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Jobs
Chief Conservation Officer TUSK
| Organisation: | TUSK |
| Sector: | Conservation |
| Location: | Anywhere in Africa or UK, South Africa |
| Closing date: | 22 September 2025 |
We are seeking a forward-thinking and dynamic Chief Conservation Officer (CCO) to play a leading role in the future of wildlife conservation in Africa. With unprecedented challenges and opportunities facing wildlife and the communities who live alongside them, this role will play an important part in supporting conservation at scale and helping to elevate African leadership in the sector.
As CCO, you will support strategy and impact across a diverse portfolio of conservation partners, ensuring that funding and partnerships deliver meaningful, lasting change. You will bring rigor and creativity to programme design, grant oversight, and evaluation, while also nurturing collaborations that recognise and elevate African expertise and locally led solutions.
Reporting to the CEO and the Tusk Board, you will help bring conservation leaders together, share fresh approaches, and reinforce work at the community and landscape level - from ranger welfare to local engagement.
This is a central role in our dynamic and passionate team. It is a unique opportunity to stand alongside other leaders in conservation: supporting local leadership, building strong networks, and contributing to a future where people and wildlife thrive together. The successful candidate will be a true team player, with excellent people skills.
About Tusk
Tusk’s mission is to accelerate the impact of African-driven conservation.
We partner with the most effective local organisations, investing in their in-depth knowledge and expertise. By supporting and nurturing their conservation programmes, we help accelerate growth from an innovative idea to a scalable solution.
For over 35 years, we have helped pioneer an impressive range of successful conservation initiatives across more than 20 countries, increasing vital protection for over 50 million hectares of land and more than 40 different threatened species. From the plains of the Serengeti to the rainforests of the Congo Basin, we’re working towards a future in which people and wildlife can both thrive across the African continent.
Further details may be found on the Tusk website.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Conservation Strategy
• Provide strategic and forward-looking guidance for all conservation funding streams, ensuring resources are deployed with integrity, rigor, and maximum impact.
• Identify and support the most effective and pioneering conservation partners and networks, strengthening African leadership in conservation.
• Advise the Board and senior leadership with clear analysis and recommendations that connect funding decisions to broader strategic priorities.
• Oversee monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate impact, encourage learning, and enable adaptive management in response to emerging risks and opportunities.
• Safeguard organisational reputation by ensuring the highest standards of due diligence, compliance, and governance across all programmes.
• Champion continuous improvement in grant management systems and processes to ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
Conservation Partnerships
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with project partners by listening and developing a deep understanding of their specific needs.
• Manage and nurture both long-term collaborations and new partnerships to ensure sustained impact.
• Identify synergies and opportunities, fostering connections that strengthen Tusk’s partner network and amplify conservation outcomes.
Communications & Advocacy
• Act as a trusted spokesperson for conservation, helping to share Tusk’s priorities and achievements with a wide audience.
• Support communications initiatives that highlight stories from the field and resulting conservation impact, along with emerging approaches and conservation leaders.
• Ensure that messaging reflects strategic goals, engages key stakeholders, and encourages action.
• Strengthen engagement with African partners and where appropriate,
contribute to African policy and advocacy initiatives that align with Tusk’s values and mission.
• Work closely with the CEO and fundraising team to align conservation priorities with fundraising and partnership opportunities.
Leadership & Governance
• Line management of a small Conservation Partnerships team based in Kenya.
• Provide inclusive and supportive leadership across the wider Tusk teams and partners, promoting a culture of excellence, collaboration, and shared purpose.
• Anticipate emerging risks and opportunities, supporting adaptive management and strategic resilience.
• Uphold the organisation’s reputation and values in all internal and external engagements.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, financial, and governance standards, maintaining confidentiality and integrity in all operations.
Flagship Initiatives
• Help shape key conservation initiatives that showcase creativity, strengthen networks and broaden impact.
• Ensure major initiatives align with organisational strategy and foster collaboration.
Tusk’s mission is to accelerate the impact of African-driven conservation.
We partner with the most effective local organisations, investing in their in-depth knowledge and expertise. By supporting and nurturing their conservation programmes, we help accelerate growth from an innovative idea to a scalable solution.
For over 35 years, we have helped pioneer an impressive range of successful conservation initiatives across more than 20 countries, increasing vital protection for over 50 million hectares of land and more than 40 different threatened species. From the plains of the Serengeti to the rainforests of the Congo Basin, we’re working towards a future in which people and wildlife can both thrive across the African continent.
Further details may be found on the Tusk website.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Conservation Strategy
• Provide strategic and forward-looking guidance for all conservation funding streams, ensuring resources are deployed with integrity, rigor, and maximum impact.
• Identify and support the most effective and pioneering conservation partners and networks, strengthening African leadership in conservation.
• Advise the Board and senior leadership with clear analysis and recommendations that connect funding decisions to broader strategic priorities.
• Oversee monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate impact, encourage learning, and enable adaptive management in response to emerging risks and opportunities.
• Safeguard organisational reputation by ensuring the highest standards of due diligence, compliance, and governance across all programmes.
• Champion continuous improvement in grant management systems and processes to ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
Conservation Partnerships
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with project partners by listening and developing a deep understanding of their specific needs.
• Manage and nurture both long-term collaborations and new partnerships to ensure sustained impact.
• Identify synergies and opportunities, fostering connections that strengthen Tusk’s partner network and amplify conservation outcomes.
Communications & Advocacy
• Act as a trusted spokesperson for conservation, helping to share Tusk’s priorities and achievements with a wide audience.
• Support communications initiatives that highlight stories from the field and resulting conservation impact, along with emerging approaches and conservation leaders.
• Ensure that messaging reflects strategic goals, engages key stakeholders, and encourages action.
• Strengthen engagement with African partners and where appropriate,
contribute to African policy and advocacy initiatives that align with Tusk’s values and mission.
• Work closely with the CEO and fundraising team to align conservation priorities with fundraising and partnership opportunities.
Leadership & Governance
• Line management of a small Conservation Partnerships team based in Kenya.
• Provide inclusive and supportive leadership across the wider Tusk teams and partners, promoting a culture of excellence, collaboration, and shared purpose.
• Anticipate emerging risks and opportunities, supporting adaptive management and strategic resilience.
• Uphold the organisation’s reputation and values in all internal and external engagements.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, financial, and governance standards, maintaining confidentiality and integrity in all operations.
Flagship Initiatives
• Help shape key conservation initiatives that showcase creativity, strengthen networks and broaden impact.
• Ensure major initiatives align with organisational strategy and foster collaboration.
Download pdfContact details
| Contact person: | Elli Hooper |
| Email: | elli@tusk.org |
