Blue Ventures Conservation Level 2 Annex, Omnibus Business Centre, 39‐41 North Road, London N7 9DP

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7697 8598 Fax: +44 (0) 800 066 4032 [email protected] www.blueventures.org

Registered charity #1098893

Position Vacancy: Mangrove Conservation Coordinator, Madagascar

Position Title: Mangrove Conservation Coordinator (NW Madagascar)

Location: Ambanja, Madagascar

Contract duration 2 years

Start date 1st November 2015

Rebuilding tropical fisheries with coastal communities

Blue Ventures develops transformative approaches for nurturing and sustaining locally led marine conservation through an integrated approach addressing health and environmental issues. We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and we are committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people.

Summary Job Description

We are currently recruiting a self‐motivated and enthusiastic individual to coordinate the mangrove conservation activities for Blue Ventures’ Blue Forests project in Northwest Madagascar. This exciting project works with local communities to build their capacity to manage their mangrove ecosystems sustainably and create long‐term financial incentives for community‐ based conservation, restoration and management. This role will focus on developing alternatives to unsustainable mangrove use, expanding our capacity development program for local management associations, supporting the creation of long‐term financial incentives through carbon finance and private sector fisheries partnerships, and participating in the development of effective mangrove management strategies and legal frameworks at the national scale.

The position represents a unique opportunity to work with an innovative NGO towards effective, locally led management of marine resources in Madagascar, building on the encouraging successes of the Western Indian Ocean’s evolving Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) movement, and a growing appreciation of the importance of mangrove ecosystems in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The Blue Forests project has been operating in the Northwest since 2013 on a pilot site in the Ambaro‐Ambanja Bays, covering 5,800 ha of mangrove, in partnership with five management associations that represent about 16,000 community members. Central to our project activities in the Northwest has been the piloting of a community‐ focused mangrove carbon project.

This role will work closely with regionally active NGOs and cooperation entities, (WWF, Men And The Environment, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Aga Khan Foundation, Conservation International, the GIZ and the KfW), research institutes (CNRO, IHSM and the University of Antananarivo) and private sector (fishery product collectors, spices, essential oils and cocoa companies), as well as with local, regional and national authorities to create innovative partnerships and support the development of effective mangrove management strategies and legal frameworks. Building and maintaining these important partnerships will be a central part of this role.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Blue Forests Programme Manager, based in Ambanja. He/she will support the coordination of field activities, including the continued development of a mangrove carbon project, in collaboration with the NW Site Manager whom they will line manage. They will also participate in broader project development and fund‐raising to expand our activities to other sites in the Northwest.

Major Roles and Responsibilities

Project development and management  Overseeing the development of community‐focused mangrove conservation activities, including the continuation of community capacity raising activities, the expansion of alternative fuelwood plantations and the development of alternative livelihoods;  Prepare and regularly update annual site workplans and budgets according to long‐term objectives for mangrove conservation in NW Madagascar, as well as grant logframes, deliverables and budgets;  Ensure there is sufficient capacity to achieve objectives, highlighting need for personnel and technical advisors as needed;

 Line management of the NW Site Manager;  Support the NW Site Manager to coordinate field activities through quarterly planning, and evaluate them monthly using result tracking tools;  Lead on the preparation of activity reports for funding partners as required;  Support the NW Site Manager with the supervision and administrative management of the seven field technicians.

Technical support  Train the NW Site Manager and the field technicians in project monitoring and evaluation;  Oversee and support the broader professional and technical development of the NW Site manager;  Support the team with the establishment of socio‐economic and biodiversity baselines and monitoring programs;  Assist the team with the development of mangrove carbon projects, in particular lead on assessing the financial and economic impacts of the project;  Represent Blue Ventures at the Commission Nationale de Gestion Intégrée des Mangroves and provide technical support to develop a national mangrove conservation strategy  Represent Blue Ventures at the Plateforme Régionale de l’Energie Biomasse and provide technical support to develop a regional strategy for sustainable domestic energy, as well as to design pilot projects to develop alternatives to mangrove charcoal.

Communication and Partnership Development  Build and maintain critical NGO and governmental partnerships;  Ensure excellent communication within BV and across partner organisations relating to our northwest mangrove conservation activities;  Report progress and disseminate results to communities, management committees and other stakeholders on a regular basis;  Assist with the preparation of grant proposals as required;  Work with colleagues to produce regular news updates, blogs and social media updates, summarizing efforts, findings, progress, results and challenges.

Requirements Essential  A graduate‐level qualification in agronomy, forestry, agriculture or a closely related discipline, with a strong interest in marine conservation  Professional experience relating to community‐led sustainable forest management projects;  A good understanding of forest carbon projects (REDD, A/R, IFM);  Knowledge in socio‐economic science, financial and economic assessments and biodiversity impact assessment;  Proven ability to coordinate multi‐sectorial projects and work well as part of a multicultural team;  Data management and computer skills (proficiency in Microsoft Office and statistical software);  Proven experience in project management, monitoring and evaluation;  Written and spoken fluency in French and English and excellent interpersonal skills;  High level of personal organisation and ability to work to deadlines;  Ability to take initiative and solve problems quickly;  Willingness to travel to and work in remote locations with basic amenities.

Desirable  Familiarity with VCS and CCBA methodologies  Proven fundraising experience  Excellent scientific writing and proven ability to synthesise research;  Experience in team management in developing countries;  Experience in lobbying and redaction of policy briefs.

Application process Applicants should submit a completed application form, recent CV (including full telephone and e‐ mail contact details of three professional and academic referees), and cover letter relating to this position vacancy to [email protected]. Please include the reference “Mangrove Conservation Coordinator” in the subject line. The closing date for applications is 20th September 2015.