Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, May 05, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Who We Are
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 and providing food and water sustainably. 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.

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 www.nature.orq or follow @nature press on Twitter.

In Zambia, TNC has a primary geographical focus on the Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE). This is Zambia’s largest conservation landscape, a 66,000 sq. km complex of great biodiversity value, dominated by the 22,000 sq. km Kafue National Park and nine Game Management Areas (GMAs) under communal tenure that span an additional 44,000 sq. km. TNC is working with communities and diverse public and private stakeholders in and around this ecosystem to strengthen community tenure over natural resources, develop effective natural resource governance and management systems and create sustainable conservation and wealth generation models for the landscape. One key project which supports this strategy is a five-year $10m USAID-funded Global Development Alliance (GDA) project, the “Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance”, which leverages private sector partner resources and expertise to achieve integrated and sustainable outcomes for biodiversity conservation, economic prosperity, sustainable agriculture, human well-being, and natural resource governance in the eastern sector of the GKE. The project is focused on delivering lasting outcomes for nature and people in and around Lunga Luswishi, Mumbwa, Namwala and Nkala GMAs.

Your Position with TNC
The Market Development Lead – Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance shall be primarily responsible for the implementation and coordination of the project’s activities related to the development of an inclusive nature-based economy in and around the project’s focal GMAs. This is a 5-year term limited position, dependent on the duration of funding from USAID, and extension of tenure will be subject to performance and availability of funds. The position will be based in TNC’s Mumbwa Office and will report to the Chief of Party. No employment visas or assistance is being offered with this position except for the local labour employment requirements.

Essential Functions
The Market Development Lead – Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance will provide expert commercial market development support to the project’s primary target beneficiaries, being the local communities that depend on the landscape for their livelihoods and survival, and will engage closely with private market operators as key partners. The Market Development Lead works as a member of the project implementation team and as part of the broader TNC Zambia’s conservation team, ensuring close communication, collaboration and learning with peers across project and teams. Specifically, they will provide hands-on strategic guidance and technical oversight for all the project’s market development activities in the natural resources and sustainable agriculture sectors, developing and strengthening mutually beneficial commercial relationships among the private sector, local communities and small businesses, ensuring the meaningful participation of women and youth.

Responsibilities and Scope
• Cultivates and develops partnerships with key stakeholders in the landscape, including communities, private sector actors and project implementing partners.
• Develops and maintains an information base on all formal and informal private sector activities of relevance within the project area and continually scans the market to identify potential opportunities for business linkage with rural communities.
• Works with private sector actors in the natural resources sector (e.g. consumptive and non-consumptive tourism operators, forest product aggregators and processors, carbon project developers, fish aggregators and processors) to develop commercial markets that stimulate the engagement of rural communities and small businesses in the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, provide sustainable wealth opportunities for local communities, ensure equitable participation of women and men and incentivize the investment of private capital in the long term equitable growth of these markets while protecting the natural capital upon which they depend.
• Works with private sector operators in the agricultural sector (e.g. agricultural input, information and service providers, agricultural commodity and livestock buyers and processors) to develop and strengthen agricultural markets that stimulate the engagement of smallholder farmers and provide incentives for the adoption of climate smart and sustainable agricultural technologies and practices.
• Builds the capacity of small rural businesses and community-owned enterprises to engage and negotiate with private market operators and become increasingly innovative and sophisticated in their business dealings.
• Using a market-led approach, promotes the climate resilient diversification of smallholder agriculture by supporting the adoption of agrobiodiverse productions systems integrating multiple species, breeds or varieties, and integration of crop, livestock, poultry and tree crops.
• In coordination with livestock market operators, builds the capacity of traditional pastoral targeted communities in the roll-out of conservation-compatible sustainable livestock management practices and link participating livestock farmers to private input markets and output marketing opportunities.
• Works with tourism operators and agribusiness (e.g. suppliers of seed, irrigation technology and extension) to establish reliable supply chains for local fresh produce into the tourism industry.
• Undertakes basic economic evaluations of business models related to sustainable natural resource management.
• Oversees tracking of market development activities, ensuring activities and deliverables meet USAID requirements; identifying any implementation challenges and providing the necessary support to address them.
• Contributes to developing terms of reference for market development and private investment-related sub-awards and contract as well as reviewing reports submitted by relevant subrecipients.
• Coordinates with the project’s monitoring, evaluation research and learning (MERL) staff to implement the MERL Plan, report on project activities, measure outcomes in accordance with project requirements and document key lessons learned from stakeholder engagements and community interactions.
• May require frequent travel to remote locations and evening and weekend hours.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations and under physically demanding circumstances.

Minimum Qualifications
• BA/BS degree in natural resource management, natural resource economics, agriculture, business or similar relevant field.
• 5 years’ practical experience in rural market development, natural resource management or similar field.
• Experience in sustainable agricultural or natural resource management donor-funded project implementation.
• Experience in partnership development and management with private sector actors, small businesses and rural communities.
• Experience in negotiating and conflict management.
• Communication skills experience; written, spoken and graphical means in English.
• Computer skills experience (e.g. Excel, Word).

Desired Qualifications
• 5-7 years’ experience in business, market development or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in the rural agricultural and natural resource sectors in Zambia.
• Experience in developing or supporting innovative business models that stimulate private investment and engage rural communities.
• Experience in capacity building and mentoring small rural businesses.
• Knowledge of best practice in sustainable agriculture in Zambia.
• Experience in resource stewardship e.g. managing and tracking budgets.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of rural market development projects.
• Ability to communicate in the local languages spoken in the project area.
• Ability to work independently with strong self-motivation.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
To apply for job ID51156, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/.

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