CONTEXT

The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) is an international NGO working in four West African countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. WCF has been in operation since 2000 for the conservation of chimpanzees and other biodiversity in West Africa and opened its office in Liberia in 2013. WCF is working closely with the Forestry Development Authority and other local government and NGO partners. WCF’s main target area in Liberia is the Southeast, in particular the Grebo-Krahn and Sapo National Parks, and the Proposed Kwa National Park, located in Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Sinoe, and Rivercess Counties. WCF runs three offices in Liberia; in Monrovia, Zwedru, and at Sapo National Park. Major donors for WCF are the European Union and Rainforest Trust.

WCF has been awarded a grant from the European Union for a 3-year project entitled “SUSTAIN – Sustainable forest conservation in southeastern Liberia”. The program feeds into WCF’s long-term mission of enhancing the survival of the remaining wild chimpanzee populations and their habitat, while ensuring sustainable benefits for local communities. It covers conservation programs that include improved protected area management, biomonitoring, law enforcement, environmental education, research, alternative livelihood schemes, ecotourism, infrastructure development, and capacity building. Emphasis is placed on using an evidence-based approach to the program and supporting transboundary collaboration between stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia.

POSITION OBJECTIVES

As part of the newly-launched SUSTAIN Project, WCF is seeking an Ecotourism Expert for one year, to promote the Sapo Ecolodge and ecotourism activities Sapo National Park (SNP) tourism activities at the national and international levels through the creation of a website that will be regularly updated, the sharing of social media posts about the ecotourism activities implemented, and photos and videos of the wildlife and landscape. Furthermore, the Ecotourism Expert is responsible to help improving the ecotourism infrastructure and capacity at SNP, trough the establishment of tourism trails, training for tourist guides and communities, which shall help to develop a fully sustainable, community-based ecotourism program at SNP. This will also include the establishment of co-management structures for the Sapo Ecolodge. The Ecotourism Expert will be based at the Sapo Ecolodge in the vicinity of the Sapo National Park in southeastern Liberia, with occasional trips to Monrovia and Zwedru.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Promotion & Marketing: Create a website to promote the Sapo Ecolodge and ecotourism activities at the national and international levels;
• Develop and share regular social media posts about the Sapo Ecolodge and ecotourism activities implemented at Sapo National Park (SNP), as well as visually appealing photos and videos of the wildlife and landscape;
• Engage national tour operators and international networks to firmly establish SNP as a premier tourism destination;
• Provide support to the Liberian Forestry Development Authority (FDA), in particular the Awareness & Ecotourism Division and the local FDA team at SNP;
• Provide advisory and technical support and guidance for the improvement of the Sapo Ecolodge and SNP ecotourism activities, which can be then promoted on the to-be-created website;
• Support the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for visitor management, booking systems, and tour logistics;
• Develop tourism materials, such as posters and brochures to be used by the tourist guides and to be displayed at the ecolodge;
• Identify opportunities for community-based enterprises, such as handicrafts, homestays, and local cuisine;
• Support the establishment of tourism trails in and around SNP;
• Monitor the sooty mangabey habituation program;
• Support the development of other educational programs and materials;
• Support the organization of educational events targeting local schools and other community members;
• Promote the involvement of the Sapo Women Conservation Enterprise and the Sapo cultural troupe in the SNP ecotourism activities;
• Ensure improved capacity building for the Sapo Women Conservation Enterprise with regard to the management of the Sapo Ecolodge;
• Supervise and train graduates from the Forestry Training Institute and the Liberia Tourism School who are conducting ecotourism internships at the Sapo Ecolodge;
• Support the training of tourist guides, including through exchange programs;
• Provide support to the WCF team for the establishment of the co-management structure and the development of the business plan for the Sapo Ecolodge to align with the SNP management plan and Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
  
  How to apply

  To apply, please send your CV and cover letter with 2 references by email to

  liberia@wildchimps.org with « Ecotourism Expert » in the subject line.

  Deadline for Applications: 4 August 2025

  Only successful candidates will be contacted for tests and interviews.

  WCF is an equal opportunity organization and especially encourages women to apply.