Head of Operations and Development

Reference Number
RR_2026_SCCA_008

Job purpose

Duration:
Contract (12 months)

Reporting to:
Conservancy Manager

Location:
Mwandi, Western Province, Zambia

BACKGROUND

The Sesheke and Sekute Chiefdoms have agreed to jointly establish the Simalaha Community Conservancy to promote conservation and development through a wildlife economy. The Conservancy is pioneering a model of development led by the communities, based on the sound management and conservation of their natural resources.

The Conservancy was registered as a Trust under the Land Act in 2019. As a body corporate, it is governed by a Board of Trustees, which provides strategic guidance, and relies on its Conservancy Management Unit (CMU) to manage the Conservancy and implement its long-term vision.

Job purpose

The Trust is seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Operations and Development to coordinate and implement the various operational programmes of the Unit, with the oversight of the Conservancy Manager. The Head of Operations and Development will play a key leadership role within the Unit’s senior management team and will report directly to the Conservancy Manager.

The Head of Operations and Development is expected to be a high achiever who is implementation-oriented, adaptable, and solution-focused, with strong attention to detail and a commitment to accountability.

Responsibilities

Main responsibilities

• Coordination and supervision of the Unit’s operational departments and their programmes.
• Coordination of development of the Conservancy’s operational workplan and budgets.
• Ensure achievement of the programme’s intended outputs and objectives, within approved budgets and time frame.

Administration and Finance

• Supervise the management of assets and resources.
• Ensure that the Conservancy’s operational budget is properly developed and managed.
• Ensure that the Conservancy adheres to best practices in procurement.
• Ensure the Conservancy funds are administered in accordance with clearly set policies and proceeds, as per agreements with different donors.
• Ensure the development and updating of the key Conservancy management documentation and policies, to guide operations to deliver on the approved Trust strategic business plan and management plan. This will include, but is not limited to:
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Fleet Management
• Asset Management
• Infrastructure maintenance
• Station rules

Planning and reporting

• Contribute to the development/updating of the Conservancy’s Strategic Business Plan and Management Plan.
• Coordinate the development, costing of, and overseeing the implementation of specialized sub plans that will deliver on the Trust’s strategic business plan and management plan, such as:
• Wildlife management
• Fire management
• Water management
• Human-wildlife conflict management
• Coordinate the development of the Conservancy’s annual work plan and budget for the operation department and its programmes.
• Coordinate the submission of monthly and quarterly reports from each operational department aligned to the Conservancy Manager.
• Ensure timely preparation and compilation of accurate progress reports (narrative and financial) for submission to donor(s), as appropriate.

Supervision and coordination of programmes

• Oversee and coordinate the following operational departments and programmes:
• Community Support
• Human-Wildlife Coexistence
• Wildlife Counter Poaching
• Cookstove Programme
• Fisheries
• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Infrastructure Development.
• Ensure these programmes align with the Trust’s strategic business plan and are planned and executed efficiently.
• Oversee Programme Coordinators, ensuring that all components are integrated and coordinated effectively, and programmes are resource-efficient and adhere to sustainability principles across environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
• Chair weekly operational meetings (together with annual fire and animal population control meetings) to ensure all departments remain aligned with the Trust’s objectives.

Operations/asset management

• Ensure that all operations across the Conservancy’s departments are carried out in a cost-effective and resource-efficient manner.
• Manage the Conservancy’s assets, including vehicles, infrastructure, and equipment, ensuring that they are maintained, fully operational, and used effectively.
• Oversee the development and implementation of operational strategies to optimize the use of the Conservancy’s resources in line with budgetary constraints.
• Ensure that all operations and asset management practices are aligned with the Conservancy’s several objectives and best practices for sustainability.
• Monitor and evaluate the efficiency of operational processes, making recommendations for improvements, where necessary.

Risk compliance and management

• Manage risk and compliance issues related to the Conservancy’s operational programmes, ensuring that all activities strictly adhere to internal policies, donor requirements, and applicable legal framework
• Ensure a proactive and thorough approach to serious incident reporting.
• Foster a culture of transparency and learning, encouraging extensive reporting and addressing incidents with a ‘learning from our mistakes’ mindset, to continuously improve operational practices.
• Lead the management of human rights and occupational health and safety issues, ensuring both risk compliance and effective risk management.

Risk Management
Monitoring of performance and monitoring, evaluation, and learning oversight performance monitoring

• Oversee the performance of all operational departments to ensure that they meet their respective targets and contribute to the Trust’s overall strategic objectives.
• Establish key performance indicators for each department and regularly assess progress against these benchmarks.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and ensure that any deviations from planned activities are addressed and corrected in a timely manner.
• Undertake performance evaluations on delivery objectives to provide appropriate interventions and corrective actions.

Oversight of monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes:

• Contribute to the development of robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems across all operational programmes to ensure auditable data collection, analysis, and utilization.
• Ensure that data are collected systematically and used to inform decision-making, adaptive management, and data-based reporting.
• Ensure that monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes are aligned with donor requirements and the Trust’s internal reporting needs.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in wildlife conservation, natural resource management, environmental science, sustainable development, community development, or non-profit management.
• An advanced degree is beneficial for supporting the technical demands of the operational role.
• At least 10 years in a relevant field, including a minimum of 5 years in an operational management or implementation-focused role within conservation or community-based organisations.
• Proven experience managing day-to-day programme execution and working closely with technical teams to achieve specific project outcomes.
• Skilled in coordinating teams and resources to implement programmes efficiently.
• Program management and logistics skills.
• Compliance and risk management skills.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation for continuous improvement.
• Technical expertise in operations.