Project Manager, Yankari

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international nonprofit conservation organization working in more than 60 countries to protect wildlife and wild places through science, field action, education and partnerships.

WCS has worked in Nigeria since 2001 and supports conservation, protected-area management, community livelihoods and stakeholder collaboration in Cross River and Bauchi states.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Project Manager will provide leadership, strategic direction and management for the WCS Yankari Project. Working closely with the Country Director, the manager will oversee biomonitoring, community engagement, governance, stakeholder coordination and support to law enforcement.

The post holder will serve as the principal liaison with government institutions, donors and partners in Yankari and Bauchi State and ensure activities align with WCS’s mission and values.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• Provide direction for the Yankari landscape and ensure delivery of conservation objectives.
• Develop and implement annual workplans, budgets and performance targets.
• Supervise project personnel and coordinate law enforcement, biomonitoring, community engagement and governance components.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY COORDINATION

• Support coordination of operations protecting wildlife and habitats.
• Work with the Law Enforcement Adviser, security agencies, government stakeholders and community leaders to address poaching, encroachment and insecurity.
• Support effective use of SMART/EarthRanger and other monitoring systems.

BIOMONITORING AND RESEARCH

• Guide biodiversity monitoring for priority species and habitats.
• Promote data-driven conservation decision-making using ecological and spatial information.
• Ensure monitoring results are reported on time and used to shape conservation strategies.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

• Support the Governance Coordinator to strengthen community relations, conflict mitigation and participatory governance.
• Advance inclusive stakeholder platforms and shared responsibility for conservation.
• Support initiatives that strengthen community resilience and reduce human–wildlife conflict.

PARTNERSHIPS AND DONOR RELATIONS

• Support the Country Director to maintain relationships with government agencies, donors and partners.
• Ensure donor reports, proposals and communications are prepared on time.
• Represent WCS in stakeholder forums and advocacy platforms.

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING

• Support implementation of project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems.
• Prepare reports and updates for internal and external stakeholders with the Biomonitoring Coordinator.
• Track progress against targets and adapt implementation strategies when required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in Conservation Biology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Natural Resource Governance or a related discipline.
• At least ten years of experience managing conservation projects, including leadership of multi-component programmes.
• Experience coordinating law enforcement, biodiversity monitoring and community engagement.
• Strong understanding of Nigerian governance systems and stakeholder coordination, or experience in a comparable context.
• Experience managing donor-funded projects and reporting requirements.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Leadership and team management.
• Strategic planning, budgeting and project management.
• Communication, negotiation and stakeholder engagement.
• Government, donor and community relations.
• Data-driven conservation-management systems including SMART, GIS and KoboToolbox.
• Monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management.
• Ability to work effectively in challenging field environments.
• Fluency in English and Hausa.
• Willingness to live in Bauchi State and travel regularly to field sites.
• Commitment to conservation and community-based approaches.

CONTRACT DETAILS

• Employment type: Full-time.
• Contract type: Fixed-term.
• Duration: Thirteen months, renewable subject to funding.
• Duty station: Bauchi, Bauchi State.
• Expected start date: October 2026.
• Reports to/works closely with: 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.

Although the vacancy title is Project Manager, the official WCS announcement instructs applicants to use this email subject in capital letters:

PROGRAM MANAGER, BAUCHI

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