Summary
Date Posted: Monday, September 13, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
The Wyss Academy for Nature (WA) at the University of Bern’s vision is to achieve a just and sustainable world in which nature conservation and human wellbeing reinforce each other. We are a place of innovation, where research, business, policymakers, and communities come together to co-design solutions for sustainable futures. Our goal is to research, develop, and implement innovative solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land use change and rising inequality by connecting technical, social, economic, institutional and policy innovations at the interface of nature and people. The WA comprises four regional hubs, one each in Europe (Switzerland), South America (Peru), East Africa (Kenya), and Southeast Asia (Laos).
Each Hub will encompass three basic components: 1.) A knowledge platform to support transformations and strategic foresight. Working with local and international partners and especially the Research Teams of WA, new critical insights will be produced and shared using cutting-edge methods and approaches; 2.) An Engagement Platform for building alliances with a broad network of partners from research, civil society, government, and the private sector. These Engagement Platforms will serve to identify current and emerging conservation and development challenges, to build multi-stakeholder alliances for concrete actions, and to discuss policy options; 3.)
An incubator scheme, which is an innovative form of collaboration where promising approaches and innovations are jointly designed, tested, and adapted to the given realities with a view to subsequent upscaling. This scheme bridges research and practice, is knowledge-based, and encourages experimental approaches.
To build up and lead the Regional Stewardship Hub East Africa, we are seeking:

Director - Regional Stewardship Hub East Africa, Kenya (100%)
Starting: 1 November 2021 or by agreement
Location: Nanyuki, Kenya, with frequent regional and international travels
Recruitment: local
Institution: Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Bern, Switzerland
Apply by: 10 October 2021

We are seeking an outstanding, highly dynamic and passionate candidate to build, lead, and inspire the Regional Stewardship Hub in East Africa. He/she will, together with the Senior Advisor, be responsible for establishing and managing key components of the East Africa Hub. Together with the WA leadership team in Switzerland, the selected candidate will shape the strategic direction of the WA in East Africa. He/she will demonstrate strong experience working at the interface of science, policy, and practice in the East Africa Region, is strongly committed to creating concrete positive impacts for nature and people, is experienced in project/program management and is willing to collaborate with partners and institutions from different cultural and professional backgrounds.

Your tasks:
• Lead the design of the WA’s East Africa Strategy in collaboration with the WA team in Bern, the Senior Advisor, local partner organisations and external experts.
• Develop and manage an inspiring and innovative project portfolio and ensure incubation, knowledge and engagement activities support and mutually reinforce each other.
• Lead and manage a team of up to 10 staff, build a strong commitment to teamwork and collaboration among staff, with other WA Hubs and the Bern team, and external partners.
• Strengthen existing and develop new working relationships with a broad range of partners, towards a broad and innovative engagement while raising the profile of the WA in East Africa.
• Take overall responsibility for the management of the office and all respective processes, including annual budgeting, risk and compliance management, human resource management and financial and technical reporting according to WA guidelines.
• Liaise and ensure close coordination of strategies and activities of the WA with CETRAD (Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development) as a core strategic partner in Nanyuki, Kenya.

Your qualifications:
• At least 10 years’ experience at higher management level, holding positions of increasing responsibility, in the areas of sustainable development, nature conservation, and/or natural resource management in the public, private or Civil Society Organisation sector.
• Track record of working at the interface of science, policy and practice.
• Extensive networks among actors active in the field of sustainable development, nature conservation, and natural resource management in Kenya and the East Africa Region.
• MSc or PhD degree related to the relationship of nature and people (e.g. Geography, Sustainability), or equivalent professional experience.
• Willingness to work in an international setting with frequent travels (regionally and internationally).
• Self-motivated, passionate and impact-driven personality with proven experience in leading and managing collaborative initiatives involving actors from different sectors (academic, public, private), with different cultural backgrounds and languages.
• Prior experience working in innovation labs, incubator schemes and/or private entrepreneurship an asset.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English both written and oral.

We offer:
• For you to be part of agile organisation that develops, tests, and scales up innovative solutions to the most urgent problems of our times, exploring new modes of collaboration between science, policy, and practice.
• Working in a stimulating intercultural, international, multidisciplinary environment with a modern culture of collaboration across four world regions.
• As the Director of the Regional Stewardship Hub East Africa, co-shaping the future of the entire WA by building-up the Hub East Africa based on a co-designed vision with wide-ranging decision-making competences.
• Employment by the Kenyan Branch Office of a Swiss Foundation with attractive working conditions.
• Lean reporting structures with a direct line function to the Heads of Regional Stewardship Hubs at the WA headquarters in Bern, Switzerland.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

{module 312}

Job application procedure
For further information about this position, please see our website or write to us at hr@wyssacademy.org or directly to our Heads of Regional Stewardship Hubs Dr. Eva Ludi (eva.ludi@wyssacademy.org) and Dr. Andreas Heinimann (andreas.heinimann@wyssacademy.org). We look forward to receiving your application via the online portal  no later than 10 October 2021. Thank you for your interest.
Applications must be written in English and include the following: curriculum vitae and a cover letter containing a personal statement with your vision on the subject matter and your related competencies.
The Wyss Academy for Nature values diversity and equal opportunity. We welcome all applications from qualified individuals who meet the required criteria. Dossiers submitted through employment agencies will not be considered.

All Jobs

QUICK ALERT SUBSCRIPTION

{module 316}