Job Description

Knowledge Manager
Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.
CI's Africa Field Management Unit is prioritizing rangelands as a key pillar to realize the vision of a prosperous Africa by 2030, by developing and implementing nature positive economies across 70 million hectares of oceans, forests, mangroves, and rangelands. The Africa Rangelands strategy is centered on a goal to restore and sustainably manage 20 million hectares of rangelands in Africa by 2030 in a way that advances human well-being, ecosystem resilience, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and sparks a continent-wide rangelands movement urgently needed to reverse degradation.
Herding for Health (H4H), a community development model that promotes conservation outcomes while supporting pastoralists living in rural areas to find their way out of extreme poverty, is a key pathway that will enable CI to deliver rangelands restoration at scale. The model follows a holistic, community-driven approach to address challenges faced by farmers living in and adjacent to protected areas. Core to Herding for Health's implementation strategy is the use of stewardship agreements, which are co-developed with communities to help overcome opportunity costs associated with certain conservation practices. The Herding for Health model under CI is implemented in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation in seven countries across East and Southern Africa.
POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Cape Town or Johannesburg, South Africa, or Gaborone. Botswana. Nairobi, Kenya would also be considered.
A dedicated focus on CI's work in the grasslands, savanna and shrublands of Africa is one of the core objectives of the new Africa Strategy. Under the theme, Resilient People in Resilient Places, CI's goal is to have 10 million ha of degraded African rangelands under restoration by 2030 by scaling the adoption of Herding for Health (H4H), a partnership programme between CI and Peace Parks Foundation (PPF).
The H4H programme is seeking a dynamic Knowledge and Communications manager to raise visibility of rangeland restoration, sustainable pastoralism, and the H4H model across Africa and beyond. The ideal candidate will bring creativity, strategic thinking, and strong storytelling skills to design campaigns that engage diverse audiences and elevate the voices of pastoral communities.
The Knowledge and Communications Manager will lead the documentation, management, and dissemination of impact insights and lessons learned from the implementation of Herding for Health, tailoring content for diverse audiences across multiple communication formats. They will play a pivotal role in amplifying the programme's impact by executing a strategic communication plan.
Their responsibilities include producing compelling content, engaging stakeholders, and collaborating with all partners implementing H4H. They will highlight the programme's efforts, ensuring consistent branding and storytelling to showcase its transformative impact on local communities and biodiversity. By engaging media, managing messaging, and documenting progress, they will enhance the programme's visibility, attract support, and foster alignment with global conservation and development goals.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic communications:

• Assist with the development and execution of communication strategies that amplify the programme's impact.
• Prepare and distribute press releases, respond to media inquiries, coordinate interviews, and oversee any media coverage.
• Support fundraising efforts through strategic communication, storytelling, and engaging campaigns that inspire action and support.
• Build relationships to foster effective two-way communication and collaboration with key stakeholders, including government, local communities, partner organisations, and donors.
• Create and maintain a database of key H4H stakeholders.
• Support the development of policy briefs and translate H4H findings into strategies and high-level frameworks for engagements with policy makers.

Content Development and Storytelling:

• Produce high-quality content, including web articles, press releases, blog posts, social media updates, newsletters, and marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, banners, and posters.
• Use social media as a platform for brand promotion and engagement by creating engaging content, monitoring discussions, and responding to comments.

• Oversee social media outputs by various staff, interns, and consultants across the regional programme.
• Manage and execute a content calendar for social media, blog posts, and other external communications, and clarify key messages and target audiences in line with the communications strategy.
• Procure the services of any designers, writers, etc., for the development of materials as needed.
• Working with Herding for Health partners, co-develop content and oversee the management of the Herding for Health website.
• Feed relevant scientific findings and key knowledge to help create rangelands-related newsworthy pieces.
• Co-develop strategic implementation materials incorporating key lessons learned from implementation sites and disseminate updated materials in the consolidated Herding for Health implementation toolkit.

• Ensure material is created and available (short videos, factsheets, etc) to communicate important toolkit components to different stakeholders
• Support programmatic events and campaigns, such as the annual Herding for Health Indaba, Conference of Party engagements, with campaign marketing, communication, and development of materials.
• Develop and disseminate an H4H impact report every two years to relevant stakeholders, highlighting key H4H impact across the continent.
• Support implementation teams with the development of key H4H messaging documents for various stakeholders.
• Develop a document and knowledge management system, ensuring compliance with institutional policies.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:

• Utilise analytic tools to measure the impact of communication efforts, providing data-driven insights and recommendations for improvement.
• Prepare reports on communication metrics, e.g., conversions, reach, when required.
• Lead the development of annual reports or impact reporting documents for the programme.
• Collaborate with the H4H Programme's MEL Coordinator to maintain a well-organized database based on field-collected data, ensuring it is easily accessible and usable for communication materials.

Brand Stewardship:

• Uphold and enhance brand identity through consistent messaging and branding in all communications.
• Develop supporting templates, presentations, case studies, and other relevant materials (e.g., factsheets, videos, etc.) to support the communication strategy and key scientific outputs.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Assist with logistical support, as and when needed, especially for the H4H Indaba and related events where H4H showcases their work and impact.
• Provide communications support for workshops, meetings, and other special events for both internal and external participants.
• Supporting implementation teams with knowledge exchange and other related events.
• Collaboration and liaison with partners tasked with knowledge management and capacity building to ensure alignment of the H4H brand and design across the materials, under different donors.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Typical office environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel on a regular basis to field sites within southern, and east Africa, and when needed, other countries in Africa where CI and PPF are supporting H4H implementation.
• Flexibility to work extended hours to meet deadlines.
• A remote location with reliable/ strong connectivity could be considered within the above countries.
• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.
• This role will be a fixed-term assignment, expected to begin in October 2025 to December 2027.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification in Communications, Marketing, Environmental Management, or a related field.
• 4 to 6 years of related work experience in knowledge management, communications.
• Experience in, or demonstrated knowledge of, the principles of rangelands management, rangelands ecology, agriculture, rangelands economics, or other relevant fields, is an advantage.
• Past experience working in the development sector would be required.
• Experience in hosting and facilitating knowledge-sharing events and platforms.
• Experience in science communication required.
• Experience with a variety of communications media and software is an advantage, e.g., Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premier Pro, InDesign, or similar.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Basic administration, coordination, and project management skills are essential.
• Highly familiar with etiquette, protocol, and employing cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Proven team player.
• Self-driven with strong leadership and performance management.
• Highly organized and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a dynamic environment.

Preferred

• Experience with implementing a communications and marketing strategy will be an advantage.
• Good academic credentials and a good portfolio of communication products.
• The ability to bring a sense of fun and aliveness/flow to the team is an advantage.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.
Application Deadline: September 30, 2025 (11:49 PM EST); however, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position may be filled earlier if suitable candidates are identified.
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Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.

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