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Outreach & Field Director
Oceana
Accra, Ghana
Posted on Apr 4, 2026
OCEANA is the largest organization working exclusively on ocean conservation. Established in 2001 and based in Washington, D.C., OCEANA works on many strategic campaigns to achieve measurable results in marine management and conservation for the seas in each country. OCEANA believes especially in the importance of science to identify problems and find solutions. The Ghana office, the first OCEANA office in Africa which opened early 2026, will campaign alongside coastal communities to rebuild fish populations, increase vital nutrition, and strengthen livelihoods. The Ghana office headquarters is in Accra.
Oceana in Ghana is seeking an Outreach and Field Director who will be responsible for developing and leading the implementation of Oceana’s outreach strategy and field operations in Ghana to support national campaign objectives. This role ensures effective integration of grassroots mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and field execution with policy and science-driven campaigns.
This role works to generate grassroots support for Oceana’s Ghana campaigns by working in coastal communities to rebuild fisheries, boost food and nutrition security, and safeguard coastal livelihoods. The position serves as the primary link between campaign strategy and on-the-ground implementation, ensuring that community engagement efforts translate into measurable advocacy impact.
The Outreach and Field Director will oversee strengthening and maintaining a network of activists, community leaders, and environmental groups. They will be responsible for corresponding with existing enthusiasts, recruiting new supporters, engaging activists, and developing volunteer leaders who identify with and support initiatives to ensure a healthy ocean and sustainable fisheries in Ghana. This position is based in Accra (with about 40% field work) and reports to the Vice President, Ghana.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
- Lead the development and execution of outreach and field strategies aligned with campaign priorities.
- Provide support to Oceana's Advocacy & Campaign Director to achieve campaign goals that require building support from different stakeholders and civil society groups.
- Build and maintain Oceana's alliances and relations with environmental activists and groups, community leaders, among other stakeholders, including but not limited to regular and effective communication, coordination of activities and public statements.
- Direct all field activities, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with campaign goals.
- Establish systems for planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting of fieldwork.
- Manage field operational risks, logistics, and compliance in field environments.
- Collaborate with the Campaigns & Advocacy Director and the Senior Manager of Communications to develop mobilization strategies to influence decision makers.
- Organize and host presentations to potential activist and collectives about Oceana’s overall mission and campaigns in Ghana to enable informed public support for Oceana’s work.
- Share Oceana's policy proposals with the aim of educating and building support from a diverse array of activist and civil society groups.
- Oversee the development and design of culturally appropriate community engagement plans, models and approaches in coastal and fisheries-dependent communities to accomplish campaign goals.
- Manage a database of Oceana’s network for community engagement.
- Lead, supervise, and support outreach and field staff for team building and effective delivery
- Other responsibilities as appropriate and necessary to achieve campaign objectives.
Job Requirements
Education and work experience:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred with at least 7 years of progressive experience in community outreach, advocacy, or field program leadership. Related experience or a relevant combination of education and experience will be considered.
- At least 5 years of related experience, preferably in grassroots organizing and volunteer mobilization.
- Strong work experience in Ghana’s fisheries and marine ecosystem landscape is required.
- Demonstrated success managing multi-site field operations.
Skills and knowledge:
- Demonstrated success cultivating relationships in a way that persuades individuals to support an organization’s agenda and generates measurable, long-lasting results.
- Strong interpersonal skills - specifically the ability to navigate collaborative work environments with diverse partners.
- Demonstrated initiative to working with communities who are typically underrepresented in the environmental and oceans space, and commitment to incorporating the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion into organizing and advocacy work.
- Excellent written, oral, and emotional communication skills, including public speaking.
- Proactive, organized, with a high degree of responsibility and ability to work as a team and support various campaigns/projects in parallel.
- Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to effectively communicate in the local language(s) of key fishing communities will be an added advantage.
- Desire and ability to advocate for complex, aggressive conservation positions in both small and large settings.
- High degree of discretion when handling sensitive information.
- Willingness and ability to travel to the field 40% of the time.
- Valid authorization to work in Ghana.
Required Competencies:
- ACTION ORIENTED: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy and enthusiasm.
- INSTILLS TRUST: Is able to gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
- EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.
- MANAGES COMPLEXITY: Is able to gather data, analyze situations and uncover root causes to problems. Can distinguish between what’s relevant and what’s not and evaluate the pros and cons of potential solutions.
- PERSUADES: Understands that work gets done through relationships and is able to use compelling arguments to gain support and commitment of others.
Oceana's offices operate on a hybrid schedule. Staff are required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home on Monday and Friday. Please apply by April 24, 2026.
Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.