Vacancy #: 7353 Unit: Regional Programme Coordination Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: West and Central Africa Regional Office, Dakar, Senegal Reporting to: Regional Director - West and Central Africa Work percentage: 100% Grade: M1 Expected start date: 01 October 2025 Type of contract: Fixed-term (15 months with possibility of renewal) Closing date: 05 September 2025 BACKGROUND The mission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. IUCN has approximately 1,000 staff, most of whom are in its regional and country offices while some 150 workers are based at its Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. IUCN is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from qualified women and men. JOB DESCRIPTION RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the overall supervision of the Regional Director, the Regional Programme Coordinator is responsible for the strategic development, steering and monitoring of the IUCN PACO Programme, which consists of Programme activities (projects) in most of the 25 countries in the region. The Programme Coordinator reports to the Regional Director but is also responsible for maintaining programmatic links with global thematic programmes and other regional programmes in IUCN.
SPECIFIC DUTIES
Programme Planning and Monitoring:
โข Ensure the effective implementation of IUCN global policies and procedures regarding project identification and approval protocols in the region.
โข Coordinate the production of monitoring information to support adaptive management and ensure timely compliance with internal and donor monitoring and reporting requirements, especially for the annual performance reports.
โข Ensure the implementation of a regular planning cycle, the use of a common set of methods and tools and standards for planning in IUCN, including performance criteria for the IUCN PACO programme.
โข Coordinate PACO contribution to IUCN Intersessional Programme and oversee the preparation of annual workplans by regional Thematic Programmes and Country programmes Lead the PACO Programme Development and oversee the review of Project activities (PR Groups in countries, review of Project Concepts and Proposals, allocation of project numbers, etc.
โข Oversee the development of new initiatives and responses to emerging issues.
โข Oversight of monitoring and evaluation activity regarding programme implementation
โข Assist Finance in regular monitoring of the regionโs budgets and advise managers and the Regional Director on progress and problems associated with programme and budget delivery and assist them in solving these problems.
Programme Oversight
โข Oversee development and sustainability of the Project pipeline at all levels (jointly with Finance).
โข Overall quality assurance of project implementation
โข Donor relations as related to programme implementation
โข Support Organisational Development related to Programmatic structures within the PACO.
โข Supervision of Country and regional Thematic Heads
โข Identify needs for technical support / capacity building. Analyse these needs and make recommendations to the relevant managers and the Regional Director.
Reporting
โข Oversee the preparation and submission of periodic reports, particularly Annual Reports by all PACO Programmes.
โข Provide regular updates to the Regional Director and PACO management on changes and trends in relation to IUCNโs programme and the regional and global context
โข Maintain a regional consolidated list of current and developing projects.
Institutional Support
โข Participate in PACO Regional management structures and other Regional groups, task forces and committees as required. Participate in Global IUCN bodies such as Programme Planning Group (PPG) and others that fall within the scope of Programme Coordination.
โข Support the evolutionary development of the Strategic Planning Team (SPT) and contribute to the delivery of its products and the achievements of its joint results
โข Represent IUCN PACO in meetings and events as requested by the Regional Director;
โข Provide support to the Regional Director in partnering with national and regional IUCN Member Committees to prepare and implement IUCN Inter sessional Programme.
โข Provide technical assistance to the programmes and projects for scientific issues, and ensure compliance with IUCN's scientific positions and policies
Capacity Building
โข Oversee the coordination of capacity building initiatives in programme and project management aspects in accordance with the needs of the programme and project staff specifically in areas of project planning, needs assessments, monitoring and evaluation, programme and project reviews, budget formulation and reviews, etc. REQUIREMENTS โข Postgraduate/advanced degree in a subject related to conservation and sustainable development (environmental economics, biology, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, etc.
โข A strong background in programme and project management with at least 15 yearsโ experience in an international environment, including in several countries in the PACO region
โข Working experience within IUCN (in the Secretariat or Commissions) is an asset;
โข Ability to work and engage with high level stakeholders including senior government officials, donors, private sector, research institutes, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local communities, is desirable
โข Proven high level of knowledge about international and political issues in the region related to biodiversity and nature conservation and sustainable development.
โข Extensive experience in project design and management, good analytical skills, and demonstrated ability to think strategically.
โข Proven capacity for project development and fundraising through bilateral or multilateral partners is essential.
โข Proven experience in leading a team of multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary professionals
โข French as a working language is essential, a good understanding of other IUCN languages (English and/or Spanish) and other languages spoken in the region (Arabic, Portugueseโฆ) is an asset.
โข Fully computer literate and familiar with Microsoft Office and major software packages.
โข Willing to travel frequently within the region and internationally APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the \"Apply\" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worldโs largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve peopleโs well-being.
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