Liaison Officer

Job Details

Division Gambella National Park

Minimum experience Mid-Senior

Company primary industry Non-profit Organisation Management

Job functional area Other

Background

African Parks is a non‑profit conservation organization responsible for the long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. Operating in 13 countries and managing over 20 million hectares of protected areas, African Parks combines wildlife conservation with community development, sustainable land use, and strong governance.

The Liaison Officer will serve as the primary representative of African Parks Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, supporting the Gambella Landscape team by strengthening engagement with government, donors, development partners, and humanitarian actors. This role ensures African Parks maintains a strong presence at the national level, influencing policy dialogue, advancing strategic partnerships, and enabling effective coordination between field teams and national/international stakeholders.

Job Purpose

The Liaison Officer will play a central role in partnership development, donor engagement, governmental relations, communications, and coordination. The position requires strong diplomatic abilities, excellent communication skills, deep understanding of development and conservation issues, and the ability to represent African Parks confidently and professionally at all levels.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Strategic Engagement & Representation
• Represent African Parks at national-level meetings, workshops, donor forums, and coordination platforms in Addis Ababa.
• Ensure effective communication of African Parks' vision, mandate, and priorities to government institutions, donors, and civil society representatives.
• Establish African Parks as a recognized strategic and implementing partner for humanitarian, development, and conservation initiatives.
• Government Relations & Compliance
• Build and maintain strong relationships with relevant Ethiopian federal ministries, commissions, authorities, and regional representatives.
• Ensure timely adherence to administrative and regulatory procedures required by government institutions.
• Monitor policy and legislative developments relevant to conservation and protected area management.
• Communications & Public Affairs
• Oversee and coordinate national-level media and communications activities in Ethiopia in alignment with African Parks’ Communications Strategy.
• Assist in preparing media visits, donor delegations, and high-level missions.
• Ensure that communications are consistent, accurate, and aligned with the business plan.
• Support to Park Operations
• Maintain strong collaboration with the Gambella field teams through regular communication.
• Participate in periodic field visits to Gambella National Park to gain firsthand understanding of operations, challenges, and achievements.
• Contribute to administrative and workflow processes between Addis Ababa and field offices.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s or BA degree in conservation, development studies, international relations, public policy, environmental management, or related fields.
• Minimum 4/6 years of experience in liaison, country representation, partnership development, or donor relations roles.
• Preferred experience working with non-profit or conservation organizations in Ethiopia.

Skills & Competencies

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of development programming, policy frameworks, and conservation issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to prepare high-quality reports, briefs, and proposals.
• Strong analytical and political economy assessment skills.
• Diplomatic, confident communicator with excellent relationship‑building abilities.
• Culturally sensitive and able to work across a multi‑ethnic context.
• Trustworthy, disciplined, and able to exercise sound judgment.
• Comfortable engaging with partners, attending events, and representing the organization daily.

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