Governance Specialist

Vacancy Announcement

Position: Governance Specialist
Reports to: Policy Influencing Manager
Location: Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Country Program: WCS Viet Nam
Team/Division: Policy
Position Type: Full-time
Expected travel: up to 25%

Organization Background

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

WCS Viet Nam Program Overview

WCS has been working in Viet Nam since early 2006 to strengthen the commitment and capacity of the Vietnamese government to combat wildlife trafficking. It has established a well-respected presence in the country, providing support to a range of government agencies. WCS Viet Nam have generated a wide range of reliable data on a number of related issues and trained about 1,200 law enforcement officers from a range of agencies in investigation and enforcement techniques, and distributed a number of technical handbooks and guides. It has assisted central agencies to review and propose criminal intelligence analysis systems, inter-agency agreements and cooperation, national legislation, and have supported bi-lateral dialogues to suppress the wildlife trade and strengthen Viet Nam’s enforcement response. Its wildlife health expertise has been leveraged in Viet Nam to address core conservation issues, like wildlife trade, through collaborative research, training, and policy development.

Project Introduction

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported counter wildlife trafficking (CWT) activities in more than 25 countries over the past decade by investing in the first line of defence against poachers and traffickers, bolstering community conservation, reducing demand for wildlife products, and developing innovative solutions. USAID’s Biodiversity Policy aims to advance biodiversity conservation as an essential component of human development. The Biodiversity Policy ranks Vietnam as a Tier 1 country, meaning that Vietnam is among USAID’s highest ranked countries in terms of biological criteria based on the Global Environment Facility’s Global Benefits Index for Biodiversity and that contain a preponderance of globally significant ecoregions as determined by the World Wildlife Fund’s Global 200 list.

Awarded to Tetra Tech ARD, USAID’s funded Saving Species project (Oct. 2016 – Sept. 2021) seeks to reduce the pressure of wildlife crime on endangered and threatened species. This five-year project led by USAID/Vietnam will accomplish this by reducing consumer demand for and consumption of illegal wildlife and wildlife products, strengthening wildlife law enforcement and prosecution, and improving and harmonizing the legal framework for wildlife crime.

As a sub-contractor of the USAID Saving Species project, WCS will provide the technical lead to implement, monitor, and adapt activities outlined in Task 1 (Improve and Harmonize the Legal Framework for Wildlife Crime) and Task 2 (Strengthen Wildlife Law Enforcement and Prosecution) of the project to strengthen competencies of law enforcement officers to enforce wildlife laws and legislation.

Job Summary

The Governance Specialist (GS) is responsible to design, implement and monitor activities, budgets for successful implementation of Task 1 and some activities under Task 2. The GS is expected to work closely with the Policy Influencing team to ensure the harmonization between WCS and the USAID Saving Species project for governance improvement activities. S/he will work closely with other team members of the USAID Saving Species project to support efforts of Task 2 (Strengthen Wildlife Law Enforcement and Prosecution) and provide insight and feedback to Task 3, as appropriate, with targeted audience and Government stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develops and oversees work-planning, budgeting, project-tracking and performance reporting for activities under Task 1 and some activities under Task 2 of the USAID Saving Species project;
• Collaborates and coordinates with relevant WCS staff, Activity staff, subcontractors and grantees to execute the project activities;
• Provides day-to-day direction of all activities related to legal reform activities under Task 1 and some activities under Task 2;
• In coordination with the Law Enforcement Assistance team, establishes and maintains partnership with Vietnam’s enforcement community;
• Coordinates and harmonizes governance support activities between USAID Saving Species and WCS;
• Involves in the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to support legal reforms in Vietnam;
• Collaborates with and build upon the efforts of other USG, internationally-assisted and civil society activities;
• Contributes to the development of WCS Viet Nam policies and strategies;
• Acts as WCS’s representative and USAID Saving Species project at provincial and national level/meetings/workshops as required;
• Performs others as requested and mutually agreed with the leaders of WCS and USAID Saving Species project.

Requirements

• A relevant degree in Law or a relevant field, in lieu thereof, additional years of experience in a related technical area;
• Experience in effective policy and legislation development and/or reform, the design and institutionalization of capacity building systems, institutional strengthening, and coalition building;
• Experience in working with government agencies and other stakeholders in governance and accountability, and/or e-system development and operation is highly desired;
• Experience in implementation and management of USAID-funded projects, is highly desired;
• Proficiency in English is required;
• Proficiency in Vietnamese is highly desired.

Application Process:

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications should apply by online via this link: https://forms.gle/EUDPs8BsVKetFBS8A latest by 17:30 of August 6, 2019.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.

The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on age, color, disability, gender identify, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations.

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted for interview.