Job Description

(This is a 36-month fixed term contract position based in Maclear (Nqanqarhu), Eastern Cape)
WWF is the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organisation, with over 6 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
WWF South Africa is a national office that is part of the WWF network. We are a local NGO that has worked for 50 years with the aim of inspiring all South Africans to live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of our country and the wellbeing of all our people. WWFs work is for nature, for you.
Our work is challenging and exciting and we love what we do. To join our team, you need to be brilliant at what you do, passionate, results-orientated and have a positive attitude.
BACKGROUND:
As a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), South Africa has committed to protected areas expansion to accelerate the achievement of Target 3 (Conserve 30% of Land, Waters and Seas by 2030) of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). South Africa has set ambitious goals to secure a representative, well-connected, and effectively managed protected areas estate. This will be achieved through a multi-pronged approach, which includes a biodiversity stewardship mechanism, by entering into agreements with willing private and communal landowners to protect and manage land in priority areas, led by provincial conservation authorities with support from conservation NGO partners to deliver long-term conservation goals.
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) has been working in the North-Eastern Cape grasslands since 2012, facilitating the declaration of protected areas, subsequently, several protected areas have been declared since 2014. Since 2016 to date ECPTA has been working in partnership with various conservation organisations, such as SANParks and WWF, to secure the poorly protected Grassland Biome within this region. In order for this important body of work to continue, WWF-SA has committed to appoint a dedicated Biodiversity Stewardship Coordinator and be seconded to ECPTA.
The primary purpose of this position is to support the expansion of protected areas in the NE Grasslands Priority Area of the Eastern Cape. Furthermore, to facilitate protected area expansion declaration and support the implementation of management plans in line with the National Environmental Management Act, National Protected Areas Act, 2003, and any other relevant environmental management legislation.

Skills Required