Conservation Data Advisor - Africa at The Nature Conservancy

Worldwide

$83.7k - $125.7k

What We Can Achieve Together: The Conservation Impact System Team (IST) in the Chief Conservation Office plays a critical role in supporting global conservation implementation. The IST supports conservation teams, leaders, and executives to generate and use evidence in adaptive management and reporting so that TNC can achieve its goals for biodiversity, climate, and people. The IST is comprised of the Conservation Data Team (CDT) and Conservation Strategy Team (CST) that partner closely to provide support. The CDT is responsible for conservation data capacity building, data quality, science & systems, and organizational reporting, including reporting and recommendations to executives and the global board. This position focuses on enabling regional teams to consistently generate, trust, and use high‑quality data and evidence through strong MEL systems, standards, and practices. The role works as a close partner with regional MEL leads to align CDT support with regional MEL priorities, processes, and ways of working. Essential Functions: The Africa Regional Advisor will help the CDT provide more direct and integrated support for conservation data that meets the demand of conservation teams and leaders within TNC’s Africa Region to generate and use evidence to improve the quality of their decisions and their impact. The Africa Regional Advisor will cultivate an understanding of what drives customer satisfaction (customer = TNC conservation teams and leaders) in the Africa region and contribute to effective delivery of CDT support. The lead will serve as a cross-cultural/organizational broker and learning advocate, ensuring that the products and practices developed in the Africa region or in other regions of TNC are shared and co-evolve, resulting in a conservation data toolkit that is common to TNC and contextually relevant. The Africa Conservation Data Advisor position will build and maintain strong, trusting relationships with key leadership and experts in the Africa Region, including monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) regional team and specialists, scientists, and portfolio managers. They will collaborate with MEL staff in Africa to ensure CDT's support is aligned with their vision for conservation science data, MEL and reporting to support evidence for adaptive management in Africa Portfolio. The Africa Conservation Data Advisor will work with regional MEL leaders and partners to align science data support with priority needs to improve MEL data quality and adaptive management practices. The position collaborates closely with Africa MEL lead, CDT colleagues, and the CST Africa regional counterpart to ensure aligned support across MEL and strategy processes. This position will help deliver CDT offerings and provide technical and data science support. This role uses a learn-by-doing approach to the development, implementation, and iteration of CDT offerings to quickly learn and adjust. This is a 2-year termed position. The Conservation Data Advisor - Africa must reside and have work authorization in one of the TNC Africa program locations (Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia). We're Looking for You: Provide targeted guidance and support focused on the generation and use of evidence in adaptive management, aligned with regional needs. Provide direct support to teams, grounded in agile, data science, and implementation science principles and values. Ensure support provided to teams is regionally and culturally appropriate, using a collaborative approach to design offerings and engaging local contractors as needed. Ensure conservation data science support provided to teams is aligned with and supportive of the regional portfolio management and reporting processes. Support teams to use evidence syntheses and close key science evidence gaps identified through their adaptive management processes and to ensure confidence in their reported outcomes. Support other members of the regional team to use conservation data tools as they support other high priority teams and programs. Build enabling conditions for the generation and use of evidence in adaptive management and prioritization in the Africa Region. Build trusting relationships with key TNC leadership in the Africa Region. In collaboration with MEL Regional team and MEL Specialists, build the enabling conditions for use of robust evidence in adaptive management. In close collaboration with Africa MEL staff, enhance data analytics processes to convert quality assured and evidence-based data into useful reporting and learning products (such as impact briefs, analytical summaries, and data reports) to inform program, portfolio, and leadership decisions. Collaborate with staff in CDT to ensure the region’s conservation data meets data quality & reporting standards and support regional leadership to drive accountability to these standards. Work with Africa Regional Conservation / Strategies leadership to identify top priority teams needing conservation data and learning support, and focus support on them. Collaborate with Africa Regional Conservation / Strategies leadership to support the use of conservation data in prioritization and strategic decision-making to advance impact in the region, including partnering to develop dashboards that support portfolio management and specific leadership decisions. Collaborate with other Africa Regional leadership team members to help influence and advance specific enabling conditions in the region for improving data quality and its use in adaptive management and prioritization, including further integration of conservation and financial data and planning. Grow CDT’s impact Measure / monitor value provided by CDT support in the region. Identify opportunities to scale up support models to meet the needs of the region and expand CDT’s impact, working in partnership with other regional CDT leads. Provide feedback to CDT on opportunities to improve or enhance support models identified in collaboration with regional leadership. Help identify opportunities where CDT tools or processes could better meet team needs. Use a learn‑by‑doing approach to test, adapt, and improve CDT support over time. Support CDT’s work in other regions by proactively recognizing potential collaboration areas, capturing and sharing learnings, and participating in cross-regional exchanges. What You'll Bring: Master's Degree in science related field and 4 years of experience in advancing data quality and the use of data in management / business, preferably in a large conservation or development organization or agency or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience with conservation and/or development metrics and their monitoring and evaluation data systems, impact measurement and results-based reporting for programs and portfolios. Proven experience in supporting rigor, consistency, and validation of program indicator methodologies. Strong working knowledge of data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, GIS, Python, Excel, R), sufficient to guide analytics design, review outputs, and support capacity building across regional teams. Experience leading and mentoring teams and building capacity of team members. Record of supporting conservation strategy and decisions with data. Experience leading or participating on cross functional teams. Willingness to work a flexible schedule in order to align with a variety of time zones. Experience with self-directed navigation of complex and open-ended projects to achieve outcomes. Knowledge of, and commitment to, centering equity, justice and inclusion principles and practices in a professional setting. Experience working and communicating with a wide range of people. Ability to work effectively across cultures, countries, and regional contexts. Excellent interpersonal skills. Deep multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience within the Africa Region. Willingness and authorization to reside and work in designated TNC Africa program locations (Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia) with travel to other countries in the region (Gabon, Angola, and South Africa). English language proficiency. Desired Qualifications: Record of helping scale conservation strategies or solutions using data, such as through MRV systems for ecosystem markets. Domain area expertise in one or more of the following: large-scale protection or management of lands/freshwater/oceans, climate or biodiversity policy, renewable energy siting, natural climate solutions, conservation finance and markets, regenerative agriculture, sustainable fisheries or aquaculture, watershed management, community-based management, or equitable conservation. Experience managing complex projects including the financial aspect and coordinating the work of peers and partners Self-driven with a bias towards action. Ability to leverage the latest technology to achieve desired results. Excitement about working on an agile team that is continually adapting their own ways of working. Experience with Indigenous and Traditional knowledge. Experience with a growth mindset, creativity, and resourcefulness. Experience with strategy or strategic initiatives. Second language proficiency in French or Portuguese. Salary Information: The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $83,700 – $125,700. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment. This role is not eligible for VISA assistance or relocation assistance into countries where we are a registered entity. Who We Are: The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor. One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.” What We Bring: Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here. We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ. Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub. The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law. The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process. TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line. The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and over 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 79 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 42 through partners. To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Our vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.