Lusaka, Zambia

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there are lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube on Glassdoor.

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

In Zambia, TNC has a primary geographical focus on the Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE). This is Zambia’s largest conservation landscape, a 66,000 sq. km complex of great biodiversity value, dominated by the 22,000 sq. km Kafue National Park and nine Game Management Areas (GMAs) under communal tenure that span an additional 44,000 sq. km. TNC is working with communities and diverse public and private stakeholders in and around this ecosystem to strengthen community tenure over natural resources, develop effective natural resource governance and management systems and create sustainable conservation and wealth generation models for the landscape. One key project which supports this strategy is a five-year $10m USAID-funded Global Development Alliance (GDA) project, the “Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance”, which leverages private sector partner resources and expertise to achieve integrated and sustainable outcomes for biodiversity conservation, economic prosperity, sustainable agriculture, human well-being, and natural resource governance in the eastern sector of the GKE. The project is focused on delivering lasting outcomes for nature and people in and around Lunga Luswishi, Mumbwa, Namwala and Nkala GMAs.

The Market Development Lead – Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance shall be primarily responsible for the implementation and coordination of the project’s activities related to the development of an inclusive nature-based economy in and around the project’s focal GMAs.  This is a 5-year term limited position, dependent on the duration of funding from USAID, and extension of tenure will be subject to performance and availability of funds. The position will be based in TNC’s Mumbwa Office and will report to the Chief of Party. No employment visas  or assistance is being offered with this position except for the local labour employment requirements.

The Market Development Lead – Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance will provide expert commercial market development support to the project’s primary target beneficiaries, being the local communities that depend on the landscape for their livelihoods and survival, and will engage closely with private market operators as key partners. The Market Development Lead works as a member of the project implementation team and as part of the broader TNC Zambia’s conservation team, ensuring close communication, collaboration and learning with peers across project and teams. Specifically, they will provide hands-on strategic guidance and technical oversight for all the project’s market development activities in the natural resources and sustainable agriculture sectors, developing and strengthening mutually beneficial commercial relationships among the private sector, local communities and small businesses, ensuring the meaningful participation of women and youth.

• Cultivates and develops partnerships with key stakeholders in the landscape, including communities, private sector actors and project implementing partners

• Develops and maintains an information base on all formal and informal private sector activities of relevance within the project area and continually scans the market to identify potential opportunities for business linkage with rural communities.
• Works with private sector actors in the natural resources sector (e.g. consumptive and non-consumptive tourism operators, forest product aggregators and processors, carbon project developers, fish aggregators and processors) to develop commercial markets that stimulate the engagement of rural communities and small businesses in the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, provide sustainable wealth opportunities for local communities, ensure equitable participation of women and men and incentivize the investment of private capital in the long term equitable growth of these markets while protecting the natural capital upon which they depend.
• Works with private sector operators in the agricultural sector (e.g. agricultural input, information and service providers, agricultural commodity and livestock buyers and processors) to develop and strengthen agricultural markets that stimulate the engagement of smallholder farmers and provide incentives for the adoption of climate smart and sustainable agricultural technologies and practices
• Builds the capacity of small rural businesses and community-owned enterprises to engage and negotiate with private market operators and become increasingly innovative and sophisticated in their business dealings
• Using a market-led approach, promotes the climate resilient diversification of smallholder agriculture by supporting the adoption of agrobiodiverse productions systems integrating multiple species, breeds or varieties, and integration of crop, livestock, poultry and tree crops
• In coordination with livestock market operators, builds the capacity of traditional pastoral targeted communities in the roll-out of conservation-compatible sustainable livestock management practices and link participating livestock farmers to private input markets and output marketing opportunities
• Works with tourism operators and agribusiness (e.g. suppliers of seed, irrigation technology and extension) to establish reliable supply chains for local fresh produce into the tourism industry
• Undertakes basic economic evaluations of business models related to sustainable natural resource management
• Oversees tracking of market development activities, ensuring activities and deliverables meet USAID requirements; identifying any implementation challenges and providing the necessary support to address them.
• Contributes to developing terms of reference for market development and private investment-related sub-awards and contract as well as reviewing reports submitted by relevant subrecipients
• Coordinates  with the project’s monitoring, evaluation research and learning (MERL) staff to implement the MERL Plan, report on project activities, measure outcomes in accordance with project requirements and document key lessons learned from stakeholder engagements and community interactions.

• May require frequent travel to remote locations and evening and weekend hours.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations and under physically demanding circumstances

• BA/BS degree in natural resource management, natural resource economics, agriculture, business or similar relevant field
• 5 years’ practical experience in rural market development, natural resource management or similar field
• Experience in sustainable agricultural or natural resource management donor-funded project implementation
• Experience in partnership development and management with private sector actors, small businesses and rural communities
• Experience in negotiating and conflict management
• Proven communication skills in written, spoken and graphical means in English
• Competence in computer skills (e.g. Excel, Word)

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5-7 years’ experience in business, market development or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of current trends and practices in the rural agricultural and natural resource sectors in Zambia
• Experience in developing or supporting innovative business models that stimulate private investment and engage rural communities
• Experience in capacity building and mentoring small rural businesses
• Knowledge of best practice in sustainable agriculture in Zambia
• Experience in resource stewardship e.g. managing and tracking budgets
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of rural market development projects
• Ability to communicate in the local languages spoken in the project area
• Ability to work independently with strong self-motivation