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 the 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. 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 support the development of the Regional Stewardship Hub East Africa in Kenya, we are seeking:

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

We are seeking a dynamic and innovative personality working at the interface of science and development who is driven to explore and develop new ways of transforming knowledge into action that benefits both people and nature and supports systems transformation. The successful candidate’s ability to think outside the box and to generate, support and promote innovative ideas enables her/him to facilitate the establishment and development of vibrant East Africa (EAF) Regional Hub and its integration into the WA. The Senior Advisor will collaborate with the WA leadership team in Bern and support the WA Hub Director EAF in the design and implementation of the Regional Stewardship Hub, the sourcing for innovative solutions that contribute to nature conservation and human wellbeing and its concrete implementation and research activities. Together with the Hub Director EAF, he/she will form the Executive Management team of the Regional Stewardship Hub EAF. She/he will also work closely with the other Regional Hubs towards a harmonized approach. The successful candidate is not only an exceptional communicator to different audiences but also able to work and deliver under tight deadlines and to adapt to a dynamic and changing environment.

Your tasks:
• Support the Hub Director in the setup of the initial structures, functions, governance, operating procedures and strategic planning of the East Africa Hub.
• Inspire and support the establishment of interlinked knowledge and engagement platforms of the Hub.
• Facilitate the identification and design of innovative incubators and support their implementation as well as engagement towards potential out- and up-scaling opportunities.
• Develop a lifecycle management and learning system of upcoming incubators projects including all phases of incubators (i.e. stimulation of ideas, identification, selection, implementation, impact monitoring, spin-offs).
• Strengthen and expand partner networks and activities in Kenya and in the wider East Africa region.
• Liaise proactively with the WA leadership team and its functional units in Bern to ensure alignment between field level operations and overall strategic framework on the one hand, and ground truthing of implementation strategies, procedures and prioritization on the other hand.
• Liaise with the three other Regional Stewardship Hubs to facilitate cross regional learning.
• Facilitate synergies between activities of the WA and CETRAD (Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development) as a core partner in Nanyuki, Kenya.

Your qualifications:
• University degree (MSc or PhD) relevant to the relationship between nature and people (e.g. Geography, Sustainability Science, Social Entrepreneurship, Innovation Management).
• Proven experience with trans- and interdisciplinary approaches to tackle complex problems related to sustainable development, nature conservation, and/or natural resource management.
• A track record of at least 5 years of working at the interface of science, policy and practice in the global South.
• Long-term field experience in research and/or development in Kenya and/or other regions in East Africa.
• Experience in leading and managing collaborative initiatives involving actors from different sectors (academic, public, private), with different cultural backgrounds and languages.
• Management and team skills and willingness to work in an international setting requiring frequent travel.
• Experience working on similar schemes of knowledge co-production, real-world labs, or incubators is an asset.
• Experiences in data science, science communication and knowledge management are large assets.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English both written and oral.

We offer:
• For you to be part of an 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 a member of the Executive Management team of the Hub EAF, co-shaping the future of the entire WA by supporting the establishment of a vibrant Hub East Africa, and creating added-value across four continents in collaboration with the other Regional Hubs.
• Lean reporting structures to the Hub Director EAF and the Heads of the WA Regional Stewardship Hubs in Switzerland.
• Employment by a Swiss foundation, based on the University of Bern’s salary table, with an attractive benefit package.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

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Job application procedure
For further information about this position, please see our website or write to us at hr@wyssacademy.org or directly 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: 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.

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