Job vacancy Ghana Project Coordinator, Nature-based solutions in the Guinean Forests of West Africa

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization focusing on three programmatic areas: Economic Opportunities, Education, and Empowerment. Our vision is a better world for all young people. It is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world in which all young people, especially women and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities.WUSC currently works in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $45 million. Globally, we partner with a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty and community leaders that work with us to achieve our mission.

Background

WUSC is a leading Canadian international development organization that works with and through its southern partners to promote sustainable development. Founded in 1957 and currently working in 22 countries worldwide with an annual budget of approximately $45 million dollars, WUSC’s mission is to foster human development and global understanding through education and training. Our internationally recognized programs support youth, women and other marginalized populations, focusing on three thematic areas of education, employment and empowerment. Globally, WUSC works with a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty and community leaders that can be leveraged to support our work.

The overall focus of the Nature-based Solutions (NBS) in the Guinean Forests of West Africa (NBS West Africa) project will be on engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to develop local and regional capacity to use evidence and engage with women and marginalized groups to prioritize locally relevant NBS to climate change adaptation. It will take a systems approach to supporting climate adaptation through interventions that plan for, pilot and scale nature based-solutions (NBS) to climate adaptation that contribute to enhanced biodiversity and gender equality. An overall assumption is that restoration and reforestation of degraded forests, both on and off farm, will be critical to supporting women and their communities to adapt to climate change challenges and will be central to protecting and restoring biodiversity in this critical global hotspot.

The project will work in close collaboration with consortium member CECI, and with the IUCN, CIFOR-ICRAF and the University of Guelph. Key local stakeholders include local and national government bodies, regional institutions, private sector, women’s groups, and environmental organizations.

This initiative builds on WUSC’s and CECI’s decades of experience supporting vulnerable populations and leverages the experience of a variety of local and international partners who bring a strong climate NbS lens, are fully immersed in their respective ecosystems and whose work can be accelerated by this project. This project is a timely intervention to ensure Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinée continue to effectively address climate adaptation while incorporating Nature based Solutions and strong gender lenses.

Nature and Scope

Based in the Ghana project office, the Project Coordinator is responsible for the strategic and operational implementation of the NBS project in Ghana. The incumbent manages relationships with key stakeholders, including with national and local government, local and project partners, and the private sector in Ghana.

Reporting to the Project Director, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for the following:

Technical Direction & Project Management

Monitoring & Evaluation

Human Resources

Financial & Office Management

Risk Management & Security Preparedness

Partner Liaison & Coordination

• Education
• A postgraduate university degree in international development, project management or a relevant field.
• Experience and Competencies
• A minimum of ten years of progressively more responsible assignments related to management of development initiatives;
• A minimum of five years working experience in Ghana; experience in Western Region will be an asset;
• Proven knowledge and experience in, climate change adaptation, gender equality, natural resources management, economic development and local governance;
• Demonstrated capacity to work in cross-sectoral collaboration;
• Experience working with donor agencies, including a solid understanding of Results Based Management (RBM) and environmental and gender policies and reporting requirements;
• Proven technical and financial managerial and administrative and organizational skills;
• Proven experience multi-disciplinary staff and international consultants and volunteers;
• Diplomatic skills and the knowledge of cross-cultural, inter-personal communication;
• Proven knowledge of and commitment to the concepts of Climate Change and Gender Equality;
• Experience working in complex partnerships and commitment to a participatory partnership approach to development;
• Proven experience working with information technology (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, internet);
• Capacity to travel and live in remote areas.
• Language
• Superior oral and written skills required in English;
• French language skills an asset.
• Education: Post-graduate Degree