Mozambique: WCS Mozambique: 6-month consultancy to support operational strengthening and growth

WCS Mozambique (WCS MZ) is going through an exciting period of fast growth and change, and needs hands-on support to improve operations. Activities will include a review of existing systems, then help to further develop the country program, strengthening management operations to deliver improved conservation impact. This is mostly at the Country Office in Maputo, but there may be an opportunity to strengthen management operations at our major project site in Niassa Reserve in northern Mozambique.

Background: WCS registered in Mozambique in late 2012 and immediately took on co-management of Niassa National Reserve (NNR) with the Government. NNR is a vast wilderness of 42,300km² (i.e. the size of Denmark) and one of the worst ivory poaching sites in Africa. This meant a very rapid start-up, with >120 staff before fully setting up management systems, followed by emergency response to address the poaching crisis and raise funds. WCS now has good field staff in place, and a solid funding base. Work has expanded to centrally support the national Conservation Authority with wildlife law enforcement and anti-wildlife trafficking activities. We have also just started a Biodiversity Offsets project, and anticipate ongoing growth. In this context, we are looking to better understand our internal challenges, to restructure if necessary, and to improve management systems and operations to operate more strategically and effectively.

Place of work: WCS Mozambique Country Office in Maputo, with some time in Niassa Reserve

Reporting to: WCS MZ Country Director, and in NNR to the WCS Niassa Program Director

Position type: Service contract – consultant

Start and length: 21 November 2016 – 31 May 2017 for up to 90 working days in this period

Objectives: Support WCS MZ through a process of improving management operations to allow for ongoing growth and improved programmatic delivery. This should be achieved through three general areas of work:

1. Conduct an assessment and review of WCS MZ’s current management operations, systems, and staffing;

2. Develop and agree a revised structure and a program of work to improve management operations and systems for WCS MZ (detailed below) – in the country office in Maputo and in the program office in NNR,

3. Help WCS MZ to roll out and implement the program of work to re-structure, and to put in place the strengthened management operations systems.

Requirements: This position requires a proven Operations Director/COO/CoP/Country Director who has managed restructuring and growth in an organisation of 100-150+ employees in a developing country, and understands the compliance needs of an international NGO with bilateral and multi-lateral donors.

1. 5+ years in a leadership or senior management position in the private or NGO-sector,

2. Proven experience directly managing organisational growth and change, or proven experience as a management consultant supporting organisational growth and change,

3. Proven experience in financial and administrative management,

4. Proven management consultancy experience supporting organisational growth and change,

5. Strong communication skills and writing skills.

Desired: Work experience in Mozambique, with a working undertanding of Mozambican law, and a working knowledge of Portuguese.

To apply: If you meet the requirements, send a CV and letter addressing the requirements, together with three referee’s names and contact information, to anelson@wcs.org with ‘WCS MZ Operations support’ in the email title. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.