Assistants (x2) to support the IUCN A.P.E.S. Database

Organization: Ape Institute for Conservation Science(hereafter referred to as The Ape Institute).

Job Type: Full-time or part-time (two positions available). These are national positions.

About the Ape Institute: The Ape Institute is a consortium of NGOs and research institutions created by the IUCN Primate Specialists Group-Section on Great Apes (PSG-SGA). The doors of the Institute will be open in January 2025.

The Institute is dedicated to enhancing the capacity of young African scientists and conservation practitioners for great ape conservation.

The headquarters is located at The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Kinigi (Rwanda), with a regional campus at the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques in Côte d’Ivoire. However, the Ape Institute will operate as a network across multiple satellite campuses in Africa and Asia. The institute aims to be a turning point for advancing great ape conservation in Africa and Asia, anchoring all of the SGA’s efforts in robust science, local expertise, and collaboration, while creating more opportunities for scientists from ape-range countries.

The key objectives of the Ape Institute include repatriating great ape data to Africa and Asia, providing new opportunities for African and Asian scientists, training local scientists and conservation practitioners in essential skills needed for implementing great ape conservation projects, and advising governments and the private sector to improve the status of great ape populations in the wild.

About the IUCN A.P.E.S. Database:

The Ape Populations, Environments, and Surveys (A.P.E.S.) Database was created in 2005 and is the unique repository of all population survey data for great apes. Its objectives include centralizing ape population data, assessing habitat and conservation impacts, aiding decision-making, fostering collaboration, and promoting education on great ape conservation. Since its inception, the A.P.E.S. Database has constantly grown, encompassing in 2024 over 800 surveys from 482 sites across 26 countries, with more than 1.7 million field observations, nearly half a million of which are signs of ape presence. The database plays a pivotal role in providing robust information on the status of great apes to decision-makers.

In recent years, the ape research and conservation community has collected a wealth of data on great apes using new technology such as Camera Trap methodologies. As the A.P.E.S. Database prepares to host all these new data types such as camera trap data—which includes large volumes of data, particularly videos — there will be a significant increase in data processing requirements. To effectively manage this workload and other additional tasks, the Ape Institute is seeking to recruit two Assistants for the IUCN A.P.E.S. Database to support data curation and processing tasks.

Job Overview

In the context of the newly established Ape Institute, we are seeking two highly motivated and skilled Assistants to support the development and management of the IUCN A.P.E.S. Database. The role involves overseeing the entire workflow, including data identification, requests, processing, formatting, and archiving. The archived datasets will be listed on the APES website and made accessible to database users for both local and large-scale projects.

Candidates for these positions must demonstrate strong communication skills for effective collaboration with the ape research community, as well as technical expertise in data management. Additionally, candidates will contribute to various publications, including status reports on great apes, journal articles, and reports for donors and stakeholders.

The two Assistants will also participate in capacity-building activities, training young African scholars and practitioners in primatology, especially in using R software for processing and analyzing wildlife survey data

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the workflow of the A.P.E.S. database, including data identification, requests, processing, formatting, and archiving.
• Enhance the effectiveness of database tools and services.
• Communicate effectively with data owners and data providers, including various conservation organizations, such as WWF, WCF, WCS, ZSL, AWF, FFI, RSPB, JGI, DFGF, and other stakeholders inside and outside the ape conservation community.
• Contribute to reports and publications by producing high-quality maps and targeted analyses, including great ape status reports, journal articles, and activity reports for the SGA and donors.
• Implement AI innovations into the database workflow and procedures.
• Provide web mapping services on the A.P.E.S. platform for the spatial visualization of various queries from the database.
• Assist in training African scholars and practitioners on data processing and analysis using R software.
• Report regularly to the Data Manager and submit monthly reports to the APES Team overseeing database activities.
• Complete any other tasks related to the database as requested by the Data Manager and the A.P.E.S. Team.

Education, Qualifications, and Skills:

• Master's degree or equivalent in Biology, Bioinformatics, Eco-informatics, Environmental Sciences, natural resource management, conservation, or a related field.
• At least three years of work experience in wildlife data management and processing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with good statistical and data analysis competencies, including modeling procedures.
• Fluency in English and a good working knowledge of French. Proficiency in other languages is an asset.
• Excellent knowledge of the R programming language; knowledge of Python will be an asset.
• Robust quantitative skills and experience in processing and analyzing wildlife or primate survey data using R.
• Good knowledge of database technologies and experience in using AI in the context of databases, data processing, and management
• Mastery of GIS, web mapping, data visualization tools, and processing of geospatial data from various sources using R program.
• Familiarity with camera trapping methodologies, including data collection and processing of large amounts of camera trap data.
• Excellent communication skills for interacting with the ape research community and data owners.
• Readiness to travel to ape-range countries as needed.
• Excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail.
• Excellent team player with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments.

Additional Information: The Assistants will work under the direct supervision of the A.P.E.S. Data Manager, to whom they will report regularly. Monthly reports are expected for the APES Team, the operational body managing the A.P.E.S. Database and A.P.E.S. Wiki.

How to Apply?: Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications as a single document, including a one-page cover letter stating their suitability for the position, and a CV that details relevant experience and qualifications, to assistant_apesdatabase@iucnapesportal.org. Please state in the subject: Application-APES Database Assistant

Deadline for Applications: December 1, 2024.

Please note that we will acknowledge receipt of each application; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview with the selection panel.

Expected Start Date: The tentative start date is January 15, 2025.

Contract Duration: Two years including a three-month probation period at the start. Renewal of the contract is contingent upon funding availability and a successful evaluation of the employee's performance over the two-year term.

Positive Discrimination: The APE Institute seeks to increase the number of women in great ape conservation and research in Africa and therefore encourages female candidates who meet the stated criteria to apply for these positions. At equal qualifications, female candidates will be preferred.