Regional Operations Manager-Sudano Sahel

Reports To: Regional Director, Sudano Sahel
Direct Reports: None
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Program Sudano Sahel Region
Position Type: Full-time
Start Date: March 2024
Duration: Minimum 2 years

About WCS
The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO headquartered at Bronx Zoo in New York City working to save wildlife and wild lands and to meet global challenges in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the world’s oceans. Africa is one of WCS’s largest field engagements, with approximately 1,500 staff in 13 country programs managed through three regional programs (Central Africa, Sudano-Sahel, East Africa, Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean)
Our Mission is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature. Our VISION is a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. Our GOAL is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 13 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Our VALUES are Respect, Accountability and Transparency, Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, and Integrity.

Organization Background
The Sudano-Sahel Region presents unparalleled opportunities for WCS to play a direct role in saving some of the last remaining intact wildernesses on the planet and contribute significantly to the security of people and wildlife. The savannas, forests, and wetlands of the region support key populations of endangered elephants, northern giraffes, lions, and eland. Communities also depend on the land for their livelihoods through pastoralism, agriculture, fishing, and hunting. WCS has a significant presence in the Sudano-Sahel region, with a strong conservation history and proven success in protected area management. WCS currently has conservation initiatives in Chad, Central African Republic (CAR), with transboundary linkages with the Central Africa Regional Program in Cameroon. Specifically, we have significant existing protected area commitments in the north of the Central African Republic and are developing new protected area initiatives in Chad as well as supporting a transboundary program portfolio across CAR, Chad and Cameroon. We work actively to support protected area management and wildlife law enforcement, local livelihood development and support, development of conservation-security partnerships, enhancement of counter-wildlife trafficking activities, and national implementation of policy and scientific programs.

Job Summary
The Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking a highly experienced Regional Operations Manager to be based out of our Africa hub in Kigali, Rwanda, but with considerable field travel expected. The main purpose of this role will be to ensure direct operational support to our country programs in Chad and the Central African Republic, which will produce timely and efficient implementation of program activities including our protected area commitments. The Regional Operations Specialist is responsible for the overall operational management of the Sudano-Sahel regional program, ensuring sound operational systems are developed and effectively implemented.

We are seeking an experienced field operations manager with a generalist portfolio of demonstrated expertise and experience in effective field implementation that covers the following areas: project planning and implementation management, personnel management, and logistics. This position reports to the Regional Director in Kigali and will benefit from cross-regional support, central coordination, and regular exchange on systems and processes with our other regional programs in Central Africa and East Africa that are co-located in our Africa hub office in Kigali.

Responsibilities
Personal Management:

• Mentor and assist in the management of all project staff in the field.
• With the guidance of the Country Program Directors and based on job descriptions and project portfolios, follow and assist project staff to successfully implement expected activities;
• Ensure robust adherence of all field staff to WCS operational and scientific protocols;
• Provide leadership, management, and program coordination support across the region.

Field program management support and troubleshooting

• Work with country offices and regional teams to identify and implement efficiencies in the design, documentation and implementation of program processes and internal systems (including but not limited to: communications, partner engagement, IT, recruitment, and procurement), whilst ensuring local and global organizational policies and standards are upheld and legislative regulations are followed.
• Work with country program teams to identify critical intractable bottlenecks and work with appropriate counterparts in WCS regional and global management to propose solutions.
• Provide ongoing problem-solving guidance for program staff regarding programmatic issues, planning issues, and difficulties encountered with local authorities, authorizations and permits, and partners.
• Provide general ad-hoc support to large-scale projects/programs where necessary acting as deployable program staff (ie. act as “fixer”).
• Ensure that security, health and safety strategies (including COVID-19 measures) are developed by the appropriate teams, regularly updated, implemented, communicated, available and adhered to by all staff, visitors and/or visiting consultants or partners to our field programs.
• Work closely with the Regional Business Manager to develop and/or implement both short- and long-term operations plans for each protected area.
• Together with the regional Business Manager, support the countries in updating the project 5-year operational regularly for changes in assumptions and funding secured.
• Purchasing and Logistics
• Working with the Africa hub, provide overall procurement oversight and vendor supply management, including liaison between country programs and Global Purchasing where needed, with a particular focus on international purchasing.
• Support country programs in preparing bid documents, and solicit and evaluate bids according to WCS policies and guidelines.
• Ensures compliance with donor requirements; facilitates donor and other site visits as requested.
• Review and approve regional & international purchase orders.
• Follow up on backorders, expedite, track shipments and update appropriate stakeholders.
• Liaise with third-party shipping services to final international destinations.
• Support in identification, analysis and negotiation with preferred vendors.
• Build and maintain a database for specialized conservation equipment.
• Perform other duties as determined by the Regional Director.

Qualification Requirements :

Minimum Requirements and Job Skills (Required):

• Bachelor’s degree required with at least 8+ years of professional experience in non-profit organization management.
• Proven leadership qualities including staff management and management of annual multi-funder budget >$ 10 million.
• Proven financial and operational management experience in an international organization with progressive leadership responsibilities.
• Proven experience of working in a multi-cultural team
• Proven experience in field operations, troubleshooting and systems planning in challenging environments.
• English and French fluency are required.
• Experience and knowledge of working in a non-profit context.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to remote sites.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Additional qualities that will make you stand out as a candidate.

• Exceptional strategic thinking, problem-solving, team building and communications skills.
• Strong demonstration of leadership skills in challenging environments
• Professional experience in Africa particularly the Sudano-Sahel region
• Up to 30% travel within the Sudano-Sahel Region