Advisor, Sustainable Financing and Partnerships

Job Details

Position: Advisor, Sustainable Financing and Partnerships, Uganda. Supervisor: Country Director, Uganda. Matrix Manager: Vice President, Institutional Partnerships. Division: Conservation Programs. Location: Kampala, Uganda. Employment Type: Full Time. The Kidepo Valley Conservation Landscape (KVCL) is one of East Africa's most ecologically vital yet climate-vulnerable wilderness areas. To secure the landscape, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) are establishing a Collaborative Management Partnership (CMP). The Advisor will guide the AWF Uganda Country Director and the Joint Technical Team developing the KVCL CMP on priority relationship management with key partner institutions to ensure alignment with national and sectoral priorities and to shape financing solutions that leverage cross-sectoral collaboration and investments. The role reports to the Country Director with a matrix reporting line to the Vice President, Institutional Partnerships.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, undertake, and systematically update comprehensive Political Economy Analyses and macro-level context analytics for the Kidepo landscape.
• Provide data-backed, confidential briefings to the Country Director to enable proactive management of political trends and shift operational strategies safely within state sovereignty boundaries.
• Formulate technical briefs, policy options, and strategic advisory notes for the Country Director and JTT, ensuring AWF's inputs to state partners remain relevant and aligned with national development plans.
• Under the guidance of the Country Director, track operational deliverables of the AWF/MWE Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), feeding progress updates directly to leadership.
• Provide administrative and analytical support to the Country Director and Joint Technical Committee in preparation for sessions of the KVCL CMP Governance Board, including drafting policy recommendations and compliance notes in line with the agreed Delegated Authority Matrix.
• Support the drafting of KVCL CMP resource mobilization strategy and provide input into cultivation materials, proposal designs and other related documents.
• Research and map strategic entry points for blended and sustainable financing from private sector investors and operators, impact funds, eco-tourism concessionaires, carbon and nature finance, insurance and others.
• Provide the Country Director, Vice President – Institutional Partnerships and leadership teams in AWF and UWA with actionable options for landscape-level green growth and the architecture for sustainable financing of the KVCL CMP.
• Act as the principal operational-level technical liaison for AWF with UWA, MWE, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and other relevant stakeholders at the national level to ensure a coordinated landscape support framework.
• Work with the relevant Monitoring and Evaluation team at Country and Institutional levels to develop and track established metrics to ensure adherence to set targets.
• Lead technical working groups and sector fora regarding biodiversity and climate resilience, ensuring AWF's technical visibility.
• Translate field metrics into clear graphs, charts, and policy briefs to enhance the clarity and impact of AWF presentations to the JMB and partners.
• Coordinate and facilitate the delivery of AWF's institutional mentoring programs and system-strengthening sessions for UWA and other agency personnel.
• In collaboration with the AWF Brand and Strategic Communications team, draft strategic messaging, press releases, and internal briefs for endorsement, ensuring all outbound project communications align with parameters established in the CMP Master Agreement.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Master's Degree in Public Policy, International Development, Political Science, Environmental Economics, or Natural Resource Management.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience managing large-scale conservation programs, environmental diplomacy, or conducting complex Political Economy Analyses (PEAs) for multi-stakeholder initiatives in East Africa.
• Proven, successful experience securing and managing complex funding portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience working in complex political and security settings is desirable.
• Deep professional understanding of the distinction between executive decision-making by the Country Director and strategic advisory and operational support.
• Thorough familiarity with the specific administrative hierarchies, protocols, and cultures of government institutions.
• Exceptional political awareness and communication skills, with a strict commitment to confidentiality, objective reporting, and backing institutional leadership.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• A strong team player with a proactive approach to decision-making.