Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Mukutan Conservancy
Location:Mukutan Conservancy, Laikipia, Kenya
Reports to: Managing Directors
Line Reports: Department Heads for Works and Maintenance; Security; Community, Agriculture
Salary: Competitive, commensurate with experience
Benefits: Housing (with space for visiting friends / relatives), 4×4 company car, work phone, computer and internet, health insurance and flying doctor cover, a dedicated house staff member and support of gardeners and watchmen for house. Pets are welcome as long as they do not interfere with wildlife or birds.
About Mukutan Conservancy:
Mukutan is an expansive conservancy in Laikipia on the rugged edge of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, with sweeping views overlooking Lake Baringo, Laikipia Plateau and the slopes of Mount Kenya. Our name derives from the Swahili word for “a meeting place” – and sitting at the convergence of diverse biomes, cultures, languages, and ideas, we strive to be a centre for collaboration, courage, and coexistence through conservation. Our mission is to conserve our biodiversity and natural resources for the people and wildlife of Kenya for posterity. Through our innovative community enterprises, research programmes, and wildlife monitoring and protection, we are committed to ensuring that nature and communities thrive together.
Role Overview:
The COO will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Mukutan Conservancy’s operations. Working closely with the Managing Directors, the COO will lead the implementation of strategic priorities, improve operational systems, and ensure the effective running of security, infrastructure, logistics and conservation programmes. This role requires a proactive leader with a strong operational background in conservation, security, or land management and experience in managing diverse teams in remote environments.
Key missions/purposes for the post include:
• Oversee and manage all daily operations, ensuring efficiency across all departments.
• Strengthen the conservancy as a pillar of the community by building on and strengthening existing goodwill and mutually supportive livelihoods between the Conservancy and its neighbours.
• To support existing commercial partners and create the conditions to attract further sustainable investments through the provision of security, operations and other facilitating functions.
• To ensure the integrity of the Conservancy by developing the capacity of the various departments, in particular the Security and Community departments.
• To help strengthen the financial and administrative functions of the conservancy in order to create a conservancy wide system of accountability and performance management.
• Help develop detailed costed plans to support fundraising efforts for infrastructure, training, and other capacity development.
Responsibilities:
In addition to fulfilling the key missions/purposes for the post, the COO is to:
Operational Planning and Leadership
- Work with the Managing Directors in finalising and implementing the Conservancy’s Strategic Plan
- Develop and enhance the Land Management Plan and prepare for submission to KWS
- Oversee implementation of Mukutan’s Conservation Strategy
- Develop and Implement yearly and quarterly action/operational plans
- Develop / reinforce Conservancy wide standard operating procedures
- Lead monthly operational planning with Middle Management
- Develop and implement clear reporting structures to ensure accountability, transparency and the efficient sharing of information across teams
- Advise Managing Directors on the operational priorities and needs required to resource their vision
Team management and Capacity building
- Lead, mentor, and manage staff across various operational departments
- Identify training needs and implement capacity-building initiatives
- Support middle management (i.e. leads of department and key administrative staff) in the development of operational plans for each department and oversee effective implementation and monitoring
- Support middle management in the development/reinforcing of standard operating procedures for each department
- Foster an environment of collaboration, team-work and continuous improvement
- Carry out checks and balances at all levels and departments to ensure the safe and
- effective functioning of the conservancy
Finance & Administration
- Ensure that all appropriate Kenyan law and donor contractual obligations are adhered to in the administration of Human Resources
- Ensure that all appropriate Kenyan law and donor contractual obligations are adhered to in the administration of procurement
- Ensure proper accountability for purchases, procurement, and the storage and use of movable assets and consumables
Operations & Infrastructure
- Ensure the cost-effective and efficient use and maintenance of Conservancy assets, including Fleet, Engines, Stores, and Infrastructure
- Provide clear direction on the allocation of operational resources and their priorities to the various departments
Security
- Provide clear direction and support Security Managers and teams in:
- Crisis management (bush fire, invasion, civil disorder, stock theft, armed trespass, etc.)
- Ensuring operational effectiveness against all known threats
- Promoting discipline, values and standards with in the security team
- Identifying training requirements
- Facilitating trainers and other security partners
- Assist in the implementation of operations room management
Community
- Foster positive relationships with local communities, ensuring that conservation efforts align with community needs.
- Support the development and implementation of a positive communications plan for the conservancy, to fill the “mis-information gap”
- Support programmes that promote local employment and economic opportunities.
Partnerships
- Ensure that the conservancy’s contractual obligations with commercial partners are met
- Develop operational level co-operations with neighbouring conservancies
- Attend landscape conservation orientated forums and meetings (such as with the LCA,
- KWS, etc.)
- Represent the conservancy in meetings with government officials and partners.
- Facilitate conservation partners and researchers
Reporting
- Carry out all necessary reporting including weekly verbal reports, written monthly reports to the Managing Directors on progress of activities of works, projects and key successes
- Ensure conservancy systems are designed and operated to easily provide necessary data and other information to facilitate fundraising and strategic partnership development efforts, in eluding the development, design, monitoring and evaluation of various projects.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
- Significant leadership experience in conservation, protected area management, security operations, or a related field.
- Strong operational management skills, with experience overseeing large teams and multiple departments.
- Proven experience working in remote or challenging environments.
- Knowledge of security operations, risk management, and anti-poaching strategies.
- Experience in infrastructure and land management.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders.
- Experience in collaborating with governmental institutions, partner organisations and local communities.
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Swahili.
- Excellent administrative and computer skills.
Desirable Criteria:
- A Degree in conservation, environmental science, or a related discipline.
- Experience working in Kenya.
- Understanding of community-based conservation approaches.
- Experience in fundraising or grant management.
How to apply:
To apply, submit your CV (with references) and Cover Letter outlining how you meet the requirements of the role to [email protected] and cc [email protected].
Please use subject line ‘Application for COO’.
