Program Associate (Conservation)

Organization: Nature Conservancy India Solutions Private Limited

Apply By: 15 Jul 2022

Location: (Assam) (Meghalaya)

POSITON TITLE Program Associate (Conservation) 

STATUS Salaried 

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW: 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. 

About the Employer Organization  

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. 

YOUR POSITION WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 

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. S/he 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. S/he will serve as the local point of contact for communities, partners, and government agencies  in the state and in priority districts/clusters. S/he will be responsible for effective implementation of activities at the  ground level, through partners. S/he 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. 
• Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems 
• 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  North-eastern States. Demonstrated competence in both technical and non-technical writing skills.
• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated. 
• Politically savvy. 

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIES 

Builds Relationships Builds productive relationships by interacting with others in ways that enhance mutual trust and commitment. 

Collaboration &  Teamwork Works collaboratively with stakeholders across levels, geographies, backgrounds, and cultures to improve  decisions, strengthen commitment, and be more effective. 

Communicates Authentically Communicates proactively and in a timely manner to share information, persuade, and influence with the  appropriate level of detail, tone, and opportunities for feedback. 

Develops  Others Takes ownership to help develop others’ skills, behaviours, and mindsets to help them maximize their workplace  contributions. 

Leverages Difference Demonstrates commitment to harnessing the power of differences strategically; consistently sees, learns from,  and takes strategic action related to difference; and demonstrates the self-awareness and behaviours to work  across differences of identity and power respectfully and effectively with all stakeholder. Actively seeks to build  and retain a diverse workforce and fosters an equitable inclusive workplace by drawing upon diverse  perspectives. 

Systems Leadership Thinks and acts from a broad perspective with a long-term view and an understanding of 1) the dynamic nature  of large-scale challenges and 2) the need for integrating five key practices: skilfully engaging appropriate people;  providing a clear process for change; taking a holistic view of situations; focusing on a small number of strategic  

actions, while learning from and adapting them over time; and being aware of how one’s own thinking or  patterns of behaviour may be limiting change. 

NCIS is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and  contributions of people of all genders with diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an  inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colours,  religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or  other status protected by law.

How to apply

HOW TO APPLY: 

Visit this link: https://careers.nature.org/

To apply to position number 51692, submit resume (required) and cover letter separately using the upload buttons. All applications  must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 15-July-2022. 

Click “submit” to apply for the position or “save for later” to create a draft application for future submission. Once submitted,  applications cannot be revised or edited. Failure to complete required fields may result in your application being disqualified from  consideration. 

If you experience technical issues, please refer to our applicant user guide or contact applyhelp@tnc.org. The successful applicant must meet the requirements of Nature Conservancy India Solutions’ background screening process