Conservation Gallery Assistant

Vacancy Announcement: Conservation Gallery Assistant

About the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is the world’s largest and longest-running organisation dedicated to gorilla conservation. As a global nongovernmental organization, we collaborate with the Government of Rwanda, scientists, local communities, and conservation partners to perform conservation programs that enable gorillas and people to thrive together.

The heart of our operations in Rwanda is the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Kinigi. From the Campus, we assist the daily protection and scientific study of gorillas and their habitat, train future conservation leaders, and execute programs that assist surrounding communities.

As part of our education and public engagement activities, the campus includes a Conservation Gallery which welcomes visitors from Rwanda and around the world.

About the candidate

We are seeking an enthusiastic, confident, and motivated candidate to join the Conservation Gallery team and assist the delivery of high-quality visitor experiences.

The organization is seeking someone who is comfortable interacting with people, while also being professional, reliable, and eager to learn about gorillas, conservation, and the work of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

This position may be suitable as a first professional career opportunity for a recent graduate or someone who has gained relevant experience through an internship, volunteering, tourism activities, customer service, or visitor engagement.

The position offers the opportunity to collaborate with an experienced team, interact with visitors from Rwanda and around the world, and create valuable professional skills within one of the world’s leading gorilla conservation organizations.

Job title: Conservation Gallery Assistant

Duty station: Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Kinigi, Rwanda

Position type: Full-time

Reports to: Visitor Experience and Hospitality Manager

Job summary

The Conservation Gallery Assistant will be a key member of the Gallery team and will help ensure the efficient and successful delivery of visitor experience and hospitality activities.

Working closely with the Visitor Experience and Hospitality Manager and the wider Gallery team, the Gallery Assistant will assist daily operations, welcome and register visitors, process payments and donations, track exhibitions and interactive devices, and assist visitors throughout their experience.

A major responsibility of this position will be delivering engaging guided tours, including behind the scenes tours, school visits, and special visitor experiences such as private events and sundowners. Formal training is provided before leading the tours.

The successful candidate must therefore be confident in public speaking and able to communicate information in a clear, accurate, and engaging way. The role requires regular interaction with visitors from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, and age groups.

Key responsibilities

1. Welcome visitors to the Campus in a warm, professional, and organized manner.
2. oversee visitor registration, payments, and donation procedures.
3. Collect all required visitor information and keep accurate visitor records and assist data entry and visitor information management.
4. deliver visitors with clear information about the Conservation Gallery, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and the different visitor experiences available.
5. Deliver engaging guided tours for general visitors, school groups, VIP guests, donors, partners, and other special visitors.
6. Assist with the coordination and delivery of VIP experiences, guided tours, sundowners, private events, and other special activities.
7. assist visitors throughout their visit by answering questions, explaining exhibitions, and assisting with the use of interactive devices.
8. Help keep a high standard of customer service throughout the entire visitor experience.
9. track the Gallery’s exhibitions, devices, equipment, and overall appearance to make sure that everything is clean, organized, and functioning properly.
10. assist basic troubleshooting of the 360 degree theater, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, tablets, and other interactive devices, in collaboration with the relevant technical teams and report all of the technical problems and resolution to the Manager.
11. Perform Gallery opening and closing procedures according to established standards.
12. Participate in the rotation of Gallery staff across different visitor stations and responsibilities.
13. assist the orientation, training, and supervision of interns, students, and new team members working in the Gallery.
14. Participate in training sessions, workshops, and professional development activities organized by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
15. produce and submit a weekly report summarizing completed activities, visitor experiences, challenges, and follow-up actions.
16. Work collaboratively with Gallery colleagues and other departments to make sure that visitors receive a well organized, welcoming, and memorable experience.
17. Perform other duties related to the position as assigned.

Qualifications and experience

1. Bachelor’s degree in tourism, hospitality, communication, education, conservation or another relevant field.
2. Having a minimum of 1 year of experience in tourism, hospitality, customer service, guiding, education, or visitor engagement is an advantage. This experience may have been gained through employment, an internship, volunteering, school activities, or community involvement.
3. Strong spoken and written English and Kinyarwanda. Knowledge of French or another international language is an advantage.
4. Confidence in public speaking and the ability to deliver engaging presentations and guided tours to different audiences.
5. Good computer skills, including email, internet use, Google Docs, spreadsheets, data entry, and basic database management.p
6. A genuine interest in conservation.
7. Strong organizational skills and the ability to oversee several responsibilities during busy visitor periods.
8. Good problem-solving skills and the ability to respond calmly and professionally to unexpected situations.
9. Ability to work effectively with colleagues from different teams, professional backgrounds, and different nationalities. 

Working Conditions

This is a full-time, on-site position based at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus in Kinigi, Rwanda. Standard working hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 5 days per week. 

Flexibility is required to work on weekends, public holidays, and occasionally outside standard working hours, depending on visitor activities and special events.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are requested to submit their resume (no longer than 2 pages) and a cover letter outlining work experience, achievements and career ambition via email: karisokejobs@gorillafund.org

The Fossey Fund is an equal-opportunity employer, and all qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.

For more information about our work, please visit:www.gorillafund.org

Application Deadline: 14th August 2026 at 5:00 pm.

Done at Kinigi, on 28th July 2026.

Felix Ndagijimana

Director, Rwanda Programs.