Senior Biodiversity Expert (AUC Secondment)

Title:                                     Senior Biodiversity Expert (AUC Secondment)

Division:                              Global Policy and Governance

Reports to:                          Vice President, Global Policy and Governance

Matrix reporting:              AUC Commissioner / Head of Division, Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE), African Union Commission

Supervises:                         To be Determined

Location:                             Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

For more than 60 years, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has partnered with African governments, institutions, and communities to advance conservation and sustainable development across the continent. AWF’s Vision 2030 places African leadership at the center of conservation success. Goal One of the strategy seeks to promote African leaders who drive shifts in policy, planning, and finance that position wildlife and wildlands as essential to Africa’s development agenda. To advance this ambition, AWF seeks a highly experienced Senior Biodiversity Expert, who will be seconded to the African Union Commission (AUC), Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE).

Position Summary

The Senior Biodiversity Expert will serve as AWF’s senior embedded representative within the AUC, strengthening strategic collaboration between AWF and the Commission while supporting implementation of key continental biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development priorities.

A central focus of the role will be supporting African leadership and ownership of the Keystone Partnership and strengthening the institutional role of the African Union Commission in advancing biodiversity conservation, protected and conserved areas, ecological connectivity, community conservation, and sustainable conservation finance across Africa.

The position will also support implementation of the Africa Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (ABSAP), engagement in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), preparations for major continental and global policy processes, and strengthening relationships between the AUC, APAD, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Member States, development partners, and conservation institutions.

The role requires a highly strategic professional capable of operating effectively at political, policy, and technical levels while building consensus among diverse stakeholders across the continent.

Key Responsibilities

 Strategic Leadership and Institutional Engagement

• Serve as AWF's focal point within the African Union Commission.
• Strengthen institutional collaboration between AWF and the AUC in support of Agenda 2063, ABSAP, and other continental priorities.
• Provide strategic policy advice to AUC leadership on biodiversity, conservation governance, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
• Support positioning of biodiversity and conservation as integral components of Africa's development agenda.
• Facilitate stronger engagement between the AUC, Member States, RECs, and key conservation partners.

African Keystone Partnership Leadership

• Support the AUC in providing continental leadership to the African Keystone Partnership.
• Support efforts to strengthen political ownership and buy-in among Member States for the Keystone Partnership through engagement with senior government official including heads of Protected Area Authorities
• Support national dialogues, roadmap development, and implementation planning in Keystone countries.
• Represent AWF and support AUC representation within Keystone governance structures and technical committees.
• Promote alignment of Keystone Partnership outcomes with AU policy frameworks and continental development agendas.

Institutional Strengthening of APAD and Continental Leadership Platforms

• Support integration of the Africa Protected Area Directors Network (APAD) within relevant AUC structures and processes
• Strengthen APAD's institutional capacity, governance systems, strategic positioning, and sustainability.
• Support APAD's role as an African platform for leadership, learning, and influencing on protected and conserved areas.
• Foster collaboration between APAD, RECs, Member States, and global conservation institutions.
• Support implementation of APAD strategic priorities and related sub regional, regional and continental initiatives.

Policy Development, Advocacy, and Influencing

• Contribute to development and implementation of continental biodiversity and conservation policies.
• Support operationalization of the Africa Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (ABSAP).
• Facilitate alignment between national biodiversity priorities and regional and global frameworks, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• Develop policy briefs, position papers, technical reports, and strategic recommendations.
• Identify and advance opportunities for policy influence across African and international platforms.
• Track, monitor and report on progress.

Convening, Partnerships, and Resource Mobilization

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with governments, development partners, philanthropic organizations, NGOs, research institutions, and multilateral agencies.
• Support convening of high-level meetings, ministerial engagements, technical dialogues, and regional forums.
• Contribute to proposal development, partnership building, and resource mobilization efforts.
• Facilitate coordination among AUC, AWF, APAD, RWF, Keystone NGO partners, and other stakeholders.

Knowledge Leadership and Scaling Best Practices

• Support documentation, validation, and dissemination of best practices emerging from Keystone landscapes and other conservation initiatives.
• Support validation and endorsement of knowledge products through AUC processes.
• Facilitate learning exchanges, peer-to-peer engagement, and knowledge-sharing platforms.
• Promote scaling of successful conservation governance and financing models across Africa.

Multilateral Environmental Agreements

• Support AUC engagement in CBD, CMS, CITES and other MEA processes as appropriate.
• Contribute to technical preparations for CBD, CMS, CITES processes and other global policy fora as appropriate.
• Support development of African common positions, briefing materials, reports and policy recommendations.
• Strengthen linkages between CBD and other related MEAs as well as with climate resilience, restoration, and sustainable development agendas.

Key Performance Indicators

The Senior Biodiversity Expert will be accountable for:

• Enhanced political ownership and leadership of the African Keystone Partnership by Member States.
• Strengthened institutional engagement of the AUC in biodiversity and conservation leadership.
• Formal recognition and strengthened positioning of APAD within relevant AU structures.
• Increased integration of conservation and protected area priorities within AU policies and frameworks.
• Accelerated implementation support for ABSAP and related continental frameworks.
• High-quality policy briefs, technical reports, strategic analyses, and knowledge products.
• Enhanced partnerships and resource mobilization opportunities.
• Effective coordination of continental conservation dialogues and platforms.

Key Qualifications

Education

• Master's degree in Biodiversity, Natural Resource Management, Wildlife Management, Environmental Governance, International Relations, or a related field.
• A PhD will be an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience.
• At least 7 years working in policy, governance, conservation, sustainable development, or international affairs in Africa.
• At least 5 years of international experience in the area of conservation.
• Demonstrated experience engaging high-level government officials, ministers, commissioners, ambassadors, and regional institutions.
• Experience working with multilateral environmental agreements and global policy processes.
• Proven experience in partnership development, coalition building, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience managing complex regional or continental initiatives.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Leadership.
• Political Acumen and Diplomacy.
• Partnership and Coalition Building.
• Policy Analysis and Advocacy.
• Institutional Development.
• Convening and Facilitation Skills.
• Results Orientation.
• Knowledge Management and Learning.
• Communication and Influencing Skills.
• Fluency in English and French (desirable).
• Cross-Cultural Collaboration.
• Commitment to African-led Conservation and Sustainable Development.

Travel Requirements

• Frequent travel across Africa and internationally as required.

Duration

• Initial two-year secondment, renewable based on performance, funding availability, and mutual agreement between AWF and the AUC.

Deadline:August 18,2026