Community Engagement Coordinator

The Community Engagement Coordinator will serve as a critical interface between IFAW and communities living in and around the Lukusuzi and Luambe National Parks in Zambia’s Eastern Province. This role is central to advancing IFAW’s commitment to human-wildlife coexistence by ensuring that communities are not only engaged but also empowered as co-stewards of the ecosystems that surround them. Reporting to the Field Operations Manager, the Coordinator will play a leading role in building trust, facilitating dialogue, and delivering practical, locally relevant solutions that align conservation with community wellbeing. This position sits at the frontline of IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative, which envisions a connected and thriving future for wildlife across East and Southern Africa. Within this framework, the Community Engagement Coordinator will support the implementation of coexistence strategies that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of local communities, particularly in areas affected by frequent human-wildlife conflict. The role requires not just technical capacity, but also political and cultural sensitivity, relationship-building acumen, and a deep commitment to equity and inclusion. The Coordinator will work closely with local leadership structures, including traditional authorities, Community Resource Boards, and district government, as well as with key national stakeholders such as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). Together with these partners, the Community Engagement Coordinator will promote conservation-compatible livelihoods, support social safeguards, and strengthen the role of communities, especially women and youth, as vital actors in securing long-term conservation success.