OVERVIEW

WeForest is a fast growing international non-profit association with headquarters in Belgium and legal entities in France, USA, Ethiopia, Zambia and Malawi. Our aim is to demonstrate community leadership and participation in Forest Landscape Restoration, ensuring that people and nature co-exist and thrive together within the major global challenges of climate change, disasters and global warming.

WeForest has been active in Malawi since 2018 working around Mulanje-massif which is also a UNESCO Cultural heritage site (2025) with the primary aim of protecting critically endangered Mulanje cedar (Widdringtonia whytei) and miombo woodland. Currently, the project is expanding with a time-horizon till 2034, focused on co-management of miombo woodlands within the Forest Reserve.

The Community Outreach Extensionist will work with communities to strengthen governance of forest institutions, coordinate forest restoration activities, and support sustainable livelihoods through Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and conservation enterprises.

Reporting to: Project Manager

Responsible for: Community outreach in the community forest zone – Mulanje Biosphere Reserve

Duration: One year, renewable to a two-year contract based upon performance

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strengthen the governance of Forest Block Committees (FBCs) and Village Natural Resource Management Committees (VNRMCs) by:

• Facilitating community mobilisation, organising public awareness campaigns and establishing strong institutional links between FBCs and Village Development Committees (VDCs) to align forest management plans with broader community development goals.
• Coordinating and implementing forest restoration and fire management activities within co-management blocks through FBCs to enhance and restore ecosystem integrity as well as cedar maintenance at the plateau of Mt Mulanje through trained capitaos.
• Facilitating effective, inclusive and transparent community representation, and decision-making through these community institutions.
• Providing training to FBCs/VNRMCs representatives on relevant aspects of forest management, administration and governance.
• Facilitating effective, transparent and equitable revenue-sharing mechanisms to distribute benefits/opportunities to ensure the maximum impact and incentives to communities.
• Working closely with traditional leaders, FBCs, VDCs and any other community-based organisations in encouraging local people to support sustainable conservation of the biodiversity of the area.
• Lead FBCs and VNRMCs in participatory forest mapping, boundary demarcation, Forest Management Plans development, implementation, and monitoring.
• Coordinate collaborative forest patrols across the Mulanje and Michesi forest reserves, working alongside the district forest office, forest block committees and local stakeholders to mitigate illegal logging, charcoal production and encroachment.
• Enforce safeguarding protocol at all levels, paying much attention to protection of women, girls and children.

2. Support valorisation of miombo NTFP and NTFP-conservation enterprises by:

• Guiding FBCs in mapping where key NTFPs grow and evaluate how much can be harvested sustainably each year without depleting them.
• Identifying local or eco-friendly buyers who are willing to pay fair prices for sustainably sourced miombo products to promote financial autonomy of the FBCs.
• Embedding new co-operatives, that focus on miombo valorisation, within the existing community governance structures and ensuring community expectations are managed.

3. Assist in data collection for overall project monitoring, community mapping, vegetation surveys and regeneration performance by:

• Utilizing mobile data collection tools in monitoring and mapping activities (GIS Cloud/ODK/KoBoCollect/other) and GPS.
• Monitoring regeneration and NTFPs performance within co-management blocks through fixed-point periodic photography and field inspection for regular reporting.
• Supporting GIS based sub-block mapping, Participatory Forest Resources Assessment (PFRA) and the set-up of Permanent Monitoring plots (PMPs) to quantitatively measure forest area, health, species richness and biodiversity evenness.
• Providing regular M&E updates for all forestry and livelihoods initiatives ensuring compliance with project's M&E framework and protocol.

4. Support establishment of partnerships by:

• Mapping the relevant stakeholders directly involved in forest or environmental restoration programs around Mt Mulanje and Michesi forest reserves to share data, prevent duplication of efforts, and jointly carry out awareness campaigns.
• Facilitating networking and joint coordination meetings between different government law enforcement bodies, FBCs, and Traditional leaders to foster shared learning and establish formal dispute resolution channels when conflicts arise over resource use or boundary enforcement.
• Maintaining a continuous, collaborative relationship with the District Forest Office, Village Development Committees, Area Development Committees, District Council, and existing NGOs to align forest restoration with broader district development plans.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Holder of Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Forestry, Forest Ecology and Conservation, Social Forestry, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Science/Management, or equivalent.
• Fluent in English and Chichewa (both speaking and writing).
• Minimum of 3 years' relevant field, hands-on experience in forest restoration, rural development, management and natural resource conservation in Malawi, preferably Mulanje/Phalombe.
• Experience working with mobile data collection tools will be a significant advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in developing forest management plans and coordinating community-led forest patrols and law enforcement operations will be a valuable skillset.
• Experience working with traditional authorities, governance, participatory/community-based forest management and basic miombo tree knowledge will be a significant advantage.
• Sensitive to issues of gender, equality and inclusion and experience in mainstreaming these principles in community-based programmes.
• Motorbike driver's license.
• Willingness and physical fitness to travel and trek long-distances in mountainous landscape in the project area.
• Willingness to reside in remote areas part-time (specifically the Mulanje Cedar conservation sites).
• Full-time, working a minimum of 8 hours per day (5 days/week). Hours will however vary depending on project needs and flexibility is essential.
• Community coaching skills: communication, framing concepts, asking questions and listening, engaging in dialogue for constructive conflict resolution, providing honest feedback.
• Networking and relationship building skills.
• Planning and management skills.
• Engagement and outreach skills.
• Understanding human and group dynamics.
• Excellent team player.
• Excellent reporting skills.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Integrity and high ethical standards.
• Problem analysis skills.

PACKAGE DETAILS

A competitive salary based on qualifications and experience will be offered, with employment contractual terms structured through our local entity, WeForest Limited, Malawi.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

WeForest is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. Women who meet the above qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply by email to:

Email: recruitment.malawi@weforest.org

Application Deadline: 11th September 2026

Your application should include:

• A Curriculum Vitae (CV) that includes names of three traceable referees.
• A one-page cover letter, which should tell us in not more than 500 words what attracts you to this post and why you deem yourself a suitable candidate.
• Copies of academic certificates, professional certificates where applicable, driver's license and a National ID.

Due to the anticipated high number of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We thank you in advance for your interest.