Job Description

AABOUT RARE

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. Grounded in behavioral science and local leadership, Rare partners with communities around the world to adopt sustainable practices, restore ecosystems on land and at sea, and strengthen livelihoods.

With more than 50 years of experience across over 60 countries, Rare develops and scales community-led solutions that address climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and resilience. Rare works alongside coastal and traditional communities to strengthen the governance and sustainable management of small-scale fisheries.

Rare's culture is entrepreneurial and results-oriented, committed to pursuing ambitious goals and achieving measurable results.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Program Implementation, the Senior Associate, Program Implementation leads the planning, execution, and monitoring of Rare Brazil’s conservation initiatives along the Amazon coast. This role takes ownership of leader community engagement and the strengthening of local organizations, serving as a senior field reference for fishing communities, leaders, and associations. The Senior Associate works part on hands-on in the field while also providing technical guidance to colleagues and community facilitators, supporting the consistency and quality of program delivery. The position contributes to strengthening community leadership and supporting program strategy with field-based insights. It requires strong communication and facilitation skills, sound judgment and autonomy, a deep commitment to both people and conservation, and availability for frequent field travel to coastal and riverine communities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Local Organization Strengthening (45%)

• Lead and implement local leaders’ community engagement activities with fishers, and associations, serving as a primary local leader's community reference for the program
• Strengthening community movements and local social organizations, fostering participation, equity, and the development of local leadership
• Use socio-environmental knowledge to facilitate communication and resolve tensions among the different social actors in the region
• Promote participatory decision-making processes and support communities in identifying priorities, opportunities, and collective actions
• Facilitate strategic planning processes and support the development of internal management tools and organizational routines
• Support representative entities in improving administrative, operational, and communication processes
• Support local organizations in identifying priorities, mobilizing resources, and accessing opportunities for institutional sustainability
• Monitor organizational progress and provide ongoing technical accompaniment to strengthen institutional performance and community engagement

Capacity Building and Behavior Change Support (25%)

• Design and implement capacity-building and continuing education processes for communities, adapting methodologies to local contexts.
• Coordinate mobilization for behavior-change campaigns promoted by Rare Brazil.
• Plan and facilitate group activities, dialogues, and community workshops.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Association members, Rare members, interns, and community facilitators supporting field activities

Implementation, Events, and Field Support (15%)

• Contribute to and help coordinate the implementation of Rare’s program activities in Brazil
• Lead the planning, logistics, and execution of program events with local leaders and representative entities of protected areas, both within and outside communities, including facilitation of activities, stakeholder coordination, and operational support
• Prepare consolidated activity reports and contribute to program documentation and knowledge management
• Conduct field travel, including road and boat trips, to support and oversee program activities

Monitoring, Reporting, and Strategy Support (15%)

• Support the collection, quality, and organization of program data, contributing to monitoring and evaluation of field activities
• Synthesize field-based insights and lessons learned to inform program strategy and continuous improvement
• Contribute to reports for leadership, partners, and donors with accurate, field-grounded information

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Internal Reports to the Senior Manager, Program Implementation, and collaborates closely with Rare Brazil’s implementation, communications, and operations teams, as well as with Rare Inc. colleagues. Provides technical guidance to local Rare Brazil implementation team, representative entities and community facilitators. Supporting the alignment and quality of field implementation activities.
• External: Serves as a senior point of contact with representative entities of extractive communities along the Amazon coast including local leaders, community associations, and partner organizations. Maintain strategic relationships with community stakeholders, strengthens institutional dialogue, and supports collaborative decision-making and community-based conservation processes.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility. However, the Senior Associate provides technical guidance and mentoring to associates, interns, and community facilitators, and may coordinate the activities of community partners, collaborators, or service providers when needed.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as environmental sciences, social sciences, fisheries, law, public administration, rural development, anthropology, or related areas, with demonstrated experience working with traditional and community-based socio-environmental initiatives
• Minimum of 5 to 7 years of experience in community-based work, socio-environmental agendas, or the context of extractive communities
• Demonstrated ability to lead community engagement processes with autonomy and sound judgment
• Strong group facilitation, communication, and dialogue mediation skills.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team, with sensitivity to diversity and intercultural contexts
• Fluency in Portuguese (written and oral)
• Valid driver’s license (category B)
• Proficiency in standard office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Availability for frequent travel (road and river/sea)
• Commitment to the principles of social participation, equity, and sustainability

Desirable:

• Experience providing technical guidance or mentoring to junior staff, interns, or community facilitators
• Knowledge of community-based natural resource management and/or environmental public policy (SNUC, RESEX, protected areas)
• Familiarity with the coastal and riverine communities of the Amazon coast
• Experience leading or supporting behavior-change or social marketing campaigns
• Experience contributing to monitoring, evaluation, or donor reporting
• Advanced in English (written and oral)

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Technical Skills:

• Knowledge of associativism and community governance
• Conflict mediation and stakeholder engagement
• Group facilitation and design of capacity-building processes
• Community engagement and socio mobilization
• Technical guidance and mentoring of field collaborators
• Activity planning, field logistics, and operational coordination
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Support to monitoring and evaluation of field activities

Core Competencies:

• Problem-solving, autonomy, and sound judgment
• Ability to influence, inspire, and develop people
• Clear and effective communication.
• Emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• Clear and effective communication
• Relationship-building and collaboration
• Commitment to social participation, equity, and sustainability.
• Valuing and respecting diversity and the communities with which Rare works

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and smartphones. This position may operate in a hybrid format, combining in-office and remote work depending on organizational policies.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This is a largely sedentary role, with some light walking around the office. However, during field trips and travel, one needs to be prepared for long inland commutes, sometimes with minimum comfort, boat trips, and long walks.

POSITION TYPE AND EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

This is a full-time position; typical workdays and hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, there may be times when longer work hours are required. This position is eligible to participate in Rare's telecommuting or flexible work schedule program.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Additional responsibilities may be assigned according to programmatic and organizational needs.

Rare is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a proactive program of affirmative action and diversity development. Rare will continue to recruit, hire, train, and promote into all job levels without regard to race, religion, gender, marital status, family background, nationality, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or veteran status.