The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Cameroon is looking for a
Sustainable Cocoa Assistant

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home, the
Earth? Working with WWF could be the opportunity of a lifetime:
All around the world, people are waking up to the deepening crisis of nature loss. A growing
realization that nature is our life-support system. And that nobody will be spared from the
impacts of its loss. Here at WWF, we are helping to tackle this enormous global challenge.
Our people come from hugely diverse backgrounds and with a variety of expertise, ranging from
HR and finance to advocacy and conservation science. We welcome applications from anyone
who believes they can help us create a better future for people and wildlife.
What we do:
We are an independent conservation Organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the
benefit of people and wildlife. From individuals and communities to business and government,
we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the path to recovery
by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of
wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable.
For our Country Office in Cameroon, we are looking for a dynamic and committed Sustainable
Cocoa Assistant.
Reports to: Senior Expert for sustainable Cocoa Lead
Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon
Duration: One (01) year renewable depending on funds availabiliy
Mission of Department
WWF is committed to the strategy of promoting and developing sustainable cocoa in the
landscapes where it operates. The development of sustainable cocoa involves the production and
marketing of cocoa using agroforestry practices and other good agricultural practices, as well as
fair marketing conditions on the national and international markets. It also involves the
development of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), all of which contribute to cocoa production
under conditions that are ecologically respectful of the environment and biodiversity.
It is against this backdrop that the Cameroon Agroforestry for Nature+ Opportunities and People's
Empowerment (CANOPE) programme has been developed and implemented to support
conservation by promoting improvements in people's well-being, particularly the indigenous
populations in the target landscapes. In addition to this programme, the Mobilizing More Money
For Climate (MoMo4C) project is also being implemented in the same area.
To support the team, WWF Cameroon is looking for a Sustainable Cocoa Assistant.
Major Functions
Under the supervision of the Senior Expert Cocoa (SECO), the person will be mainly responsible
for:
• Supporting the legalization of cooperatives of cocoa producers and NTFP collectors
• Carry out an organizational and institutional diagnosis of cooperatives that have already
been legalized and are WWF partners,
• Verify the legal existence of those already in existence (certificate of legalisation, setting
up of committees in accordance with the law and their functionalities, existence of bank
accounts and management procedures for these accounts,
• Analyze internal governance within these cooperatives (setting up the Board of Directors,
the supervisory committee, holding statutory meetings, managing the cooperative's assets,
archiving and storing data, etc.),
• Assisting cooperatives in drawing up or reviewing contracts and partnership agreements
with partners,
• Check the consistency and conformity of contracts and agreements with laws and
regulations in order to guarantee the legal clarity of commitments, protecting producers in
particular,
• Maintain contact with national public institutions responsible for regulating sustainable
cocoa production and the marketing of cocoa beans (MINCOMMERCE, MINADER,
etc.).
• Supervising and monitoring consultants and other colleagues (interns, volunteers and
other new colleagues) in the field.
• Support SECO in negotiations with partners,
• Assisting SECO in organizing meetings and seminars with stakeholders involved in the
sustainable cocoa process (government, civil society, producers, technical and financial
partners).
The successful candidate will also carry out all the necessary administrative and logistical tasks
assigned to him/her by his/her supervisor.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
• Checking the administrative conditions of co-operatives and other players who are to
enter partnership with partners in Cameroon or elsewhere,
• Monitor the functioning of these cooperatives (compliance with statutory meetings and
participative decision-making).
• Verify the tax and legal compliance of cooperatives and any other structures that are to
embark on the road to professionalisation,
• As far as partnerships are concerned, ensure that the partnerships established or in the
process of being established comply with the administrative and tax procedures of
Cameroon and other countries in the case of international relations,
• Ensure the legality of sustainable cocoa at MINCOMMERCE and other government
departments.
• Support the Senior Expert Cocoa (SECO) in participating in the process of compliance
with European Union regulations on sustainable cocoa.
• Ensure the traceability of our partners' cocoa and help them at institutional level
• Prepare meetings between stakeholders in the sustainable cocoa sector
• Capitalizing on resolutions and monitoring the implementation of decisions taken at
meetings and seminars on sustainable cocoa
• Organize the logistics of the sustainable cocoa team within WWF
• Liaise with WWF's communications and M&E department with the sustainable cocoa
team
• To help promote our partners and sustainable cocoa in general, and cocoa produced in our
own countryside in particular.
Profile:
Required Qualifications
• Hold a Bacc + 4 (minimum) in law, legal sciences, or an equivalent degree in social
sciences or economics with proven experience in a similar position
• At least 5 years' experience in a similar position• Experience in the cocoa sector would be an asset.
Required Skills and Competencies
• Knowledge of EU regulations on cocoa marketing would be an advantage.
• Ability to work under pressure and in a rural environment
• Have a perfect knowledge of French or English and an operational capacity for the
other
• Be dynamic and proactive in the conduct of activities
• Demonstrate sensitivity to forest conservation, biodiversity and climate change issues
• Be able to work effectively in a team.
Values and Behaviors
• Identifies and aligns with the core values of the WWF organisation: Courage,
Collaboration, Respect & Integrity;
• Demonstrates WWF behaviors in way of working: Strive for Impact, Listen Deeply,
Collaborate Openly, Innovate Fearlessly.
Working relationships
Internal – Reports directly to the Senior Manager Sustainable Cocoa and works closely with the
Heads of Departments, Programmes and Projects heads, other members of the CCO team; IT and
other services.
External – Cocoa-Cooperatives producers and NTFP-collecting cooperatives, private companies
that buy cocoa, international partners/chocolatiers. MINCOMMERCE, MINADER, Tax Services.
This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are
anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to
organizational needs.
How to apply:
Apply through the link:
https://cameroon.panda.org/apply_to_a_job/apply_for_a_job/  (with a computer, please do not use
a mobile phone).
Choose job J165
Deadline for applications: 13th April 2025.
Thank you in advance for your interest in this position. Please note that only shortlisted
applications will be contacted for further consideration. If you have not been contacted, consider
your application unsuccessful.
WWF is an equal opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce.