Vacancy #: 7349 Unit: ESARO - Office of the Regional Director Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya Reporting to: Regional Director - Eastern and Southern Africa Work percentage: 100% Grade: SP Expected start date: 01 September 2025 Type of contract: Fixed-term (24 months) Closing date: 10 August 2025 BACKGROUND THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION
BACKGROUND:
The Regional Membership & Executive Affairs Manager shall provide a wide range of complex strategic and operational support to the Regional Director. The Regional Membership & Executive Affairs Manager will enhance the Regional Director capacity to engage effectively and strategically on key IUCN ESARO issues. She/he will work closely with other members of the regional management and leadership teams to ensure efficient flow of information and actions on instructions. Support the IUCN ESARO policy agenda through the convening of high- level meetings, conferences, Member and Partner dialogues and interviews and follow through of commitments. The Regional Membership & Executive Affairs Manager must be a confident, assertive and self-motivated with first-rate communication skills and experience working with senior stakeholders. The role also demands strong programme coordination, problem-solving and organizational skills and would suit an individual who enjoys working in a varied and challenging environment. JOB DESCRIPTION Summary of Key Functions:
Provide effective executive-level support to the Regional Director;
Manage the Regional Directorโs relations with internal and external partners;
Manage the accurate and coordinated flow of communication in and out of the Office of the Regional Director;
Coordinate special projects in the Office of the Regional Director;
Ensure proactive engagement, communication and interaction with members of IUCN ESARO (staff, IUCN Members, Commissions, Council, partners) by the Office of the Regional Director in order to strengthen IUCN ESAROโs role in carrying out its mission in the region.
SPECIFIC DUTIES:
MEMBERSHIP;
Ensure there is proactive engagement, communication and interaction with members/commissions by the Office of the Regional Director in order to strengthen IUCNโs role in carrying out its mission in the region
Support the Regional Director on all matters pertaining to the Regional Conservation Forum (RCF) and the World Conservation Congress (WCC).
Promote membership growth and retention by fostering collaboration among IUCN Members, Commissions, and partners.
Facilitate Member involvement in key forums and initiatives.
Providing convening support for regional events comprising of experts and policy makers in the area of nature conservation, climate change and sustainability.
Serve as the focal point for IUCN ESARO in organising large scale events and other key significant events within the region.
Provide political and strategic guidance on the background for meetings and events and related protocol.
As major events liaison, facilitate the communication and linkage with key stakeholders including Commissions, Members and HQ staff.
Coordinate with program leads to identify and map out the key policy engagements for the region.
Responsible for coordinating all operational aspects of ESARO conferences in close collaboration with the staff that are responsible for programming, logistics, systems, and communications.
Preparing meetings and site visits linked to event planning and participating in said meetings or visits.
Ensure adequate management of any crisis or unforeseen events.
Manage outreach and facilitate conference and convening-related contracts in the region.
Develop and maintain relationships with hotels in the cities in liaison with the country offices for events to fully leverage planning and logistical capacity.
Develop and adhere to event plans and timelines, including internal and external deadlines
Travel as necessary for site selection visits, conferences, etc.
Develop and implement a regional membership engagement strategy.
EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS;
Develop effective systems and procedures to ensure that the Office of the Regional Director runs efficiently and effectively.
Provide high-level executive support to the Regional Director to deliver organizationโs overall strategic objectives.
Manage the Regional Director daily work (diary/email management, meetings/events, travel logistics, correspondence, etc.)
Manage the accurate and coordinated flow of communication in and out of the Office of the Regional Director.
Manage the Regional Directorโs relations with external partners and donors.
Ensure the Regional Director has necessary preparatory/briefing documents in advance of meetings and appointments.
Design and manage a tracking system to ensure ad hoc actions are followed through to completion.
Draft documents, letters, and reports. This includes editing and reviewing documents drafted by others for dissemination by the Regional Director.
Coordinate the IUCN ESARO Regional Management Team and Regional Leadership Team meetings. This includes minute taking, tracking decisions and reporting on IUCNโs management/leadership meetings.
Maintain an accurate paper and electronic filing system.
Coordinate special projects in the Office of the Regional Director ensuring the timely and effective delivery of work plans and objectives. This includes but not limited to:
Compiling and disseminating program materials and documents
Support implementation of new initiatives and projects
Coordinate strategic Regional Leadership and Regional Management meetings and follow-ups.
Support implementation of regional priorities and strategies.
Track and report on progress of regional initiatives.
Coordinate special projects in the Office of the Regional Director
Ensures the Regional Director receives regular and timely progress reports from unit heads reporting directly to him/her, including regular meetings with the heads of such units.
Oversee the Regional Directorโs Officeโs finances.
Any other duties as assigned by the Regional Director REQUIREMENTS โข REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES
Education and Work Experience;
Bachelorโs degree in business administration, Social Sciences or related field. Post graduate qualifications added advantage.
A minimum of 10 years work experience in an Executive role ideally at Regional Directorโs level.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English & French, both written and verbal is a must.
Core Competencies;
Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of IUCN in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.
Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provide a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
Professionalism: Promote the organizationโs interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.
Accountability: Takes responsibility of individual and collective actions.
Functional competencies;
Maintain a high degree of discretion and confidentiality in work
Demonstrate a high level of competence in analyzing and synthesizing complex issues across a wide spectrum of technical and managerial areas
Demonstrate the ability to carry out basic research and searches (e.g. using online sources) and organize summaries
Excellent written and verbal skills with an ability to adapt style of communication to suit the relevant audience.
Ability to liaise with a wide range of people, often at a high level both internally and externally and with credibility, tact and diplomacy and build strong working relationships.
Excellent organizational and project management skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects.
Proven interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
Must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated with the ability to multi-task and prioritize needs
Possess energy, drive, enthusiasm, commitment and passion for high quality work.
Must be dependable, a good team player and able to work independently as well as have the ability to learn quickly and expand scope of functions;
Capacity to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines and produce high quality documents at short notice.
Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of views;
Demonstrated ability to work with limited supervision and manage work in demanding environment;
Committed to continuous learning and self-development.
Willingness to travel APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the \"Apply\" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worldโs largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve peopleโs well-being.
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