About the Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1895. It works to protect wildlife and wild places through scientific research, conservation programmes, and partnerships with communities and other stakeholders.
WCS operates conservation initiatives across Africa, including protected-area management, community-led conservation, biodiversity protection, and wildlife law enforcement. Its approach recognizes the importance of respecting human rights and building positive relationships with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other rights holders.
The Africa Protected Areas Management Unit (APAMU) works alongside the global Rights & Communities team to promote responsible conservation practices and strengthen human rights safeguards throughout WCS programmes.
Job Purpose
The Regional Human Rights Specialist will lead and support the consistent integration of human rights standards and rights-based approaches into WCS conservation programmes across Africa.
The role involves advising country teams, conducting human rights impact assessments, identifying risks associated with conservation activities, supporting investigations or fact-finding when requested, and reviewing standard operating procedures for field operations.
The specialist reports to the Director of the Africa Protected Areas Management Unit, with a secondary reporting relationship to the Senior Human Rights Specialist in the global Rights & Communities team.
Key Responsibilities
1. Human Rights Strategy and Integration
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Support implementation of WCS’s rights-based conservation approach across African programmes.
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Help country teams integrate human rights considerations into conservation planning, project design, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting.
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Provide technical guidance on international human rights standards relevant to conservation.
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Coordinate with regional and country teams to promote consistent approaches.
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Contribute to the development and review of human rights policies, guidance documents, tools, and operational frameworks.
2. Human Rights Impact Assessment and Risk Management
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Conduct human rights impact assessments for new sites and other situations as required.
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Identify actual and potential human rights risks associated with conservation interventions.
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Recommend practical measures to prevent, mitigate, and manage identified risks.
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Support systems for tracking risks, corrective actions, lessons learned, and emerging issues across Africa programmes.
3. Human Rights in Conservation Law Enforcement
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Work with conservation law enforcement specialists and human rights teams to integrate human rights principles into field operations.
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Support law enforcement teams, site managers, and country programmes in applying internationally recognized human rights standards.
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Help develop and review policies, operational protocols, monitoring arrangements, and training materials.
4. Review of Standard Operating Procedures
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Review Africa-level standard operating procedures to ensure that human rights principles are incorporated into field operations.
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Coordinate with regional social safeguards teams and align procedures with WCS institutional policies.
5. Training and Capacity Building
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Design and deliver practical human rights training for staff involved in field implementation, community conservation, and conservation law enforcement.
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Strengthen staff understanding of human rights protection and rights-based approaches in conservation settings.
6. Gender Equity and Community Rights
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Review procedures for integrating gender equity and respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and underrepresented groups into programme design and management.
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Contribute technical content to donor reports and organizational reporting on human rights commitments and achievements.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should meet the following requirements:
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An advanced degree in Law or another relevant field with a specialization in human rights. A first degree combined with relevant experience and certificates may be accepted in place of an advanced degree.
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At least five years of progressively responsible experience in human rights advocacy, research, policy, monitoring, or reporting.
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Demonstrated experience working directly with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, civil society organizations, or government stakeholders in Africa.
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Fluency in English and the ability to work professionally in French.
Desirable Qualifications
The following are additional advantages:
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Experience working in conservation programmes or on conservation-related issues.
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Experience in grassroots advocacy or supporting human rights defenders.
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Fluency in Portuguese or African languages relevant to WCS programme areas.
Technical Competencies and Skills
Candidates should demonstrate:
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Strong knowledge of international human rights standards and regional African human rights frameworks.
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Understanding of civil law and common law systems relevant to law enforcement.
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Knowledge of rights-based approaches to conservation and development, including institutional due diligence.
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Experience conducting human rights and risk assessments and developing suitable assessment methodologies.
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Understanding of gender integration and Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
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Experience developing policies, guidance documents, and operational procedures.
Professional Skills
The ideal candidate should also possess strong analytical and critical-thinking abilities, excellent written and verbal communication skills, effective organization and time management, and the ability to work independently in field settings.
Strong stakeholder engagement and interviewing skills are important, as is the ability to collaborate across cultures, work with multidisciplinary teams, and support organizational change across different country programmes.
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Deadline: 30 October 2026
Operations & Logistics Manager Job at African Conservation Academy – Deadline 30 October 2026
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