Capacity Building Specialist

Vacancy Announcement

Position:	Capacity Building Specialist
Reports to:	Country Director
Supervisor to:
Location:	Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Country Program:	WCS Viet Nam Program
Team/Division:	Global Conservation
Position Type:	Full-Time
Internal liaison:	WCS Viet Nam teams, regional and global CWT teams
Expected travel:	Approximately 50% and as required within the country if/when needed

Organization Background

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 in New York City. WCS combines the power of its zoos and an aquarium in New York City and a Global Conservation Program in more than 50 countries to achieve its mission to save wildlife and wild places. WCS runs the world’s largest conservation field program, protecting more than 50 percent of Earth’s known biodiversity; in partnership with governments, Indigenous People, Local Communities, and the private sector. Its four zoos and an aquarium (the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium) welcome more than 3.5 million visitors each year, inspiring generations to care for nature.

WCS Viet Nam Program Overview

WCS has been working in Viet Nam since 2006, focusing on enhancing the commitment, capacity and actions of the government of Viet Nam to tackle the trafficking of wildlife, supporting national partners through developing and implementing highly focused, evidence-based strategies informed by an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of trafficking and the people involved to reduce the profits of crime and strengthen the risk of capture and sanctions. WCS Viet Nam have generated a wide range of reliable data on a number of related issues on illegal wildlife trade, trained and briefed about 4,500 law enforcement and judicial officers, policy makers, journalists, researchers and managers nation-wide and distributed a number of technical handbooks and guides. It has assisted central agencies to review and propose necessary changes to national legislation, criminal intelligence analysis systems, inter-agency cooperation. WCS Viet Nam has also facilitated Government to Government dialogue through multilateral and bi-lateral collaboration efforts, between Viet Nam and Asian, African and Latin American countries, to detect and response to transnational illegal wildlife trade networks. Its wildlife health expertise has been leveraged to address unregulated wildlife trade and mitigation of pandemic threats, through collaborative research, training, and policy development. In the past decade, WCS Viet Nam has also expanded to work with other conservation organizations and public laboratory towards finding and protecting Rafetus Swinhoei in the wild.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Country Director (CD), the Capacity Building Specialist leads the development and implementation of sustainable capacity-strengthening strategies that enhance the effectiveness of government partners and WCS Viet Nam staff. S/he is responsible for assessing learning and institutional capacity needs, developing competency-based learning frameworks, designing capacity-strengthening approaches, coordinating learning initiatives, and evaluating their effectiveness. The role serves as a technical focal point for capacity development, ensuring that learning investments contribute to improved individual performance, institutional effectiveness, and conservation outcomes.

S/he works closely with government counterparts, technical teams, training institutions, consultants, and other partners to identify priority competency gaps and develop practical, scalable, and sustainable learning solutions. While the position may occasionally facilitate learning activities, its primary responsibility is the strategic design, coordination, and quality assurance of capacity-building programs rather than direct training delivery. S/he also supports internal staff development and organizational learning across WCS Viet Nam, promoting a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and professional growth.

This Job Description is progressive in nature and shall be reviewed and amended from time to time to meet WCS Viet Nam program needs.

Responsibilities

1. Strategic Capacity Building and Partnership Development

Leads assessments of learning, workforce, and institutional capacity needs among government partners and WCS Viet Nam staff.
Develops capacity-building strategies, competency frameworks, and learning plans that align with Viet Nam program priorities and long-term institutional strengthening objectives.
Collaborates with technical teams, government counterparts, academic institutions, and other partners to identify learning priorities and define desired competencies and performance outcomes.
Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships with training providers, universities, government agencies, and other stakeholders to expand learning opportunities and strengthen capacity-development networks.
Advises the Viet Nam Program leadership on capacity-development priorities and opportunities that support conservation and wildlife protection goals.

2. Learning Program and Curriculum Development

Leads the design and continuous improvement of capacity-building programs for government partners and WCS staff using adult-learning principles and competency-based approaches.
Coordinates the development and revision of curricula, learning pathways, training materials, facilitator guides, e-learning content, and other learning resources in collaboration with subject matter experts.
Identifies and engages trainers, facilitators, consultants, and partner organizations to deliver learning programs through in-person, virtual, or blended modalities, as appropriate.
Ensures learning programs are practical, relevant, inclusive, and aligned with identified capacity-development objectives and expected performance outcomes.

3. Program Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management

Coordinates the planning and implementation of capacity-building initiatives across grants, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with Viet Nam Program objectives.

Supports the development and management of budgets for capacity-building activities and learning initiatives within assigned grants.

Develops and maintains systems, indicators, and tools to monitor learning outcomes, training effectiveness, and capacity-strengthening results.
Collects, analyzes, and communicates learning and performance data to support adaptive management, program improvement, and evidence-based decision-making.
Documents lessons learned, best practices, success stories, and recommendations arising from capacity-building interventions and promote their application across the Viet Nam program.

4. Internal Organizational Learning and Staff Development

Supports staff professional development through internal learning initiatives, knowledge-sharing activities, coaching and mentoring opportunities, and other staff capacity-strengthening mechanisms.
Works with the Viet Nam Program leadership and supervisors to identify staff development priorities and address emerging competency needs.
Promotes a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange across WCS Viet Nam.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Master’s degree in Education, Learning and Development, Organizational Development, Human Resource Development, Public Administration, International Development, Conservation, Criminal Justice, Public Management, or a related field.

Experience and Competencies

Minimum 7–10 years of progressive experience in capacity building, learning and development, organizational development, workforce development, or related fields.
Demonstrated experience assessing organizational and workforce capacity needs and developing capacity-strengthening strategies, competency frameworks, and learning plans.
Strong knowledge of adult learning principles and experience designing and managing competency-based learning and development programs for diverse professional audiences.
Proven ability to coordinate complex capacity-building initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, training providers, and technical experts.
Strong project management and analytical skills, including planning and coordinating multiple initiatives, monitoring learning outcomes, evaluating program effectiveness, and applying lessons learned for continuous improvement.
Experience developing learning resources, curricula, training materials, or knowledge products in collaboration with subject matter experts.
Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS), e-learning platforms, and other digital learning technologies.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, facilitation, and report-writing skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and communicate complex concepts effectively.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Desirable

Experience supporting institutional strengthening, workforce development, or public-sector capacity-building programs, including the application of competency frameworks, organizational learning approaches, and training-of-trainers methodologies.
Experience working in conservation, natural resource management, wildlife protection, law enforcement, criminal justice, or international development programs.
Experience collaborating with government authorities, enforcement agencies, judicial institutions, academic institutions, or professional training organizations.
Experience managing or overseeing consultants, learning service providers, or technical training partners.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: Competitive salary package commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Benefits:

Additional health care insurance for employee and eligible dependents.
Paid annual leave and public holidays in accordance with Viet Nam Labor Law and WCS policies.
Opportunities for professional development, capacity building, and international exposure.

Application procedure

Interested candidates who meet the above qualifications are invited to submit their i) cover letter and ii) resume to the recruitment team at [email protected] by 17:00 on Monday, 17 August 2026.

Email subject should be Capacity Building Specialist_YourName

Please note that only short- listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on age, color, disability, gender identify, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations.