Nairobi, Kenya

We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there are lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our  or on .  

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

Since establishing the Africa Program in 2007, The Nature Conservancy’s vision in Africa is to work towards fostering a sustainable future for people and nature, partnering with indigenous communities across 55 million acres on the continent. Our efforts are firmly rooted in people, leveraging scientific and technical expertise as we collaborate with governments and organizations to conserve and enhance Africa’s shared resources in the 9 countries we operate.

TNC’s work in Africa transcends three key pillars: securing ownership rights to lands and resources for indigenous people, strengthening leadership and resource management and helping communities value nature through a holistic appreciation of its benefits while increasing revenue streams for conservation efforts and socio-economic development. Together with our partners, we are witnessing critical milestones in integrated land and fisheries management, ocean and source water protection, energy development and sustainable food production, working together and strengthening our resolve in tackling global challenges such as climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss that stands to adversely impact the nearly 1.4 billion people that share Africa.

The Country Director will be based in Nairobi, and will lead TNC’s impact delivery projects/programs, country strategy, and operations in Kenya. Specifically, the position will provide programs/projects implementation and operational oversight – which includes staff recruitment and supervision, resource mobilization and partner relations. They will lead and coordinate the integration and synergistic implementation of TNC strategies and priorities in Kenya. The Country Director will supervise a team of staff involved in the delivery of the Kenya Country Strategy and will report to the Africa Director for Program Delivery.

The Country Director serves as the principal contact for TNC’s strategic partners and will play a key role in relations with government agencies. They will develop and maintain key partnerships with international, regional, national, and local governmental, multilateral, bilateral, private, and non-governmental organizations that help advance TNC’s conservation objectives in the country and the continent. The Country Director plays a leading role in donor identification and cultivation of partnerships to establish TNC as a major conservation partner in the country. A key aspect of the role is to ensure the success of TNC’s sustainable financing for conservation models through the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) approach. They will also lead the implementation of all the Conservation Programs, coordinate and support activities while liaising with a range of stakeholders both internally and externally.

Specifically, the Country Director will:

• Strategic leadership
  • Lead execution of Kenya’s contributions to TNC’s 2030 Goals and ensure the effective implementation of the country strategic plan including, monitoring, evaluation and learning progress review.
  • Provide TNC leadership with an account of the country impact and targets aligned with the overarching strategic goals.
  • Provide leadership for the establishment and implementation of TNC regional and global strategy projects and initiatives in Kenya to ensure they are aligned with and contribute to the country strategic plan.
  • Ensure the success of the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) sustainable financing model in Kenya.
  • oversee engagement with TNC global teams and implementation of global priorities in Kenya.

• Program Management
  • Manage all in-country programs and projects ensuring that they are implemented on time and on budget.
  • Develop and Monitor country budget in line with allocated funds, in close collaboration with the strategy leads, the project/program leads and the finance team.
  • Foster operational excellence and model TNC values and norms.
  • Ensure compliance with TNC Standard Operating Procedures and national and local laws and regulations.
  • Promote TNC guidelines and procedures on safety and security.
  • Assess and mitigate risks and exposures to the organization.

• Policy & Partnership Management at National Level
  • Provide oversight towards aligning TNC conservation goals to the development agenda of the country.
  • Manage and monitor relationship with country-specific partners, communities, key stakeholders, and implementation partners.
  • Represent TNC on the board of related entities and partner organizations.
  • Relay feedback from partners to the rest of the organization.

• People management
  • Responsible for day-to-day management of staff in-country.
  • Facilitate effective collaboration and communication across multiple departments and teams in–country using matrix management principles.
  • Make in-country hiring decisions and performance management.

• BA/BS degree and 10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience directing a major program or project of strategic importance, including management/supervision of multi-disciplinary teams and meeting deadlines.
• Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and geographic regions.
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives, and managing performance.
• Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies.                                       
• Experience negotiating complex project deals with government and non-government partners.
• Experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans at the province or country level.
• Experience with financial management of a large program.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi- lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• 10-12 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
• Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives and experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
• Politically savvy.

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff, we impact conservation throughout the world!

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, retirement pension stipend plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work-environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

This description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this job.

The Nature Conservancy 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 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, color, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
 

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

To apply for job ID 55405, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at . Need help applying? Visit our page or contact .

The Nature Conservancy 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 diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. 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, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.