Position: Senior Sustainable Livelihoods Officer & Sustainable Livelihoods Officer
Reports to (Supervisors): Senior Community Relations Manager
Location: Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Country Program: WCS Papua New Guinea Program
Position Type: Full-Time
Expected travel: If/when needed to field offices or other location
Organization Background:
The Wildlife Conservation Society (“WCS”) is a New York not-for-profit corporation founded by statute in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society. WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through research, science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. That mission is achieved through our global conservation programs (WCS currently oversees a portfolio of more than 500 conservation projects in 65 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America, and the oceans between them) and through the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks–the Bronx Zoo; the New York Aquarium; and the Central Park, Queens, and Prospect Park Zoos (the City Zoos).
Program Overview:
WCS is the longest established international non-government conservation organisation within Papua New Guinea (PNG). At key and representative landscapes and seascapes, from the country’s coral islands to its forested highlands, WCS works with local communities and provincial, national and international partners, to sustainably manage and conserve the biodiversity and cultural values of Papua New Guinea’s wildlife and wild places. WCS PNG vision is “Gutpela sindaun, gutpela bus, gutpela solwara” (“Empowered people with healthy forests and seas”). The WCS PNG program is headquartered in Goroka. WCS PNG employs about 52 full time staff and implement and administer about 10 projects annually funded by governments and private donors.
Job Summary:
The Sustainable Livelihoods Officer will design, implement, and support community-based livelihood initiatives that strengthen household resilience while reducing pressure on biodiversity. The role focuses on developing environmentally sustainable, culturally appropriate income-generating activities in partnership with local communities, aligning livelihood outcomes with conservation goals. The position works closely with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), customary landowners, women and youth groups, and local leaders to co-design, implement, and monitor sustainable livelihood activities. The officer will support participatory planning, community consultation, and capacity building while strengthening community ownership and long-term sustainability of interventions. The position requires travel within PNG, especially to WCS field sites in the Highlands and to the marine programme sites in New Ireland, West New Britain and Manus.
This Job Description is progressive in nature and shall be reviewed and amended from time to time to meet the current program needs.
While the position focuses on livelihoods, individuals who demonstrate an interest in leading project activities across other programmatic areas as and when required will be preferred. We are looking for a dynamic individual interested in and excited about taking on significant programmatic responsibilities beyond their existing skillsets.
Major Responsibilities:
- Conduct assessments to understand livelihood needs and opportunities in partner communities
- Lead implementation of nature-positive livelihood interventions through ongoing projects
- Ensure livelihood interventions are inclusive and culturally appropriate.
- Document impacts of livelihood interventions, including but not restricted to harvests, sales, profits, etc.
- Support and conduct trainings on family business management, financial literacy, etc.
- Work with partner CBOs to widen the impact of livelihood interventions
- Translate scientific information into simple English and Tok Pisin to allow it to be easily understood by a variety of stakeholders, including those with low literacy skills.
- Provide capacity building to local staff and partners.
- Represent WCS during stakeholder/partner engagement and outreach
- Other duties as directed by your supervisor.
Minimum Requirements:
Education/Credentials
- A bachelor’s degree or higher qualifications in a relevant discipline. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in other fields but with full-time professional experience in implementing livelihood projects will also be considered.
Experience
- At least 2 years’ full-time, professional experience in implementing livelihood projects with an NGO or a government agency or equivalent
- Strong understanding of and experience with conducting financial and business management trainings for communities
- Good interpersonal skills and experience in liaising with a range of stakeholders, including traditional owners, local and state government, special interest groups and individuals regarding natural resource management issues.
Critical Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Experience in community engagement, facilitation, and participatory planning.
- Experience working with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and customary institutions.
- Strong facilitation and conflict-sensitive communication skills.
- Understanding of social safeguards, inclusion, and gender-sensitive approaches.
- Ability to work respectfully within diverse cultural contexts.
- Excellent computer literacy & skill of MS office applications (Word/PowerPoint/internet etc.)
- Good analytical and problem-solving skills
- Good knowledge of written and spoken English and Tok pisin
- Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
- Being a self-starter with drives and initiative and able to work as a team/individual with a positive attitude and open minded
- Excellent organizational and leadership skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work with less supervision and under pressure
- Excellent multi-tasking, organized and follow-up skills
- Willingness and enthusiasm for being in the field in remote locations with very basic facilities
Application instructions
- Applications should be submitted by 5 pm on 27th February only to akakau@wcs.org. Applications sent through any other medium will not be considered.
- Submit your CV (3 pages maximum) and a cover letter (2 pages maximum) as one combined PDF file with the following naming system: “first name_last name_TCC.pdf”, with the email subject as “Application for TCC: first name last name”
- Only list full-time, paid positions in your CV, starting with your current or last position and going backwards.
- Do not submit any other documents, including reference letters, transcripts, diplomas, etc. with your application.
Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. We encourage you to submit your application at the earliest.
This position is only open to PNG nationals and permanent residents. The position is based in the WCS office in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province. The successful candidate will need to be based in Goroka, EHP.
Due to the large volume of applications received, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. If you have not received any communication regarding your application from WCS within 3 weeks of the application deadline, your application has not been successful.
Carefully review all application instructions. Applications that do not follow these instructions may be rejected without assessment.
*Depending on the candidate profile, WCS may offer the position of Senior Livelihoods Officer OR Livelihoods Officer. WCS reserves the right to not hire for either or both of these positions.