FZS Lomami Project Leader and Site Director

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is an international conservation organisation based in Germany. FZS is active in biodiversity-rich areas with projects on four continents. The Africa Programme is the organisation’s largest and oldest and includes projects in five countries: DR Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Lomami National Park (LNP), set up in 2016 with the cooperation of local communities, is the youngest national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is relatively undeveloped. It covers an area of almost 9,000 km2 and is part of a natural high biodiversity and pristine wilderness landscape covering 40,000 km2 between the rivers Tshuapa, Lomami and Lualaba. The region is of global importance also from an ecosystem services perspectives, almost completely covered by dense tropical rainforest.

In early 2021, FZS signed a co-management agreement with the Institut Congolais pour le Conservation de Nature (ICCN). FZS is seeking a highly motivated FZS Project Leader who, ideally, will also assume the role of Site Director, subject to ICCN approval. The Site Director assumes overall responsibility for the conservation of LNP and is in charge of a team of staff, selected and seconded from current ICCN staff and FZS project staff. The staff unification and screening process is still continuing.

As part of succession planning, the post involves co-ordination and responsibility for all Lomami National Park and FZS operations and budgets and requires good working relationships with all top ICCN and FZS staff. Management themes require understanding and the ability to oversee a variety of duties spanning law enforcement, community engagement and biodiversity monitoring, all implemented through a team approach and with social safeguards in place. The Project Leader is also responsible for relationships with donors and grant management as well as leading a management team. It is possible, depending on skill sets of the successful candidate, that further senior staff recruitment may be required to strengthen the LNP management team to deliver effective and efficient conservation management.

This is a unique opportunity to take the helm and deliver a modern conservation approach, putting communities at the heart of a long term vision for a breathtaking and remote landscape. The potential for continued discovery of new species and new distribtuions of fauna and flora is very real. We are therefore looking for a highly motivated and committed individual who is prepared to make a long term commitment to the Lomami National Park.

YOUR PROFILE

• MSc or equivalent in a conservation or natural resource management field or related discipline;
• At least 8 years experience in conservation and protected area management in Africa (preferably in DRC or other French-speaking countries) or in a different location with similar conditions;
• Experience and willingness to live and work in very remote areas under basic conditions;
• Experience in large project and bilateral grant and funding management (ideally of at least $1mio/year), including proposal development, planning, budgeting and reporting;
• Ideally, excellent communication skills in English and French (written and oral);
• Knowledge of Lingala and/or Kiswahili is an advantage;
• Competencies in negotiation, leadership and teamwork;
• Strategic and analytical approach;
• Excellent planning and organizing skills.

WE OFFER

• An attractive position based in Kindu and working in and around Lomami National Park;
• An outstanding opportunity to work in an area of spectacular biodiversity;
• A well trained and qualified team of Congolese staff that is motivated and experienced;
• Professional development opportunities and freedom to develop own ideas within the organizational framework;
• Chance to work in an innovative, globally active nature conservation organization;
• An attractive compensation package based on our international employment scheme.