Management and
Engineering Technologies International, Inc. (METI), in collaboration with the
US Forest Service (USFS), as a part of the US Agency for International
Development’s (USAID) bilateral programs in Malawi, seeks a full-time
coordinator to provide support to a nascent partnership between the USFS and
African Parks/Malawi. The coordinator will serve as the liaison between African
Parks/Malawi, USAID/Malawi, and the USFS and manage the partnership’s technical
portfolio.
Background
The USFS recently
entered into a partnership of technical cooperation with African Parks. African
Parks plays an outsized role in natural resource and protected area management
in Malawi and, increasingly, in southern Africa. African Parks has operated in
Malawi since 2003 when it assumed management of Majete Wildlife Reserve. Since
then, the non-profit organization has expanded to nine additional protected areas
in southern and central Africa, including two more protected areas in Malawi –
Liwonde National Park (2015) and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve (2015).
Altogether, African Parks now manages 304,800 hectares (753,000 acres) in
Malawi, and its portfolio may increase in the near term.
The USFS conducted a
scoping mission to African Parks/Malawi (APM) in 2016 and identified a suite of
activities through which the USFS is ideally suited to contribute to APM’s
important work. These activities focus on five overarching themes: fire
management and training, ecological management, protected area infrastructure
design, capacity building for law enforcement, and community engagement and
outreach. With support from USAID/Malawi, the USFS and African Parks have
designed a program around these themes that, for the immediate future, will
focus on Nkhotakota W.R.
The FS-APM
Coordinator will work with colleagues from APM, the USFS, USAID, and other
partner institutions on a daily basis to oversee technical cooperation and serve
as the representative of this partnership. In support of this effort, the
coordinator will work with the USFS to recruit, schedule, and manage the work
of short-term technical advisors from the USFS who will contribute their skills
and expertise alongside counterparts from APM and other partner institutions.
Requirements
- Advanced
degree in forestry, conservation biology, ecology, geography, or related
discipline, or equivalent professional experience in natural resource
management, - Demonstrated
leadership and management skills; capable of executing complex tasks with
minimal supervision over an extended timeline, - Excellent
communication and interpersonal skills, - Experience
working in developing countries, preferably within sub-Saharan Africa, - Excellent
writing and presentation skills, - Willingness
to work out-of-doors in potentially arduous conditions for prolonged
periods of time and in areas with intermittent power supply and internet
connectivity, - English
fluency required
Duties
In collaboration
with the USFS International Programs (IP) office in Washington, DC, the
USFS-APM Coordinator will oversee the design, implementation, and management of
activities with APM. All the while, the Coordinator will recruit and manage
short-term technical advisors from the USFS who will contribute their expertise
to these initiatives over the tenure of the project.
The Coordinator will
report to the US Forest Service Africa & Middle East Region Program
Coordinator and will plan, direct, and coordinate the logistical management of
the initiative in Lilongwe. The Coordinator will work with colleagues from the
APM and partner institutions (e.g., governmental and non-governmental
institutions, local communities, academia, development partners and relevant
development partner-supported projects) on a continuous basis. The Coordinator
will ensure that USAID/Malawi is kept up-to-date on project progress and
respond to requests for information in a thorough and timely manner.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of
the Coordinator include, but are not limited to:
- Collaborate
with colleagues from APM and partner institutions on design and oversight
of core project activities, - Provide
reporting and program implementation information on a regular basis to
USFS/IP Washington and USAID/Malawi, - Finalize
work plans and reports in a timely and thorough manner, - Work
with USFS/IP Washington in the recruitment and scheduling of USFS
short-term technical advisors who will contribute skills and expertise to
the initiative, - Provide
technical and logistical support to short-term USFS technical advisors on
mission to Malawi, - Collaborate
with other relevant programs, as necessary, and associated development
partners, NGOs, and other institutions
Deliverables
- Oversee
and modify the FS-APM work plan, as appropriate, in cooperation with APM,
USFS, and USAID, - Develop
statements of work (SOW) for USFS technical experts, as appropriate, - Ensure
thorough, high quality, and timely reporting for program activities,
Within
the first two months of the position, develop and manage:
A
communications strategy that aligns with communications protocols of APM,
USAID, and the USFS,
USFS
contributions to an Environmental Mitigation & Monitoring Plan, in close
coordination with USAID/Malawi and African Parks
Complete
USAID reporting, including indicators metrics, on an established schedule
Oversight
and Reporting:
The Coordinator shall report to the Africa & Middle East Program
Coordinator at the USFS/IP Africa & Middle East office and provide regular
evaluation and guidance.
Period of
Performance:
One year with a possibility of extension
Location of
Work:
Lilongwe, Malawi
Compensation: Commensurate with experience
and qualifications
Benefits: Housing, transportation, and
educational support for candidates with families
Timeline: Apply by Friday, June 16th.
The
successful applicant will be hired through a contractor.
Interested
candidates should send a resume and letter of interest to the HR Department at
METI to IPJOBS@meticorp.com with USFS-APM
Coordinator in the subject line; fax: 915-772-2253. METI is an
Equal Opportunity Employer: M/F/V/D www.meticorp.com
