing biodiversity stewardship agreements.
• Maintain an effective monitoring system of biodiversity stewardship sites to ensure adequate biodiversity protection.
• Provide support in identifying funding opportunities, proposal development for the land reform projects.
• Identify new opportunities for biodiversity stewardship expansion in line with project targets and ensure relevant procedures and processes are followed for implementation.