Senior Manager, Policy and Government Engagement Full-Time

About Rare

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For 50 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature and believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate.  Rare’s organizational culture is results-oriented, and entrepreneurial, and our global programs cover the thematic areas of climate change, fisheries and marine conservation, sustainable agriculture food security, and Green Recovery.

Rare’s Mozambique program, based in Maputo, promotes rights-based fisheries management and marine reserve networks, using behavior-centered design and social marketing to engage coastal communities and shift nearshore marine waters toward sustainability. Mozambique’s Fish Forever program builds on Rare’s global experience in supporting community compliance with No Take Zones and aims to enhance community benefits through secure fishing rights.

Project Overview

To support implementation of the 30×30 strategy, Rare and WCS have launched a three-year partnership (FY2025–FY2028), backed by the Bloomberg Ocean Fund and Oceans 5. The project—Strengthening 30×30 Implementation in Mozambique: Support for Policy Revisions and Coordination—aims to enhance government capacity, improve policy operationalization, and strengthen coordination mechanisms.

Mozambique’s new government has shown strong interest in coastal management, particularly in OECMs. Building on this momentum and previous work at community, municipal, and national levels, Rare and WCS aim to elevate OECMs as a national priority alongside MPAs.

Position Summary

Rare is hiring a Senior Manager to ensure effective coordination and high-level policy engagement across the project. This position will be responsible for advancing the implementation of key project activities, particularly those requiring collective advocacy from communities to higher political levels, and strategic engagement with national influencers and decision-makers.

The Sr. Manager will play a critical role in:

• Project coordination and leadership.
• Supporting the approval and dissemination of the national MPA and OECM strategy.
• Promoting enabling policies such as Ministerial Diplomas for OECM recognition and simplified management planning.
• Advocacy efforts that elevate community voices to higher political levels.
• Coordination across stakeholders to ensure alignment and momentum.
• Strategic engagement with national influencers and decision-makers.

Essential Functions

Project Leadership & Management

• Ensure effective performance and delivery of project objectives.
• Lead administrative functions, including the development and timely submission of project plans and reports.
• Embed Rare’s core values in team dynamics, partner engagement, and stakeholder interactions.
• Provide strategic insights and recommendations to enhance project execution and exceed organizational targets.
• Actively participate in Rare’s global community of practice, contributing knowledge and solutions to scale sustainable coastal fisheries management.
• Represent Rare and project partners in national and international forums to promote MPAs and OECMs.

Policy Advocacy & Mainstreaming

• Lead the identification and advancement of key policy priorities to support sustainable marine and fisheries management through MPAs and OECMs.
• Conduct research and draft policy briefs, papers, and advocacy materials to support national conservation efforts.
• Engage with relevant government and other stakeholders to build support and drive policy agendas to completion.
• Provide thought leadership in communicating Rare’s policy positions and advocacy strategies.
• Recommend improvements to strengthen policy advocacy initiatives.
• Share Mozambique’s policy achievements and lessons learned with global networks and learning platforms.

Stakeholder Engagement & Management

• Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with public institutions to support coastal water policy reform.
• Lead stakeholder engagement initiatives that foster collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships.
• Provide leadership in resource mobilization to advance policy and government priorities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in senior leadership committee meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned and agreed upon with the immediate supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in project management, policy advocacy, environmental management, or community development.
• Proven experience working with Mozambique government, multilateral/bilateral organizations and NGOs.
• Master’s degree (preferred) in Environmental Policy, Fisheries Management, Conservation, or a related field.

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Strong data management, analysis, and research design capabilities.
• Familiarity with international and national data sources related to conservation, livelihoods, and resilience.
• Experience presenting at professional conferences and preparing related materials.
• Deep knowledge of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including logical frameworks, results-based management, and theories of change.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to implement corrective actions to improve project outcomes.
• Ability to navigate national level government, maintain relationships and translate them into actionable insights and favorable results.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and collaboration skills.
• Fluent Portuguese and proficiency in English (Level 4).

Rare is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.