Together, we can accomplish remarkable outcomes by leveraging our collective strengths, expertise, and dedication. This role presents an opportunity to contribute to transformative projects, drive innovation, and foster collaborative solutions that deliver measurable impact. By joining our team, you’ll play a pivotal role in advancing our mission, shaping industry standards, and creating lasting value for stakeholders and communities alike. Your skills, insights, and commitment will be instrumental in achieving ambitious goals and sustaining long-term success.
The Conservation Impact System Team (IST) within the Chief Conservation Office is instrumental in advancing TNC’s global conservation initiatives. By empowering conservation teams, leadership, and executives, the IST facilitates the generation and application of evidence to drive adaptive management and robust reporting, ensuring progress toward biodiversity, climate, and human-centric goals. Comprising the Conservation Data Team (CDT) and the Conservation Strategy Team (CST), the IST collaborates closely to deliver comprehensive support. The CDT oversees critical functions such as capacity building in conservation data, ensuring data integrity and quality, advancing science and systems, and facilitating organizational reporting—including executive and global board-level insights and recommendations. This role is centered on empowering regional teams to consistently produce, validate, and leverage high-quality data and evidence through robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks, standards, and methodologies. The position partners closely with regional MEL leads to align CDT’s support with regional priorities, processes, and operational approaches.
Essential Functions: The successful candidate will execute key responsibilities integral to the role, including the ability to analyze complex data sets to derive actionable insights, develop and implement strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve organizational objectives. The position requires proficiency in identifying process improvements, managing multiple priorities under tight deadlines, and maintaining meticulous attention to detail in all deliverables. Additionally, the role demands strong communication skills to articulate findings to stakeholders at all levels, along with the capacity to adapt to evolving business needs and technological advancements. Compliance with company policies, adherence to industry regulations, and a commitment to continuous professional development are also required to ensure sustained success in this position.
The Africa Regional Advisor will enhance the CDT’s ability to deliver targeted, integrated support for conservation data, ensuring it aligns with the evolving needs of conservation teams and leaders across TNC’s Africa Region. This role will empower decision-makers by providing high-quality evidence to strengthen their choices and maximize their impact.
The Africa Regional Advisor will develop deep insights into the factors influencing customer satisfaction—specifically TNC conservation teams and leaders—within the Africa region while enhancing the delivery of CDT support. Serving as a cross-cultural and organizational liaison, the advisor will champion knowledge sharing, ensuring that innovations and best practices from the Africa region—or other TNC regions—are disseminated and co-developed. This collaborative approach will result in a unified conservation data toolkit that aligns with TNC’s standards while remaining responsive to regional context.
The Africa Conservation Data Advisor will cultivate and sustain robust, trust-based partnerships with senior leadership and subject-matter experts across the Africa Region, encompassing the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) team and specialists, researchers, and portfolio managers. In close collaboration with the MEL staff in Africa, the advisor will ensure that the Conservation Data Team’s (CDT) assistance aligns with their strategic vision for conservation science data, MEL frameworks, and reporting mechanisms that underpin evidence-based adaptive management within the Africa Portfolio. Additionally, the advisor will engage with regional MEL leaders and partners to synchronize science data support with critical priorities, enhancing MEL data quality and strengthening adaptive management practices. Working in tandem with the Africa MEL lead, CDT colleagues, and the CST Africa regional counterpart, the advisor will facilitate cohesive support across MEL and strategy initiatives. Furthermore, the role will play a key role in delivering CDT services while providing specialized technical and data science expertise. Employing an iterative, hands-on methodology, the advisor will contribute to the design, execution, and refinement of CDT offerings, enabling rapid learning, adaptation, and improvement.
This role is designated for a fixed two-year duration.
The ideal candidate for the Conservation Data Advisor – Africa role must maintain residency and possess valid work authorization in one of the designated program locations within the TNC Africa region, including Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia.
We’re Looking for You:
Deliver specialized assistance and direction aimed at producing and applying evidence within adaptive management frameworks, ensuring alignment with regional requirements.
Deliver hands-on assistance to teams, guided by agile methodologies, data science insights, and implementation science frameworks.
To guarantee culturally and regionally relevant support, collaborate with teams to design offerings and engage local contractors as required.
Provide conservation data science assistance to teams in a manner that aligns with and enhances regional portfolio management and reporting processes.
Facilitate the application of evidence syntheses by support teams to address and resolve critical science evidence gaps identified through their adaptive management frameworks, thereby reinforcing confidence in their reported outcomes.
Collaborate with regional team members to facilitate the effective utilization of conservation data tools, thereby assisting high-priority teams and programs in their initiatives.
Develop the necessary frameworks and support systems to facilitate the creation and application of evidence within the Africa Region, specifically for adaptive management and strategic prioritization efforts.
Establish and nurture strong, collaborative partnerships with senior leadership within The Nature Conservancy’s Africa Region to foster mutual trust and alignment on strategic objectives.
In partnership with the MEL Regional team and MEL Specialists, establish the foundational frameworks necessary to facilitate the effective utilization of robust evidence in adaptive management.
Through close collaboration with Africa MEL staff, you will refine data analytics processes to transform verified, evidence-based data into actionable reporting and learning outputs—including impact briefs, analytical summaries, and data reports—that guide program, portfolio, and leadership-level decision-making.
Work closely with CDT personnel to verify that the region’s conservation data complies with established data quality and reporting criteria, while assisting regional leadership in reinforcing accountability to these benchmarks.
Collaborate with Africa Regional Conservation/Strategies leadership to pinpoint the most critical teams requiring conservation data and learning support, and direct assistance toward those teams.
Work collaboratively with Africa Regional Conservation and Strategies leadership to leverage conservation data in prioritization efforts and strategic decision-making, thereby enhancing regional impact; this includes forming partnerships to design dashboards that facilitate portfolio management and inform key leadership decisions.
Work closely with members of the Africa Regional leadership team to foster and drive the development of key enabling conditions across the region, thereby enhancing data quality and its application in adaptive management and prioritization. This includes strengthening the integration of conservation and financial data, as well as aligning planning processes to support these objectives.
Elevate CDT’s influence and reach by strategically expanding the organization’s footprint and effectiveness across target markets. Drive measurable growth in stakeholder engagement, program adoption, and measurable outcomes to reinforce CDT’s position as a leader in its field. Develop and execute innovative initiatives that amplify the organization’s mission, ensuring sustained relevance and impact in an evolving landscape. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify new opportunities, optimize existing resources, and align efforts with long-term strategic goals.
Deliver a comprehensive assessment and ongoing tracking of the value delivered by CDT support across the designated region.
Explore avenues to enhance support frameworks in alignment with regional requirements, thereby amplifying CDT’s influence, in collaboration with fellow regional CDT leadership.
Deliver insights to the CDT regarding enhancements to existing support models, in collaboration with regional leadership, to identify opportunities for improvement.
Assist in pinpointing areas where CDT tools or processes could be enhanced to better align with team requirements.
Employ a hands-on methodology to evaluate, refine, and enhance CDT support continuously.
Support CDT’s initiatives across diverse regions by identifying collaboration opportunities in advance, documenting and disseminating key insights, and engaging in cross-regional knowledge-sharing activities.
What You’ll Bring:
A Master’s Degree in a scientific field, complemented by at least four years of professional experience in enhancing data quality and leveraging data for management and business applications, is required. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in a sizable conservation or development organization, agency, or equivalent environment. Alternatively, an appropriate combination of education and relevant work experience will be considered.
Proficiency in conservation and/or development metrics, along with expertise in monitoring and evaluation data systems, impact measurement, and results-based reporting for programs and portfolios, is required.
Demonstrated expertise in ensuring the rigor, consistency, and validation of program indicator methodologies is essential.
Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools, including Power BI, Tableau, GIS, Python, Excel, and R, is essential to direct analytics design, evaluate outcomes, and facilitate skill development for regional teams.
Proven ability to guide and develop teams, fostering both leadership and individual growth among members.
Compiling and presenting data-driven evidence to underpin conservation strategies and guide informed decision-making processes.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across diverse functional teams, contributing to or leading collective initiatives to achieve shared objectives.
Demonstrates adaptability to accommodate diverse time zones through a flexible work schedule.
Proven ability to independently manage intricate, open-ended projects and deliver successful outcomes.
Demonstrating a deep understanding of and dedication to integrating equity, justice, and inclusion principles and practices into professional environments.
Professional experience in collaborating and engaging with diverse individuals across various backgrounds.
Proven capability to collaborate seamlessly with diverse teams and stakeholders across international borders, cultures, and regional environments.
Exceptional ability to communicate effectively and collaborate seamlessly with diverse teams and stakeholders.
Candidates should possess extensive multicultural or cross-border expertise specifically within the African continent.
Prospective candidates must possess the legal ability and willingness to live and work in specified TNC Africa program locations, including Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia, with the potential for travel to additional countries within the region, such as Gabon, Angola, and South Africa.
Proficient command of the English language is required. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential.
Desired Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as engineering, computer science, or business administration. Additionally, candidates should possess a minimum of five years of professional experience in a similar role, demonstrating expertise in project management, data analysis, or strategic planning. Proficiency in industry-specific software and tools, along with strong communication and leadership skills, is essential. Candidates must exhibit a proven ability to drive results, solve complex problems, and collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.
Experienced in advancing conservation strategies or solutions through data-driven approaches, including the implementation of MRV systems for ecosystem markets.
Domain expertise is required in one or more of the following domains: large-scale land, freshwater, or ocean protection and management; climate or biodiversity policy development; renewable energy siting strategies; implementation of natural climate solutions; conservation finance and market mechanisms; regenerative agriculture practices; sustainable fisheries or aquaculture systems; watershed management techniques; community-based resource management approaches; or equitable conservation frameworks.
Accomplished in overseeing multifaceted initiatives, with a strong emphasis on financial management and cross-functional collaboration, ensuring alignment among stakeholders and partners.
Proactively takes initiative and demonstrates a strong drive to achieve results.
Proficient in utilizing cutting-edge technological solutions to attain targeted outcomes.
I am eager to contribute to a dynamic agile team that continuously refines and evolves its methodologies to enhance efficiency and collaboration.
Proficiency in Indigenous and Traditional knowledge systems is required.
Individuals should demonstrate a proactive approach to learning and self-improvement, characterized by adaptability, innovative thinking, and the ability to effectively leverage available resources.
Demonstrated expertise in developing and executing strategic plans or initiatives is required.
Fluency in either French or Portuguese is required.
Qualifications
MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
4 years
