Position: Project Coordinator
Project Title: Partnering with communities to strengthen conservation of critical tiger habitats in northeast India
Posting Location: Nagaland
Background of the organization:
WCS-India is a Section 25 non-profit company incorporated in India and compliant with all Indian regulations. In accordance with the global mission, WCS-India’s overarching goal is the protection and conservation of the natural environment, its flora and fauna, and in particular the preservation of wildlife and wild places in India.
Main responsibilities:
Participation of the community and local stakeholders:
- Co-design strategies to ensure the effective participation of local stakeholders and communities in conservation initiatives, looking at the applicability of free, prior, and informed consent in matters that directly affect communities and designing such processes; seeking a fair distribution of benefits; minimizing costs and supporting the transformation of conflicts to allow collaboration.
- Co-create a process to document and incorporate community knowledge into the design and implementation of conservation strategies.
- Working in coordination with field staff, co-design conservation agreements with organizations, communities or individual inhabitants. Support for the treatment of cases where agreements with organizations, communities or individual local inhabitants are not adequately implemented.
Monitoring, evaluation and compliance:
- Collaboration in the monitoring of indicators and in the evaluation of the social and environmental results of the projects.(Eg: Measure project influence/impact on Community income, instances of crop raids, human wildlife conflict, improvement on hunting regulations improved or not; Increase in conserved forest area for protection)
- Analysis of the compliance of the projects with social safeguards and co-design of improvement measures with field staff.
- Collaboration in the preparation of internal documents as well as reports for governments and donors.
Minimum qualifications and experience:
- Postgraduate degree or equivalent social sciences.
- Knowledge on the UN Declaration of Human Rights, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the core human rights instruments, which are embedded in WCS’ social safeguards policy.
- Minimum of three years of experience working with local communities and also in intercultural and multi-stakeholder settings, in conservation or development projects.
- Knowledge about the environmental, social, economic and institutional situation of the Northeast Region of India.
- Minimum of three years of experience in project management, including monitoring and reporting.
- Commitment to high quality work and attention to detail.
- Organizational skills, including the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills and willingness to work collaboratively with a diverse team, both face-to-face and remotely.
- Ability to take initiative and work independently.
- Fluent in English, written and oral and any other Indian language or many would be desirable.
- Availability to be in the field/location of the ongoing project.
Desirable qualifications
- Minimum of three years of experience implementing and monitoring social safeguards for projects in India or other developing countries, including the application of international standards.
- Knowledge and experience in managing conflicts.
- Skill and experience in facilitating dialogue and building consensus.
It’s time to apply:
To apply, please send together in one file a cover letter and an updated resume. Submit your application using the position title “Project Coordinator - Nagaland” in the subject line to careers@wcsindia.org by September 28, 2023.
All applications will be reviewed; however, only shortlisted candidates will be notified for further process.