THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION

BACKGROUND:

IUCN’s Kenya Country Programme supports priorities defined under Kenya's National Development Plan, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, National Climate Change Strategy, Agriculture and Water Sector Development Strategies and Marine and Fisheries Action Plans, Blue Economy Policies and Strategies, IUCN 20-year vision (2026-2045), IUCN programme 2026-2028 as well as relevant multi-lateral environmental agreements. Our 2026-2030 strategic goals include sustainable land and landscapes management, conservation of critical natural habitats, Integrated water resources management, capacity building for climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable urban resilience and coastal and ocean resilience (COR) building.
Under the Land Systems Programme, IUCN’s Kenya is currently implementing a project called “BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITY CONSERVANCIES FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION, RESILIENCE, LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT AND PEACE/SECURITY IN CHURO-KIRISIA-MUKOGODO- OLDONYIRO-NDOTO-MATHEWS RANGES-SABARWAWA ECOSYSTEMS IN NORTHERN KENYA – in short form “REPLAN”. This is a 4-year project (2026 – 2029) with the overall objective of enhancing the resilience of communities across the four micro-landscapes (Melako-Shurr, Mathews-Ndoto Ranges, Mukogodo–Naibunga-Oldonyiro and Ruko-Kaptuya-Mukutan) through identification and scaling-up livelihoods and biodiversity conservation innovations. The project consists of four components:
Component 1: Improved biodiversity and ecosystems conservation across the four micro-landscapes.
Component 2: Improve livelihoods and resilience of communities.
Component 3: Strengthened multi-stakeholder coordination and dedicated mainstreaming of human rights, gender and security across the micro-landscapes and beyond. Inclusive natural resources governance in the project landscapes and advocacy strengthened.
Component 4: Project management, Coordination and Acceleration of Impact.

The REPLAN project is part of NaturAfrica programme which is an EU International Partnerships (INTPA) initiative to support biodiversity conservation in Africa by taking an innovative people-centred approach. By structuring support around landscapes that are crucial for conservation and human development and target these areas to boost job creation and improve security and livelihoods while also protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.
The Senior Programme Officer - Natural Resources Management will provide technical support to the project technical team to ensure effective delivery of the project. He/she will coordinate the implementation of component 1 and serve as a Deputy Chief of Party of the Project. He/she will serve as a member of the Country Land Systems Programme Team that helps set strategic directions and define priorities for IUCN’s broader engagement on Land Systems issues at the country level and, accordingly, works with the other members of the team in strategic planning; monitoring and evaluation; and learning, innovation and knowledge generation at the overall programme level. He/she will be responsible for developing drylands project portfolio for Kenya and will also support other country programmes on request basis. This position reports directly to the Chief of Party.

The Senior Programme Officer - Natural Resources Management will be based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to the project sites and across the country.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Implementation and portfolio management;
Provide expert advice on technical aspects related to biodiversity and ecosystems conservation, green economy initiatives, human right based approach in conservation and natural resources governance;
He/she will be responsible for coordination and implementation of component 1 of the REPLAN project;
In collaboration with Chief of Party, he/she will be responsible for developing and managing detailed project work plans, including timelines, milestones, and deliverables;
Support coordination of stakeholders, including project implementing and strategic partners, government agencies, and community groups for effective project implementation;
Prepare technical reports, documentation, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders;
Ensure all project activities comply with relevant environmental, social, and legal standards and regulations and; develop strategies to ensure the sustainability and long-term impact of project initiatives.
Under the guidance of Program Manager, Land Systems-Kenya take lead in developing the drylands project portfolio for Kenya.

External engagement and communication:
In consultation with Chief of Party, ensure that IUCN is adequately represented in relevant country fora and facilitate discussions on relevant emerging issues to position IUCN as a reference in the country;
Provide evidence-based support and facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues on emerging issues and policy debates;
Lead coherent and consistent communication of lessons learnt to key decision-makers and other stakeholders within the country, region and globally as appropriate, including via the web, print and media;
In collaboration with Chief of Party, identify and manage potential risks associated with IUCN’s public positions in the country and design strategies to mitigate the risks that have been identified;
Act as a focal point for facilitating and supporting the involvement of IUCN Commissions, Members and other members of the Secretariat in the development and implementation of programmatic activities.
Connect and liaise with other relevant projects in the country and pursue synergies as necessary;
Assist in provision of relevant communication material and resources from the project to the Country Communication Officer for showcase of project results in websites and other media;

Programme Development and Resource Mobilization:
As appropriate, contribute to the fundraising activities including development of concepts and projects proposals. This will involve establishing, maintaining and nurturing good relationships with donors, funding agencies and other technical partners so as to ensure the financial viability of the Land Systems programme in Kenya;

Monitoring and Evaluation:
Coordinate with the Country MEL Officer to develop and implement project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to track progress and measure impact;
Contribute to the development of the Kenya Land Systems Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Framework;
Coordinate monitoring and reporting on project progress by regularly informing the results monitoring matrix;
In collaboration with the CoP and the rest of the project team ensure IUCN work is accountable to donors and other stakeholders through the establishment and management of effective accountability mechanisms and processes;
Provide leadership to use data for project decision making, for the implementation of management actions based on the findings of monitoring, and to ensure that feedback from stakeholders inform programme development;

Other responsibilities:
Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.