Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)

Senior Technical Officer

POSITION Senior Technical Officer

STATUS Negotiable
LOCATION Port of Spain, Trinidad
REPORTS TO Executive Director
ABOUT CANARI CANARI is an independent regional technical institute in the Caribbean that
facilitates and promotes participatory approaches to natural resource governance
to conserve biodiversity, enhance ecosystem goods and services, and enhance
livelihood benefits and well-being of the poor.

CANARI’s mission is: “Promoting and facilitating equitable participation and

effective collaboration in the management of natural resources critical to
development in the Caribbean islands, so that people will have a better quality of
life and natural resources will be conserved, through action learning and research,
capacity building, communication and fostering partnerships.”

CANARI places strong emphasis on multidisciplinary research, capacity building and

communication for awareness-building as well as policy-influence. The Institute
works directly with the full range of stakeholders in the islands of the Caribbean
who have rights to, interests in, or formal or informal responsibilities for natural
resources, in order to facilitate avenues for their equitable and effective
participation in decisions about the use and management of these resources.
Stakeholders include people in rural communities, CBOs, NGOs, media, academic
institutions, donors and technical assistance organisations, government and
intergovernmental agencies, and the private sector. CANARI’s work brings together
individuals across sectors and at the local, national, regional and international level
to build relationships and foster collaboration.

CANARI has its office in Trinidad. It is legally a non-profit organisation registered in

Saint Lucia, the United States Virgin Islands and Trinidad and Tobago. It has 501(c)
(3) status in the United States and charitable status in Trinidad and Tobago. Its
geographic focus is the islands of the Caribbean, including all thirteen independent
countries as well as the departments of France, autonomous countries and special
municipalities within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the dependent territories of
the United Kingdom and the associated commonwealth and territory of the United
States. This encompasses thirty-one island states or overseas territories (many of
which are multi-island) and covers five languages including Creole, Dutch, English,
French, and Spanish.

More information on CANARI and its work is available at www.canari.org, including

in the Strategic Plan 2011-2016 which is available at
http://www.canari.org/documents/CANARI2011-2016EnglishStrategicPlan.pdf.
ABOUT THE The Senior Technical Officer (STO) will be responsible for leading the development,
POSITION implementation, monitoring and evaluation of one or more of CANARI’s
 programmes to implement the Institute’s strategic plan. This involves providing
leadership and technical expertise in relation to stakeholder analysis,
promoting/facilitating participatory governance and management approaches for
the sustainable utilisation of natural resources, and capacity building for civil society
and other stakeholders, including youth and women, to engage in participatory
governance arrangements and sustainable/resilient livelihoods development. The
STO will work with CANARI’s technical staff, Programme Advisors, Board and key
partners on assigned programmes and develop and leverage synergies with other
CANARI programmes. The STO will provide high-level strategic input into the
development and operation of the Institute, its strategic plan and all programmes.
GENERAL DUTIES Project Implementation
AND • Manage project execution, including preparation of work plans, budgets,
RESPONSIBILITIES required reports.
• Manage/strengthen project partnerships
• Conduct research and participatory research
• Provide technical assistance and training
• Facilitate workshops and stakeholder consultations
• Promote and facilitate participatory development of policies and
plans/programmes at local, sectoral, national and regional levels
• Write technical reports and papers for peer-reviewed journals
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations for workshops, seminars and
conferences
Human Resource Management
• Assist with the recruitment, selection and capacity building of staff
• Supervise staff, consultants, interns and volunteers on project teams
Organisational Development
• Participate in development, implementation and evaluation of the Institute’s
strategic plan
• Participate in the mobilisation of resources for the implementation of CANARI’s
strategic plan
• Work in collaboration with other members of staff on development and
implementation of annual work plans and budget
• Promote the Institute’s vision, mission and values
• Contribute to building effective relationships with donors, governmental and
inter-governmental agencies, academia and civil society organisations and
resource users in the region and internationally
SPECIFIC DUTIES Programme and Project Development and Management
AND • Lead development of assigned programmes and associated projects to be
RESPONSIBILITIES consistent with the Institute’s Strategic Plan
• Lead negotiation of regional and national partnerships and development of
effective project proposals to support work under the programme
• Manage large multi-country projects effectively to ensure they achieve their
purpose, goals and objectives, remain within budget and are completed on time
• Manage project teams, including coaching and mentoring of other CANARI staff
• Conduct project monitoring and evaluation, including financial and donor
compliance monitoring
 • Prepare reports for donors on the progress and results (outputs and outcomes)
of projects
• Evaluate and report on results and process of implementation of the
programme
• Work with CANARI’s communications team to ensure effective communication
on the programme(s) and projects to ensure visibility of the Institute’s work,
knowledge building, and influence on policy and practice
ESSENTIAL Technical
QUALIFICATIONS • At least Masters-level qualification and at least seven years of work experience,
(SKILLS, ideally in the Caribbean islands, with at least four years at management level in
KNOWLEDGE, fields related to natural resource management, governance and livelihoods,
EXPERIENCE) either from the natural or social sciences
• Experience working at the regional level in the Caribbean, familiarity with
regional governance arrangements and key stakeholders and initiatives, and
established networks and relationships
• Knowledge, skills and/or experience in conducting: assessments and research;
natural resources management; sustainable livelihoods development; capacity
building; communication for awareness and advocacy; facilitation of
participatory multi-stakeholder planning; and policy development processes
• Advanced project management skills and experience, including ability to
manage large, multi-country projects (over US$300,000) and develop a project
work plan and detailed budget, conduct financial planning and monitoring with
support from the CANARI Financial Officer, supervise a team of staff and
consultants to ensure delivery of results (outputs and outcomes), review
financial reports prepared by the Financial Officer and write project narrative
reports and general communication with donors
• Advanced skills and experience in writing proposals for large, multi-country
projects (over US$300,000) to submit to international donors
General
• Strong commitment to participation and equity and absolute respect for the
diversity of people and demonstrated ability to work effectively with people at
all levels
• Self-motivated, highly organised, mature and responsible individual willing to
accept responsibility, problem-solve, and take initiative
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced, results-oriented work environment
• Ability to lead and work in multi-disciplinary teams
• Practice of continuous personal learning and openness to peer review
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills
• Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills in English
• Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines for multiple concurrent tasks
HIGHLY • Experience working in the Caribbean islands
DESIRABLE • Language skills in Spanish, French and/or Creole
QUALIFICATIONS • Commitment to creative and innovative approaches in multi-stakeholder
processes
LOCATION The position is based in CANARI’s Trinidad office.
TRAVEL Potential travel one week per month on average, largely within the Caribbean
REQUIRED islands
BENEFITS CANARI offers a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications, performance
bonuses, medical insurance after completion of six-month probation, pension
contributions after two years of employment, flexible working conditions,
professional development opportunities and a culture supporting personal
development and achievement.
APPLICATION Send cover letter and CV to Human.Resources@canari.org with subject of email
PROCESS “Application for STO position”. Highlight relevant qualifications. Unsuitable
applications will not be acknowledged.