Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) recrute
Senior Social Safeguards Officer, WCS’s BNB landscape
Location: Garoua, Cameroon
Generic and Specific Responsibilities:
For the GRM:
The Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) is a first-of-its-kind system for Protected Areas designed to understand, manage, monitor, and mitigate concerns and conflicts within the community related to activities conducted by the landscape. Working with the Regional team, the Officer will:
- Support the initial pilot phases of the GRM in the WCS Cameroon Northern Landscape and adapt specifically the GRM based on lessons learned from other WCS sites using the GRM system elsewhere throughout the region.
- Train WCS staff, partner staff, and communities on GRM procedures, and delegate GRM responsibilities appropriately.
- Ensure timely feedback from the pilot phase to Landscape Directors, the Coordinator for Community Conservation, the Cameroon Program Manager, the Cameroon Country Deputy Director and Director, the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator, and all GRM implementation partners.
- Ensure extensive coordination with partners internal and external regarding GRM implementation throughout the landscape.
- Provide operational oversight (including workplans and quality control) of the GRM field activities.
- Ensure regular and timely reporting and coordination on the GRM to the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator, Landscape Director, the Community Conservation Lead, and other relevant staff and stakeholders.
- Hold quarterly Pause & Reflect sessions with GRM focal points for the landscape, and the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator, to discuss and plan for adaptations or improvements of the GRM systems.
- Record, report and disseminate lessons learned from the roll out of the GRM in the landscape, and contribute to donor reports regarding GRM and other safeguards initiatives.
- Monitor at the best extent possible how the GRM implementation influences the perception of communities on the Landscape activities and also how the feedback from communities informs the development of the Landscape activities for the benefit of communities.
- Work with the Cameroon Deputy/Country Director to ensure regular feedback of the GRM implementation progress in those sites to inform the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) to influence positively the national GRM framework.
- Manage and monitor the GRM database, ensuring that all submissions are properly documented and tracked in a timely way.
On Broader Social Safeguards matters:
- Support relevant aspects of implementation of all WCS Social Safeguards policies and procedures amongst field staff and partners – especially as it relates to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
- Ensure WCS Social Safeguards policies align with the commitments of the Ministry of Forests and Fauna towards safeguarding IP & LC rights.When necessary for project implementation, support the field teams in implementing a thorough Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process, and ensure proper documentation of the FPIC process.
- Support the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator and the Landscape Director in the development of an Early Warning System adapted to the Northern landscape.
- Work with the Landscape Director to develop conflict mitigation strategies.
- Work with the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator to ensure field teams are abiding by WCS’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols and submitting IRB applications when appropriate.Support the Community Conservation Team in conducting socio-economic surveys and assessments and ensure ethical data collection processes.
- Conduct gender analyses or assessments for project activities, and with support from the region, lead on ensuring gender equality and social inclusion in WCS activities in the Landscape.
- Train WCS staff and partner staff, and community members, on gender equality and social inclusion
- With the Regional Safeguards Coordinator, design indicators to monitor the effectiveness of social safeguards mechanisms.
- Conduct regular training on social safeguards for WCS staff and partners and work with the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator to develop modules for these trainings.
- Assist the Cameroon program to ensure that the best international standards are applied to our activities, in line with donor requirements regarding social safeguards.
- Attend meetings with local government authorities and NGO partners to represent the landscape on Social Safeguards matters upon authorization from management.
- Support in project proposal writings.
- Work any other assigned tasks by management.
Qualification Requirements
Requirements and qualifications.
- Post graduate qualification in social sciences (International Development Studies, Human Rights, Gender Studies, Human Geography, Conflict resolution, Human Rights Law, Natural Resource Management and or any equivalent certificate or diploma)
- Demonstrate experience in conflict management resolution.
- At least 5 years of experience in designing, implementing, and monitoring programs/projects especially as it relates to social safeguards and/or the social protection of marginalized and vulnerable groups.
- Have team management experience.
- Some experience in contributing to proposals and concept notes.
- Demonstrated experience working with marginalized and vulnerable groups.
- Fluency in French, with English language skills (written and oral) highly preferred.
- Willingness to live in a remote site, with basic amenities in a multicultural environment.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal and proven ability to work as a team player.
- Results-driven work ethic.
How to apply
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications, skills, and experience are encouraged to apply via the application tab until March 09, 2026.
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