ABOUT RARE

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For 50 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature. We facilitate solutions that help individuals, their communities, and their local leaders tackle global environmental challenges, manage their resources, and take charge of their futures. We believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate.

Rare’s Fish Forever program is an innovative global movement to transform near-shore fisheries (www.fishforever.org). Fish Forever has ambitious objectives to combat chronic overfishing: recovering fish stocks; increasing the economic value of local fisheries; ensuring food security to vulnerable communities; protecting the most biologically diverse marine habitats; contributing to climate change resilience; and building local leadership capacity to ensure sustainability. Fish Forever focuses on implementing managed access and reserve (MA+R) areas that give tenure to local fishing communities and within these areas establish fully protected reserves to enable fish populations to recover and replenish surrounding fishing areas.

POSITION OVERVIEW

For Fish Forever to successfully support small-scale fisheries management in Indonesia, the national and local governments must prioritize MA+R over open access. Government support will mean that there is a clear legal and regulatory pathway, as well as an opportunity for the district/provincial government to access financing or funding to implement RBFM. By providing technical support and advice to relevant government organization partners and the evolution of a comprehensive approach to Fisheries Management in Indonesia, Rare will increasingly be able to identify the opportunities for the Indonesian government to be a trusted and effective scale partner.

With such complex government demand-related works and challenging yet rewarding tasks, Rare is looking for a Reporting Policy Manager who will implement all policy’s strategic components to scale the Managed Access plus Reserves (MA+R) in North Sulawesi, with the possibility of extending to Maluku and other areas. He/she will provide support in maintaining and moving relationships with key and identified North Sulawesi government agencies and other stakeholders to secure their buy-in for replication and expansion of MA+R, mainly in North Sulawesi.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Policy Manager will lead policy initiatives related to marine conservation and sustainable fisheries governance. This role focuses on four key pillars: Regulation, Governance, Government, Public Funding Relations and Partnership, and &. The Marine Policy Manager will engage with government agencies, private sector partners, and civil society to influence policy frameworks, strengthen governance mechanisms, and secure public funding for marine conservation initiatives.

KEY RESPONSABILITIES

1. Regulation

• Support the development and implementation of legal frameworks to enable the implementation of Marine Access and Reserved MAR/ OECM at the regional level
• Monitor, analyze, and provide recommendations on Marine Access and Reserved (MAR)-related policies, laws, and regulations at the regional levels.
• Help to ensure alignment between national and regional commitments, including integrating OECMs into regional marine spatial plans
• Advocate for the recognition and protection of OECMs in regional legal systems, including the designation of MAR by the Governor

2. Governance

• Support the establishment and improvement of governance structures for supporting the MAR/ OECM establishment and implementation at the regional level
• Provide technical guidance on policy and governance aspects of marine conservation funding mechanisms.

3. Development Planning & Public Funding

• Ensure that regional conservation OECM vision aligns with national goals (such as 30x45 targets)
• Identify and secure funding opportunities by exploring and aligning regional planning with budget allocations, including APBD, Village Fund, to ensure effective resource mobilization for MAR and OECM implementation
• Facilitating the development of regulations that support the allocation of village funds for ecosystem conservation and the management of small-scale fisheries.

4. Government Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with government partners and regulatory authorities
• Represent the organization in policy dialogues, working groups, and consultations with relevant partners

5. Partnership

• Develop and manage partnerships with government partners, NGOs, academic institutions, and international organizations.
• Facilitating the Establishment of Local Leader Leader, Coastal Mayor and Village Head Partnership, local leaders to build a shared vision and increase commitment for marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management.

6. Reporting

• Prepare and present regular updates on policy developments, funding allocations, and stakeholder engagements related to marine conservation and small-scale fisheries management.
• Ensure alignment of reporting with national and regional conservation goals, including the integration of conservation priorities into development planning.
• Compile and submit reports to internal and external stakeholders, including government bodies, NGOs, and international organizations, tracking the success of partnerships and ongoing projects.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Marine Science, Fisheries, Environmental Law, or Public Policy
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in marine policy, government relations, and/or environmental governance
• Strong understanding of national and international small-scale fisheries and marine conservation frameworks
• Experience working with government agencies, policymakers, and international organizations
• Familiarity with public funding mechanisms for marine conservation
• Proven experience in policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and partnership development
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Ability to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary, and multi-cultural environment
• Knowledge of fisheries management, marine protected areas, and coastal governance

Rare is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.