Governance Coordinator

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international nonprofit conservation organization protecting wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, education and partnerships.

WCS has worked in Nigeria since 2001, supporting conservation and protected-area management in Cross River and Bauchi states while strengthening local livelihoods and community participation.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Governance Coordinator will lead work to strengthen governance, institutional capacity and stakeholder collaboration within the WCS Nigeria programme.

The position will support protected-area management structures, facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms and advance community-led conservation governance. It reports to the Program Manager and works closely with the Country Director, Project Manager, Law Enforcement Adviser, Cross River Landscape Director, field teams, government institutions and community leaders.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING

• Support establishment and operation of management committees and protected-area governance platforms.
• Promote inclusive representation of pastoralists, community members and other stakeholders.
• Strengthen accountability and transparency within conservation-governance systems.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

• Coordinate dialogue involving government agencies, traditional institutions, community leaders and civil society.
• Promote collaborative decision-making and conflict mediation through governance platforms.
• Align conservation priorities with local, state and national policies.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING

• Train and mentor committee members, local leaders and community representatives concerning governance, conflict resolution and natural-resource management.
• Strengthen local capacity for participatory monitoring, advocacy and climate-smart governance.

MONITORING AND REPORTING

• Document governance processes, decisions and results for organizational learning and donor reporting.
• Track governance initiatives and report progress to programme leadership.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and documentation of lessons across WCS Nigeria and partner networks.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in Governance, Public Policy, Environmental Management, Development Studies or a related field.
• A bachelor’s degree accompanied by substantial relevant experience may be considered.
• At least five years of experience in governance, institutional strengthening and stakeholder engagement, preferably related to conservation or natural-resource management.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating multi-stakeholder platforms and conflict mediation.
• Understanding of community-based governance and participatory approaches.
• Experience working in Nigeria or a comparable context and knowledge of local-governance systems.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Facilitation, negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Stakeholder coordination and trust building.
• Strong communication and report writing.
• Climate-smart governance and natural-resource-management practices.
• Organization and project management.
• Ability to collaborate with government, communities, traditional institutions and civil society.
• Fluency in English and Hausa.
• Willingness to travel regularly to field sites and communities.
• Commitment to conservation, community resilience and WCS values.

CONTRACT DETAILS

• Employment type: Full-time.
• Contract type: Fixed-term.
• Duration: Thirteen months, renewable subject to funding.
• Duty station: Bauchi, Bauchi State.
• Travel: Extensive travel to Abuja, Cross River State and field sites.
• Reports to: Program Manager; works closely with the Country Director.
• Eligibility: Nigerian nationals only.
• Salary: Not specified.
• Benefits: Competitive compensation and benefits; exact provisions are not specified.
• Number of positions: Not specified.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

SAFEGUARDING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

WCS is an equal-opportunity employer committed to an inclusive and diverse workforce. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. WCS does not request payment from applicants.

Role-specific safeguarding and background-check requirements: Not specified.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

This is an email application. No online application link is required.

Applicants must combine their cover letter and résumé into one PDF document and email it to nigeriajobs@wcs.org.

The official announcement displays the required email subject as:

GOVERNANCE COORDINATOR, BAUCHI?

The question mark appears in WCS’s published instruction; applicants should reproduce the displayed subject carefully.

Applications close on 26 August 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for assessment.