At this opportunity, we aim to accomplish significant milestones collaboratively. Together, we can drive impactful results, foster innovation, and cultivate a dynamic environment where shared goals are met with excellence. By leveraging diverse strengths and perspectives, we will enhance productivity, streamline processes, and achieve sustainable success for the organization and its stakeholders.
The Conservation Impact System Team (IST) within the Chief Conservation Office is instrumental in advancing global conservation efforts. By collaborating with conservation teams, leaders, and executives, the IST facilitates the generation and utilization of evidence for adaptive management and reporting, ensuring TNC meets its objectives in biodiversity, climate, and human well-being. Comprising the Conservation Data Team (CDT) and Conservation Strategy Team (CST), the IST delivers integrated support through close coordination. The CDT is tasked with enhancing conservation data capacity, ensuring data quality, advancing science and systems, and facilitating organizational reporting—including executive and global board communications and recommendations. This role is centered on empowering regional teams to consistently produce, validate, and apply high-quality data and evidence through robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems, standards, and methodologies. The position works in close partnership with regional MEL leads to synchronize CDT support with regional MEL priorities, processes, and operational frameworks.
Essential Functions:
The Africa Regional Advisor will collaborate with the CDT to deliver more targeted and cohesive support for conservation data, addressing the specific needs of conservation teams and leaders in TNC’s Africa Region. This role will focus on enabling teams to generate and utilize evidence effectively, thereby enhancing the quality of their decisions and maximizing their impact.
The Africa Regional Advisor will develop insights into the factors influencing customer satisfaction, with customers defined as TNC conservation teams and leaders within the Africa region, while enhancing the effective delivery of CDT support. Serving as a cross-cultural and organizational liaison and champion of learning, the lead will facilitate the sharing of products and practices developed in the Africa region or other TNC regions, ensuring they are adapted and co-evolve to create a conservation data toolkit that is both standardized across TNC and tailored to local contexts.
The Africa Conservation Data Advisor will cultivate and sustain robust, collaborative relationships with key stakeholders and experts across the Africa Region, including the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) regional team, specialists, scientists, and portfolio managers. In collaboration with Africa-based MEL staff, the advisor will ensure that Conservation Data Technologies (CDT) provides support aligned with their strategic vision for conservation science data, MEL, and reporting—ultimately strengthening evidence-based adaptive management within the Africa Portfolio. Additionally, this role will partner with regional MEL leaders and external collaborators to align scientific data support with priority needs, enhancing MEL data quality and adaptive management capabilities. The advisor will work in close coordination with the Africa MEL lead, CDT colleagues, and the CST Africa regional counterpart to maintain cohesive support across MEL and strategic initiatives. This position will play a pivotal role in delivering CDT’s offerings while providing technical and data science expertise. By adopting a hands-on, iterative approach, the advisor will contribute to the development, implementation, and refinement of CDT’s services, enabling rapid learning and adaptive adjustments.
This role is designated for a two-year period.
A candidate for the Conservation Data Advisor – Africa role must be legally eligible to reside and work in one of the designated TNC Africa program countries, specifically Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia.
We’re Looking for You:
Deliver specialized expertise and assistance tailored to the creation and application of evidence within adaptive management frameworks, ensuring alignment with regional requirements.
Offer direct assistance to teams, aligning with agile methodologies, data science, and implementation science principles and values.
Provide regionally and culturally appropriate support to teams by employing a collaborative methodology to develop offerings and engaging local contractors when necessary.
Deliver conservation data science assistance to teams in a manner that aligns with and enhances regional portfolio management and reporting processes.
Support teams in leveraging evidence syntheses to address critical science evidence gaps identified through their adaptive management processes, thereby ensuring the reliability of their reported outcomes.
Collaborate with regional team members to facilitate the effective utilization of conservation data tools, ensuring seamless support for high-priority teams and programs.
Develop the foundational elements necessary for the creation and application of evidence within adaptive management and strategic prioritization processes across the Africa Region.
Foster strong, collaborative partnerships with senior leadership within The Nature Conservancy’s Africa Region, cultivating mutual trust and alignment on strategic objectives.
In partnership with the MEL Regional team and MEL Specialists, establish the foundational elements necessary to facilitate the utilization of rigorous evidence in adaptive management processes.
Working closely with Africa MEL staff, you will refine and strengthen data analytics processes to transform validated, evidence-based data into actionable reporting and learning outputs—including impact briefs, analytical summaries, and data reports—which will guide program, portfolio, and leadership decision-making.
Partner with CDT team members to uphold data quality and reporting standards for regional conservation data, while assisting regional leadership in maintaining accountability to these benchmarks.
Collaborate with Africa Regional Conservation/Strategies leadership to pinpoint the most critical teams that require conservation data and learning assistance, then prioritize providing targeted support to these teams.
Collaborate closely with leadership from Africa Regional Conservation and Strategies to enhance the utilization of conservation data in prioritization and strategic decision-making, thereby amplifying the region’s impact. This involves actively partnering with teams to design and implement dashboards that facilitate portfolio management and inform critical leadership decisions.
Partner with Africa Regional leadership team members to foster and propel key enabling conditions across the region, thereby enhancing data quality and its application in adaptive management and prioritization efforts, as well as advancing the integration of conservation and financial data and planning.
Enhance the reach and influence of CDT by strategically expanding its initiatives and fostering meaningful engagement across diverse stakeholders.
Evaluate and track the effectiveness of CDT support services within the designated region.
Collaborate with other regional CDT leads to explore avenues for enhancing support models, thereby strengthening their scalability to address regional needs and amplify CDT’s overall influence.
Offer strategic recommendations to CDT regarding enhancements to support models, developed in partnership with regional leadership, to drive continuous improvement.
Evaluate and propose enhancements to CDT tools and processes to better align with team requirements and operational needs.
Employ a hands-on methodology to evaluate, refine, and enhance CDT support on an ongoing basis.
Facilitate CDT’s initiatives across diverse regions by identifying opportunities for collaboration in advance, documenting and disseminating key learnings, and engaging in collaborative exchanges that span multiple regions.
What You’ll Bring:
A Master’s Degree in a science-related field, supplemented by at least four years of professional experience in enhancing data quality and leveraging data for management and business applications, is required—ideally within a large conservation or development organization, agency, or an equivalent setting. Alternatively, a combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
Proficiency in applying conservation and/or development metrics, along with expertise in monitoring and evaluating data systems, is essential. Additionally, candidates should possess strong skills in impact measurement and producing results-based reports for programs and portfolios.
Demonstrated expertise in ensuring rigor, consistency, and validation of program indicator methodologies is required.
Required expertise in data analysis and visualization tools—including Power BI, Tableau, GIS, Python, Excel, and R—along with the ability to lead analytics design, evaluate deliverables, and enhance team capabilities across regional offices.
Proven leadership in guiding and developing high-performing teams, fostering individual and collective growth through targeted mentorship and skill enhancement initiatives.
Proven ability to develop and implement data-driven approaches to inform conservation strategies and decisions.
Demonstrated ability to lead or contribute effectively within cross-functional teams, showcasing strong collaboration and coordination skills across diverse departments.
Demonstrates the ability to adapt to a dynamic schedule to accommodate collaboration across multiple global time zones.
Proven ability to independently navigate intricate, open-ended projects and deliver results effectively.
Demonstrates a deep understanding of and dedication to integrating equity, justice, and inclusion principles and practices into professional environments.
Skilled in collaborating and engaging with diverse individuals across various backgrounds, fostering clear and effective communication.
Demonstrates strong cross-cultural adaptability, collaborating seamlessly across diverse international and regional settings.
Proven ability to communicate effectively and build strong professional relationships is essential.
Proven track record of navigating diverse cultural landscapes across the African continent, demonstrating adaptability and cultural competency in varied professional settings.
Authorized and willing to reside and work in designated TNC Africa program locations, including Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia, with the ability to travel to other regional countries such as Gabon, Angola, and South Africa.
Fluent communication skills in English are required, encompassing both written and verbal proficiency to ensure effective interaction and comprehension.
Seeking candidates who meet the following preferred qualifications:
Experienced in advancing conservation initiatives through evidence-based approaches, leveraging data-driven strategies and systems—such as MRV frameworks for ecosystem markets—to drive scalable impact and measurable outcomes.
Domain expertise is required in one or more of the following areas: 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 mechanisms and market-based approaches; regenerative agricultural practices; sustainable fisheries or aquaculture systems; watershed management techniques; community-led conservation initiatives; or equitable conservation strategies.
Accomplished professionals with a proven track record in overseeing multifaceted projects, particularly those involving financial management and cross-functional collaboration, are invited to apply. The role demands the ability to strategically manage project finances while effectively aligning the efforts of team members and external partners to achieve shared objectives.
Driven by initiative, this individual exhibits a strong preference for proactive engagement and immediate execution of tasks.
Proven capability to harness cutting-edge technologies for optimal outcomes.
Eager to contribute to a dynamic agile team that proactively refines its workflows and processes to enhance efficiency and collaboration.
Proven expertise in Indigenous and Traditional knowledge systems is required.
A demonstrated ability to embrace a growth mindset, coupled with a strong aptitude for creativity and resourcefulness, is essential.
Proficiency in strategic planning or execution of strategic initiatives is required.
Fluency in either French or Portuguese is required.
Qualifications
MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
4 years
