Project Manager, Congo Basin CEMP Project – Republic of the Congo (RoC)

Introduction:

Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) USA is an international non-governmental organization that continues Dr. Jane Goodall’s pioneering work on chimpanzee behavior and conservation. Its mission is to understand and protect chimpanzees, other apes, and their habitats, and to work towards creating an informed and compassionate citizenry who will help to create a better world for people, other animals and our shared environment. The breadth of JGI’s mission reflects Dr. Goodall’s personal philosophy that the survival of all species, whether chimpanzees or human, depends upon the collaboration of all people.

Background:

Creating, Expanding & Managing Protected Areas in the Congo Basin (Congo Basin CEMP Project)

With the support of the Bezos Earth Fund, the Jane Goodall Institute will scale-up its evidence-based sustainable conservation of forests and biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Republic of Congo, building on 30 years of experience in the Congo Basin. JGI will apply its community-led conservation approach, Tacare, and associated community mapping solutions and apps as part of the JGI Science Platform to achieve conservation targets in a sustainable, equitable manner that empowers local and indigenous communities who are the stewards of these landscapes.

In RoC, the project aims to support the reorientation of socioeconomic activities to authorized zones through developing and diversifying livelihoods within the legally designated peripheral zones; thus relieving anthropogentic pressure on the forests, Blue Carbon Ecosystems and White Sands Ecosystems, while ensuring that local communities maintain their rights and benefits of the land. JGI will work to achieve this through a multifaceted approach of (1) promoting advantages of authorized lands to improve livelihood outcomes and quality of life, (2) translating ecological conservation into tangible benefit for local communities, (3) providing practical and culturally relevant livelihood training and (4) supporting associated infrastructural development for sustainable diversification of livelihoods. To that end, in areas where JGI will support expansion or establishment of new protected areas, JGI will engage with local communities to identify their needs, ensure their free and prior informed consent, and engage them as key stakeholders in this process. JGI will also provide support to Noé, the management partner of Conkouati-Douli National Park, and the Ministry of Forest Economy by (1) augmenting the number of eco-guards to offset the number of illegal actors/activities in the mandrill and chimpanzee reintroduction areas of that park specifically, and (2) improving technical and scientific capacities of their eco-guards through structured training and improved access to new information and tools.

Given JGI’s reach, actions and partnerships across multiple Protected Areas (Pas) in RoC, JGI will also deploy a coordinated environmental monitoring system leveraging its Science Platform that crosscuts various technologies into a centralized database of compatible and shareable data. Among the priorities included within the monitoring, reporting and verification system, is to establish measurement baselines and monitoring tools for carbon storage and biological sequestration across Tchimpounga Nature Reserve, Dimonika Biosphere Reserve, Loango Bay Marine Reserve and Ntombo Forest Reserve.

Position Summary:

JGI is looking for a Project Manager to work in the Congo Basin CEMP Project – RoC . The incumbent will plan, organize, coordinate, manage and implement activities within the scope of the project and ensure that activities and tasks meet deadlines. This is a Full-time position in which the Project Manager will develop and maintain a project management structure with standard operating procedures, and manage budgets. The position will work collaboratively with various department heads, partners, and stakeholders, while directly managing a team of support staff delegated from various departments.

Reporting authority: The Project Manager for the CB CEMP reports to the following two staff members : 1) Tchimpounga Nature Reserve Manager, and 2) Chief Monitoring, Evaluations and Communications Officer.

Essential Functions:

· Plan, organize, coordinate, manage and implement activities within the scope of the project.

· Develop and maintain a project management structure to assign responsibility and track progress.

· Identify and coordinate all necessary resources to achieve project objectives.

· Track project activities and resources devoted to each activity and ensure timely completion.

· Formulate and design working protocols to achieve end results.

· Ensure activities and tasks meet deadlines.

· Identify obstacles and report on barriers to completion with proposed solutions.

· Responsible for developing and maintaining procedural documents and ensuring that standard operating procedures are documented and up to date.

· Work collaboratively with various department heads, partners, and stakeholders to communicate goals and deliverables; acquire information, set deadlines and monitor progress.

· Oversee work completed by support staff and utilize team-building skills to facilitate timely completion of tasks.

· Manage project budgets, allocate and track expenditures, assure conformity to established financial procedures.

· Provide monthly reports on the status of project tasks, adjustments to timelines and indicator data.

· May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

· Bachelors (or Masters) Degree in, or relating to, Conservation Science, Environmental Science, Ecology, Social Science, Project Management, or Community Development.

· Minimum 3 years of experience working in a management position.

· Minimum of 2 years working and/or living in sub-Saharan Africa.

· Language proficiency in both English and French.

· Working knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

· Attention to detail with strong problem-solving skills.

· Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritize work.

· Capacity to embrace change and create innovative solutions to complex problems.

· High level of cultural adaptability and intercultural skills.

· Working knowledge in Esri ArcGIS, Maxar 30-cm satellite imagery and/or other cloud, remote sensing, and AI technologies is preferred, but not required.

Housing, Travel, and additional requirements:

This position offers private housing at location. Frequent travel to Conkouati-Douli National Park, Dimonika Biosphere Reserve and other in-country locations is expected and required. Given that most

working sites are remote, often in wilderness settings, (with basic accommodations and amenities) the role will require a high level of physical fitness and ability to withstand short periods of social isolation.

Location:

Tchimpounga Nature Reserve, Republic of the Congo, Central Africa.

Term of Employment: One (1) year, with possibility of annual extensions (up to three years). Estimated Starting Date:

January 1, 2024.

Application procedure:

Please, submit a CV/ resume of no more than 3 sides with a cover letter, including salary expectations, via email to

hvanek@@janegoodall.org

Note: Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of anticipated applications, only applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

No phone calls please.

Non-Discriminatory Policy:

JGI’s commitment to equal employment opportunities and the value of diversity is an essential part of our business practices and principles.