Community & Wildlife Coexistence (CWC) Coordinator

Reports to: Meru Landscape Manager

Location: Meru Landscape, Meru County, Kenya

Hours: Full Time

Department: Programmes Direct reports: 3 Project Officers, 10 Community Conservation Assistants

About Born Free, Kenya

Inspired by Elsa the lioness, whose journey to freedom in Kenya was depicted in the 1966 film Born Free, the charity works globally, and in Kenya, to protect wildlife and their ecosystems. 

Established in 2003, Born Free Kenya champions human-wildlife coexistence through hands-on conservation efforts, education, and community initiatives. In Amboseli and Meru National Parks, we monitor lions, giraffes, and elephants, and we employ strategies to promote the co-existence of people and wildlife in the surrounding community lands. We also support sustainable livelihoods, provide conservation education, and collaborate with partners to protect people, wildlife, and their habitats.

Summary of the Role

Born Free Foundation is seeking a dedicated Community & Wildlife Coexistence (CWC) Coordinator to be based in Meru Landscape. The Community & Wildlife Coexistence Coordinator is responsible for conducting community outreach, engagement and education, human-wildlife conflict reduction and mitigation, livelihood support, and coexistence initiatives within the designated landscape. The role is also responsible for ensuring the collection of accurate data including socio-economic of beneficiaries and human-wildlife conflict to guide and inform conservation decisions and evaluate impact. The role strengthens partnerships between communities and conservation stakeholders, promotes sustainable coexistence practices, and contributes to improved wildlife conservation through community driven approaches. The role is the primary community liaison, ensuring that community perspectives, welfare, and participation are integrated into conservation activities. The Coordinator will work closely with the Landscape Manager to deliver high-quality, measurable conservation outcomes, while collaborating with both the Kenya and UK teams to advance the implementation of the BFF Strategic Plan and contribute to Born Free’s broader global wildlife and habitat conservation goals.

Key Responsibilities and Functions

1. Human–Wildlife Coexistence (HWC) Management

• Lead the implementation of HWC prevention and mitigation activities (e.g., predator-proof bomas, Beehive fences, wildlife deterrents lights, Human-Elephant Conflict tool kit).

• Collate and document conflict incidents, impacts, community reports, and follow-up actions.

• Support early-warning systems, conflict mapping, and community-based monitoring mechanisms.

• Provide guidance and training to communities on safe behaviours around wildlife, wildlife awareness, and risk reduction.

• Work with community members to strengthen participatory conflict-prevention systems.

2. Livelihoods & Community Development Support

• Support the design and delivery of sustainable livelihood initiatives linked to conservation (e.g. beekeeping, VSLAs, eco-enterprises, rangeland management, sustainable agriculture, and resource use).

• Assist communities to form, manage, and strengthen producer groups or cooperatives and to sustainably manage natural resources (e.g. water).

• Monitor progress of livelihood activities and ensure alignment with conservation objectives.

• Promote equitable participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups.

3. Data Collection, Monitoring & Reporting

• Collect community-level data on conflict incidents, wildlife sightings, attitudes, perceptions, behaviour, and programme activity outcomes.

• Use approved tools (Survey123, SMART, mobile data apps, community logbooks, GIS) to record field information.

• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports for the Meru Landscape Manager and Data team, and contribute to compilation of progress updates, data, findings, and challenges for reporting.

• Contribute to donor reports, case studies, success stories, and knowledge products.

• Ensure data integrity and verification before submission to the Data or Programme teams.

4. Training, Capacity Building & Community Education

• Deliver training to community on coexistence practices, early-warning mechanisms, and conflict mitigation techniques.

• Support conservation education in schools, youth groups, and community forums.

• Build capacity for community leaders to participate effectively in conservation governance protocols, etc.

5. Coordination & Collaboration

• Work closely with Species Monitoring & Protection team, Twiga Team and other programmatic staff to deliver the BFF mission in the landscape.

• Support the Meru Landscape Manager to coordinate coexistence activities with representatives of county governments, wildlife authorities, NGOs, and research institutions.

• Participate in landscape-level coexistence working groups and multi-stakeholder platforms.

• Ensure integration of community perspectives into conservation planning and response operations.

6. Compliance, Safety & Ethical Standards

• Ensure adherence to safeguarding, ethical engagement standards, and conflict-sensitive approaches.

• Comply with organisational policies including HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) and field operations.

• Promote respectful, culturally sensitive behaviour in all community interactions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Community Development, Natural Resource Management, Wildlife Conservation, Social Sciences, or related field.

• Minimum 5 years relevant experience in community conservation, HWC mitigation, rural development, livelihood projects, or equivalent experience

• Demonstrated experience working directly with rural communities, elders, and local institutions or equivalent experience.

• Experience in HWC mitigation tools, coexistence strategies, or wildlife fieldwork is an advantage.

• Experience with SMART, GPS field tools, camera trapping, GIS, or social data collection methods (preferred).

• Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent facilitation, community engagement, and conflict resolution skills.

• Good understanding of wildlife conservation issues, especially threats affecting priority species.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with cultural sensitivity and respect for community traditions.

• Ability to collect, enter and analyse basic field data.

• Strong organisational, planning, and time-management skills.

• Ability to work independently in remote field conditions.

• Fluency in English, Swahili and other local languages spoken in the landscape is an advantage.

• Motorcycle riding skills preferred (based on field mobility needs). Ability to drive a 4x4 is an added advantage.

• High integrity, reliability, and commitment to conservation and community engagement.

Key Deliverables

• Effective implementation of coexistence activities in assigned communities.

• Accurate and timely documentation of conflict incidents and community interactions.

• Strengthened community committees and governance structures for conservation.

• Improved community attitudes toward wildlife and reduced conflict incidents.

• High-quality reports and contributions to donor compliance.

• Strong, trust-based relationships between communities and the organisation.

Internal Key Relationships

The Community & Wildlife Coexistence (CWC) Coordinator will work closely with programme and operations teams, including Meru Landscape Managers, Community Engagement Technical Lead, Communications Manager, GIS Manager, GIS Officer, Fundraising & Partnerships Manager and Field Project Officers and the wider global Born Free team.

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to bornfreekenyahr@bornfree.or.ke quoting the position as the subject of email by 5pm on 8h May 2026.

Note: This job description outlines the roles, duties, and responsibilities of the post. It is not intended to detail all specific tasks. Born Free reserves the right to alter the content of this job description to reflect the changing needs of the organisation but is a correct reflection of the main duties of the post at the time of writing.

Thank you for your interest in working for Born Free, Kenya