WWF ADRIA WILDLIFE PROGRAM OFFICER FOR COMMUNICATION
 
Position title:                     Program officer for communication (communications specialist)
 
Reports to:                        Wildlife Program Manager
 
Location:                           Croatia, preferably Zagreb         
 
Starting/Ending:               January 2021 – December 2021
 
Engagement:                    Part-time position (50%), fixed-term contract
 
 
WWF is one of the world’s leading non-governmental and non-profit organizations for nature conservation. WWF has been established in 1961, and has representative offices in over 100 countries across the globe and approximately 6200 employees. The organization is proud of its supporters of over five million people.
WWF Adria is representing WWF within the countries of Western Balkans with more than 60 employees. It operates through a WWF Adria office in Zagreb (Croatia), WWF Adria-Serbia office in Belgrade, and partner organizations and consultants within the rest of the region. To implement its conservation goals WWF Adria operates in the structure of different programs (Marine, Freshwater, Protected Areas & Governance and Wildlife) which are contributing to the protection of different ecosystems or to the improvement of governance of protected areas within the Protected Areas & Governance Programme.

The mission of the Wildlife Program is to ensure securing and/or recovering of populations of the most threatened and ecologically, economically and culturally important wild species. Main threats to wildlife in Adria can broadly be divided into two categories: (i) habitat loss/degradation, and (ii) low understanding of benefits of wildlife to systemic conservation of environment.

 “Successful Wildlife Crime Prosecution in Europe” (SWiPE) project aims to discourage and ultimately reduce illegally killed European wildlife, supporting the recovery of threatened European biodiversity and the health of ecosystems. The project is implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, and Ukraine. One of the main tasks would be to help to reach 10 Million citizens/general public by using exemplary cases of wildlife crime verdicts in communication, in order to change the sense of impunity and low risk of such crime.

Wildlife Project Officer for Communications is expected to engage in the LIFE project “Successful Wildlife Crime Prosecution in Europe” (SWiPE) in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, and other communication components for which Wildlife team needs capacity.
This position should: a) implement the communication component of the ‘SWiPE’ project, and b) develop and implement the Wildlife program’s communication within WWF Adria.
 
 
I. Major Functions
 

1. Supports development and implementation of the Wildlife program’s strategy for WWF Adria
2. Leads development or Wildlife’s communications strategy and integrates communications within the Wildlife unit; ensures consistent messaging on wildlife issues for key audiences (external and internal)
3. Supports monitoring & evaluation of Wildlife Programme Communications
4. Supports integration of Wildlife program into Wildlife Practice and other European initiatives
5. Supports fundraising for the Wildlife program in accordance with WWF Adria conservation strategy: responsible for the communication components during the project development, screening of WWF network priorities and donors, and corporates.
6. Implementation of the communication component of the project LIFE Successful Wildlife Crime Prosecution in Europe (SWiPE) according to project work-plan.
7. Support development of internal communication material for WWF Adria and network related to the program’s work (bulletins, workspace, newsletters) and supports WWF Adria overall communications and fundraising strategy
8. Supports Program Manager and Communication Director in building partnerships with stakeholders relevant for the Wildlife strategy and with organizations cooperating at the projects

 
II. Major Duties and Responsibilities
 

• Implement the communication component of the project LIFE Successful Wildlife Crime Prosecution in Europe (SWiPE)

• Responsible for the implementation and reporting communication activities in Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and at the EU project level,
• Help to reach 10 Million EU citizens/general public by using exemplary cases of wildlife crime verdicts from Adria region, and adapting European cases, in communication, in order to change the sense of impunity and low risk of wildlife crime,
• Independently develop and implement communications campaigns (i.e. guerrilla), public events to support local Pilot cases,
• Ensure establishment and maintaining of long-term cooperation with media, and media onboarding to WLC topic: through releases, formal and informal meetings with the press, including media trips,
• Support in developing project materials and content for communication activities and materials, including for print and digital, such as posters, factsheets, booklets for different target groups, information boards, expert hubs, reports, etc.
• Stays current on developments in the field and developments in the region where implement projects, implement novelties within the Wildlife program
• Attends capacity building activities organized by the WWF Network or other to improve personal professional skills, in agreement with the Wildlife Program Manager.

• Supports program manager in building partnerships with stakeholders relevant for the Wildlife strategy and with organizations cooperating at the projects.
• Represent WWF Adria in the WWF Network and other international fora, in agreement with the Wildlife Program Manager.

 
III. Profile:
 
Qualifications         

• A University degree in any of social sciences and management, journalism, communications, law, environmental management, economics and policies, social development, sociology, or other relevant fields, and 5 years of professional experience in the broad area of communications or related fields.
• Broad job knowledge within the unit’s scope of work
• Demonstrated skills in the creative industry, advertising, designing and implementing communication strategies
• Excellent oral and written Croat/Bosnian/Montenegrin/Serbian and English communication skills are required.
• Broad knowledge of the geography, societies, economies, politics and pertinent issues of conservation and development within the program’s scope of work

 
Competencies and characteristics
 

• Good teamwork skills
• Good interpersonal and organizational skills, including self-motivation and an ability to initiate actions and to follow through to satisfactory completion;
• An excellent level of computer literacy, especially word-processing, budget and spreadsheet preparation, database record systems, electronic mail;
• Diplomatic – sensitive for cultural differences and knowing how to act in multi-stakeholder alliances (with NGOs, politicians, policymakers, private sector actors);
• Passionate about nature conservation;
• Networker, team player and enthusiastic bridge builder;
• Structured, planned and organized;
• An ability to meet deadlines;
• Understanding and applying WWF social and environmental safeguards

 
Availability to travel (always respecting national and international Covid-19 travel limitations)
  
Information and procedure
Are you interested in this position and do you recognize yourself in the above profile? Then we invite you to express your interest before December 10^th 2020 by sending an e-mail with the Motivation letter, CV in English, and list two references to jmarkovic@wwfadria.org 
Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted, and for selected candidates interview will be held virtually.