Graduate Trainee Youth Coordinator

Graduate Trainee Youth Coordinator (Grassroots Project), WWF Zimbabwe

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 is that nature is our life-support system and 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 various 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 organisation, 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 sustainably.

We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic Graduate Trainee Youth Coordinator (Grassroots Project) to support implementing the WWF International Global Youth Engagement Programme for 18–30-year-olds. The programme provides volunteering, internships, grassroots leadership training and virtual mentorship opportunities to inspire new generations pf environmental advocates and leaders, especially young women, in their countries and communities to actively contribute to youth and community-led conservation and help drive positive change.

Position Title: Graduate Trainee - Youth Coordinator (Grassroots Project)

Position Type: Full Time
Reports to: Communications Manager/Conservation Lead
Supervises: Youth
Location: Zimbabwe (North West Matabeleland)
Duration: 1 Year with the possibility of an extension.

WWF MISSION

To stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature by: conserving the world's biological diversity. ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable. promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

MAJOR FUNCTIONS

The Youth coordinator will be responsible for supporting and assisting the WWF Zimbabwe Office in the development, implementation and reporting of activities related to the Grassroot Leadership Programme. This includes:

● Conducting and organizing capacity building on the Grassroot Leadership Programme. This includes understanding its curriculum materials, proposing an interactive approach if required, evaluating programme effectiveness through pre/post assessments, based on the needs of the youth members
● Implementing, reporting and sharing the progress of activities of youth groups under the Grassroot Leadership Programme
● Supporting youth groups in the development and sustainability of partnerships with networks, platforms, organisations, etc. along with WWF CO in the design and implementation of their joint projects
● Collaborate with local communities and stakeholders to document Natural Resources Management initiatives
● Formulate evaluation processes and lessons learned from activities implemented by and with the WWF youth groups

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Internal.
Interacts with WWF Zimbabwe Country Office staff

External.
Interacts with partners and stakeholders including but not limited to government officials, community members, parents or tutors, WWF International/Youth Engagement Team

He/she will be responsible for the following activities:
● Conduct outreach and the selection of youth leaders
● Accompanying and supporting youth groups by meeting regularly with their leaders and coaching them on their leadership, communication, and other aspects that are relevant to the learning journey of each leader. Serving as a liaison between youth groups and WWF office, as and when needed, to support the groups by facilitating access to WWF CO’s expertise, communication channels, partnership
● Hosting regular Learning Circle meetings (LC) where all youth leaders come together to learn from each other by sharing their successes and their challenges and supporting each other in becoming better leaders
● Organizing community meetings, inviting all group members to attend, reflect together, learn about each other’s projects, inspire each other, collaborate on certain projects
● Support in organizing the online GYM (Global Youth Meeting), e.g., assist in developing the agenda and the content of the programme
● Supporting youth and gender programming on natural resources management including Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC), wildlife monitoring, agro-ecology, nature-based solutions, climate justice and advocacy initiatives.
● Supporting the development of tools to monitor the progress of the Grassroot Leadership Programme within the WWF CO
● Facilitate the participation of youth groups in youth activities, advocacy activities and campaigns for nature e.g., Earth Hour, Biodiversity Day, etc.
● Reporting and documenting the progress of the programme in general: creating videos, collecting stories, writing mid-term and final report
● Facilitate the post-evaluation survey at the end of the programme

Qualifications and Experience

● Minimum bachelor's degree in education, natural resources management, environment science, communication, social sciences, or any relevant field related to the position
● One year experience in leading and facilitating training with adult and youth groups from diverse backgrounds.
● One year experience in managing youth groups or facilitating youth workspaces, or as a member of youth groups or youth organisations in leadership positions.
● Knowledge and curiosity in the field of youth development (context, research, etc.)
● Basic knowledge of social network strategy development and social media management.

● Good command in the English language (spoken and written)
● Ability to organise, plan and systematize information
● Excellent communication skills at all levels and good interpersonal skills
● Good command of the Microsoft Office pack (Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc.)
● Good interpersonal skills
● Innovation and creativity
● Ability to work proactively and adapt to different environments
● Affiliation with youth networks would be an asset
● Keen Interest in conservation and environmental issues
● Adherence to WWF values: courage, respect, integrity, collaboration