Founded in 1951, the Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable.  One of our core values is our commitment to diversity. Therefore, we strive for a globally diverse and culturally competent workforce. Working in 72 countries, including all 50 United States, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit http://www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.The Nature Conservancy Africa program follows a holistic approach to protect vital lands and waters, transform the way natural resources are used and managed, and inspire to equip others to contribute to the shared vision of a healthy and sustainable future for Africa’s lands, waters, wildlife, and people. We use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit http://www.nature.org  or follow @nature press on Twitter.In 2020, TNC, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Pew Charitable Trusts and ZomaLab formed a collaborative partnership entitled “Enduring Earth” (EE), designed to dramatically scale up Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiatives. PFPs aim to secure durable, long-term, system-wide protection of the world’s most important natural ecosystems to address the biodiversity and climate change crises and promote human well-being. TNC is initiating a Feasibility Assessment (FA) to determine whether the conditions to successfully develop and implement a Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative for Kenya are in place or could be enabled for long term goals. TNC has undertaken a rapid internal assessment of the potential for developing a PFP for Kenya. The assessment concluded that Kenya met the minimum criteria for developing a PFP. A more comprehensive detailed Feasibility Assessment (FA) for a PFP will be carried out to determine its viability for Kenya.

The Kenya PFP project officer will work closely with the PFP project manager, the project management team and technical leads to support the successful development of the PFP project for Kenya aimed at establishing a durable conservation finance mechanism to secure the ecological permanence of priority conservation areas in Kenya. PFPs aim to secure durable, long-term, system-wide protection of the world’s most important natural ecosystems to address the biodiversity and climate change crises and promote human well-being. The Project Officer will support the PFP Project Manager in all aspects of the day-to-day delivery of the Kenya PFP project. This position is based in the TNC regional office in Nairobi, Kenya. This is an initial 2-year term limited position an extension of tenure will be subject to performance and availability of funds.

The PFP Project Officer provides support to the following areas: (1) coordination of the PFP Feasibility assessment and the Planning Phase, (2) internal meetings and tracking of actions, and (3) events and consultancies. They support key coordinating functions that help staff and stakeholders work in a collaborative way, such as maintaining a shared Box folder, tracking meeting commitments and minutes, and follow up on implementation.  They support staff through activities such as assisting in the cleaning up and organization of data needed. The PFP Project Officer works with the PFP team to help ensure that events are effectively planned, participants receive advance information, technical materials are prepared, and reports are completed in a timely manner. The position will work with partners to gather and then to supply to conservation teams landscape level information relevant for the planning process, including both science data and basic financial data and related to protected and conserved areas, national parks, reserves, and conservancies

• Coordinate and track multiple project plans and workstreams across teams using TNC’s Highly Effective Teams approach.• Coordinate project teams and ensure accountability on input from outside parties and internal teams to accomplish project goals.
• Financial responsibility may include working within/managing a budget to complete projects, negotiating, and contracting with vendors, and assisting with budget development.        
• Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements.   
• Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information.    
• Work with partners to collect costing data for financial modelling and collaborate with the Africa Sustainable Finance Analyst.• Coordinate  key organizational and communications activities e.g. communications with PFP Steering Committee, Management Team, and Task Leads and keep data of external contact lists.• Oversee document management systems that all PFP Team members can access.
• Attend Management Team Meetings and Steering Committee Meetings, draft minutes, and action points, and follow up the implementation of these over time.
• Support logistics of a range of stakeholder meetings and workshops as needed.
• Facilitate collection and analysis of numerical data and provide recommendations to the project manager.
• Persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups who are important to the organization’s overall prosperity.
• Travel frequently and on short notice, work long and flexible hours as needed.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
• Any other duties that may be assigned by the PFP project manager from time to time

• BA/BS, law, business, or project management degree and 5 years’ experience in natural resource management or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience coordinating complex or multiple projects, including staffing, workloads, and finances under deadlines.
• Experience in managing and tracking multiple projects.
• Experience coordinating project teams and working with cross-functional staff.
• Experience negotiating complex agreements.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience communicating with the public and/or media both in writing and verbally.
• Experience using applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, MS Teams and Zoom Meetings
• Relationship building skills to work closely with a variety of staff and partners, i.e., media, government officials.
• Experience completing tasks independently and respect timeline(s).
• Excellent communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English.
• Professional working proficiency in written and spoken English.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated
• Knowledge of land management conservation practice and conservation science.
• Familiarity with the concepts of inflation, financing contingency, operating budgets, cash flows, revenues, expenses, and net present value
• Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, land management, and natural resource preservation.
• Completing tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
• Excellent communication skills via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.

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