Officer, Policy Fellowships

Title:                                      Officer, Policy Fellowships    

Department:                       Conservation Education and Youth Leadership

Reports to:                          Senior Officer, Youth Leadership Program

Matrix Management:      Country Director, Cameroon

Supervises:                          N/A

Location:                              Yaoundé,Cameroon

The AWF Youth Engagement Strategy has 3 pillars, namely: Leadership, Opportunities and Networks. Reporting to the Senior Officer, Youth Leadership, The Officer, Policy Fellowship will be responsible for delivering the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship, a track of the AWF-Wall Youth Leadership Program.

The AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship is a 9 months training program implemented by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in Collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) since 2022, with the aim of Building a pool of young African professionals skilled in International Biodiversity Governance, particularly the CBD, to influence policy at national, regional, and global levels.

The role will deliver its work while ensuring alignment with the sister track- the AWF-Wall Leadership and Management Fellowship, and maintaining key focus to overall AWF priorities and strategic direction.

Required capabilities for this position are a strong commitment to the program and organization by being able to work with minimal supervision, being a team player with interpersonal skills, the ability to design and implement learning experiences as well as experience to biodiversity policy-making spaces.  

Program Development, Management and Training

• →Design and thereafter implement the new online version of the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship, adapted from the flagship version
• →Continue to implement future cohorts of the flagship version of the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship
• →Provide technical guidance to the implementing partners and consultants of the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship
• →Coordinate the recruitment and supervision of experts/contract institutions as required to undertake tasks of the implementation of training programs.
• →Coordinate the recruitment of trainee candidates for the program .
• →Develop workplan and curriculum and deliver on the leaderships trainings as scheduled.
• →Facilitate and train on various courses/modules as necessary.
• →Plan and coordinate field trips and policy conferences for leadership trainings.
• →Maintain records on technical and financial aspects of program operation, including monitoring of project activities and their outcomes, as well as minutes, decisions and recommendations of meetings and workshops.

Partnership and Communications

• →Support the establishment and maintenance of partnerships that can support the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship.
• →Ensure effective liaison and maintain good communication with relevant stakeholders.
• →Support to generating ideas for products and initiatives that tell and communicate the powerful stories of young people.

Measuring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• →Work with the AWF M&E global team to ensure that MEAL tools are developed, rolled out and analyzed according to institutional metrics; indicators are tracked; and findings inform the Youth Programming.
• →Coordinate with communications and the Knowledge management department teams so that most significant change stories are documented, filed, and disseminated.

Other

• →Support other administrative and other services as required.

Rights-based Conservation

Human rights are a guiding principle in the AWF Strategic Vision 2020-2030, embedded in our core principles and core values. AWF’s mission is to ensure that wildlife and wildlands thrive in modern Africa. AWF understands a modern Africa to be an Africa in which human rights are fulfilled and commits to respect, protect, and always promote human rights, irrespective of ethnic group, gender, race, sexual orientation, age, or class by adopting a rights-based conservation approach.  The role holder will come in to contact with a wide range of stakeholders and will be required to demonstrate commitment to and a good understanding of AWF’s Rights Based Conservation approaches, values, and principles.

• At least 3 years working experience in curating, facilitating, and overseeing implementation of leadership programmes, preferably in the environmental sector.
• Experience in delivering in person, hybrid and online learning experiences, courses and or fellowships
• A bachelor’s in environmental sciences, conservation, business, or social sciences. Experience in related disciplines (or) significant international experience can be substituted for degree relevance.
• Experience with engaging in Multilateral Environmental Agreements and related platforms, especially the Africa Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Strong coordination and time management skills including ability to provide technical guidance, and oversight, develop workplans and oversee timely implementation of workplans
• Good multi-cultural and interpersonal skills and experience in networking with partners at all levels (ministry, donors, private sector, NGOs, and local community-based organizations).
• Experience working with or in international organizations.
• Keen interest in Conservation and AWF’s mission.
• Proven written, analytical, presentation and reporting skills and computing skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and French.

Deadline:July 06,2026