City: Yaounde Posted: 11-Aug-2025

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the Earth? Working with WWF could be the opportunity of a lifetime:

All around the world, people are waking up to the deepening crisis of nature loss. A growing realization that nature is our life-support system. And that nobody will be spared from the impacts of its loss. Here at WWF, we are helping to tackle this enormous global challenge.

Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from HR and finance to advocacy and conservation science. We welcome applications from anyone who believes they can help us create a better future for people and wildlife.

What we do:

We are an independent conservation Organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. From individuals and communities to business and government, we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable.

For our Africa Team, we are looking for a dynamic and committed Africa Regional Policy Coordinator - No Deep Seabed Mining Initiative

Reports to: - Line Manager: Head of Policy & Partnership Africa

- Dotted line report: Global No Deep Seabed Mining Initiative Lead

Supervises: N/A

**Location:**Yaoundé, Cameroon

**Duration:**Two (02) years

Mission of the Department

Thanks to the past four years of coordinated action, momentum towards a moratorium, or pause, on deep seabed mining (DSM) has shifted into high gear. As a result, today the pathway to a moratorium is clear. From a baseline of zero in mid-2022, thirty-two States have thus far joined the call for a moratorium or a precautionary pause. The growing groundswell of pressure from scientists, companies, the fisheries sector, media, and a wide range of civil society actors, has slowed negotiations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to such an extent that expected applications for a license to exploit have yet to be submitted.

The coming two years are the best and only opportunity to finish the job and achieve a moratorium on an industry whose vast public environmental costs would so greatly outweigh the private profits it may bring to a few rich-world speculators.

However, no African state has so far joined the call for a moratorium. Therefore, targeted policy engagement in key African states is a priority for the WWF No DSM Initiative over the coming two years.

Major Functions

To advance WWF’s objectives on a moratorium on deep seabed mining at the International Seabed Authority through coordination of WWF advocacy in the Africa Region.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, track and evaluate with the WWF Initiative lead and global policy lead a dedicated regional strategy to generate government support for a deep seabed mining (DSM) moratorium
• Engage with government representatives in the Africa region, including arranging meetings to discuss DSM and generate support for a precautionary pause/moratorium, with the national office where relevant
• Engage the African Union on DSM and circular economy related matters
• Track, gather and maintain an up-to-date picture of DSM positions, policy and news within your region
• Coordinate advocacy activities with the WWF offices in relevant countries, and facilitate cooperation and coordination between WWF offices and their work pertaining to DSM
• Lead the development and execution of activities (e.g. letters to government, side events, workshops, media engagement via press briefings, op-eds etc.), in close collaboration with the Initiative Lead, and the national WWF offices where relevant
• Work with the WWF DSM core team and with WWF offices in the region, as well as with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition’s (DSCC) regional lead upon mutual agreement, to find synergies and opportunities for cooperation
• Produce written materials, where needed
• Regularly host and chair coordination calls or meetings with WWF staff within your region
• Attend weekly WWF DSM core team meetings
• Provide written/oral regional reports to the WWF DSM Initiative Lead when requested
• Provide support to the host office on related policy matters as agreed between the Initiative Lead and the host office.

Profile:

Required Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree, preferable Master’s level in a relevant field (Development studies, International policy, Political Science, Political Economy, Economics, Engineering, Environmental Studies).
• 5+ years' experience working for an international organization, preferably in policy development and advocacy.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated success in delivering policy advocacy objectives
• Demonstrated network and experience working with governments, civil society and NGOs in the region, ideally related to ocean governance and/or extractive industries issues
• Knowledge of broader ocean governance issues, deep seabed mining and the International Seabed Authority a plus
• Understanding of the importance of science-based policy making, and of the opportunities of a circular economy in the regional context
• Experience in convening, facilitating and hosting events on site as well as virtually
• Ability to travel both in the region and to Jamaica (the seat of the International Seabed Authority) ca 20% of the year
• Fluent in English; an additional language of either French or Portuguese is desirable.

Values and Behaviours

• Proactive, self-starter, with the ability to lead without formal authority
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal, strong command of the English language
• Strong diplomatic, internal and external networking and influencing skills
• Comfortable working within a multi-cultural setting
• Strong coordination and organisational skills, with a proven ability to organise, manage and deliver work on time within a cross-cultural, multinational environment
• Capacity to work rapidly and accurately under pressure in a dynamic environment and to quickly define and adhere to priorities
• Discretion, reliability, flexibility, empathy
• Embraces the WWF mission and values of the organization: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.