Research and Impact Technical Advisor, Eastern Plains Landscape

Position:                                              Research and Impact Technical Advisor, Eastern Plains Landscape

Reports to:                                         WCS Seima Technical Manager, Cambodia

Location:                                             Sen Monorom Town, Mondoulkiri Province

Country Program/Sector:             Global Conservation Program – Greater Mekong

Position Type:                                   Full-time

Internal liaison:                               

Country Program Director, Cambodia

Community and Impact Strategic Advisor,

Eastern Plains Landscape

Community and REDD+ Manager, Eastern Plains Landscape

Director, Mekong Drivers Program

CEO, Ibis Rice Conservation Company

Expected travel:                               Approximately 20% to Phnom Penh

Organization Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit organization established in 1895 and based in New York, that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With a presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. In the Greater Mekong WCS has country programs in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam and is managed through a dispersed regional network with a hub in Bangkok.

Position Background:

Since 2003, WCS has provided technical and financial assistance to the management of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) in the Eastern Plains Landscape. The Keo Seima REDD+ Project, which covers the core Zone of KSWS, is Cambodia’s flagship REDD+ project. It was the first large REDD+ project developed in Cambodia, the first to receive a multi-million-dollar carbon sale, and it is the longest running. In the ten years since it started, the project has demonstrated that emissions reductions can be achieved while maintaining a gold rating for benefiting local communities. The new five-year strategic plan for KSWS places understanding and influencing the behaviour of key stakeholders at the centre of all activities being implemented at the site.

Position Summary:

WCS seeks a Research and Impact Technical Advisor to provide technical support to the WCS KSWS team. This position is a technical support function without staff management responsibility. The purpose of this position is to manage Objective 3 of the 2021 Seima Strategy, and in doing so improve the implementation of activities, and increase the conservation impact of those activities.

This will be achieved through commissioning, overseeing, and supporting research and monitoring, managing data and information, and advising on technical decisions and implementation of activities to increase conservation impact of the 2021 Seima Strategy.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Develop a process by which the impact of existing activities can be tested (through existing and novel monitoring methods) in such a way that iterative improvements to the design of these activities can be made.
2. Support the WCS Seima Technical Manager to make appropriate information-based management decisions.
3. Provide support and technical insights to WCS KSWS staff to improve implementation of activities based on data, information, and knowledge.
4. Support and facilitate adaptive management of existing interventions and the development of new approaches to address emerging threats.
5. Establish and liaise with a scientific advisory committee to critically evaluate and advise on implementation of the 2021 Seima Strategy.
6. Build capacity within the WCS KSWS Team Leads of behavioural science-informed approaches to influencing behaviour towards continuation or adoption of sustainable practices.
7. Together with the Community and REDD+ Manager and the Biodiversity Monitoring Technical Advisor, support the 2021 Seima Strategy by bridging key knowledge gaps and supporting team leads to embed the insights gained into the implementation of site-based activities.
8. Support the Community Engagement Technical Advisor to increase the effectiveness of REDD+ Benefit Sharing through:

-          Review and update existing KSWS REDD+ Benefit Sharing Mechanism to maximise benefits for REDD+ communities and provide transparent, equitable and effective incentives to reduce forest clearance.

-          Review current community engagement in KSWS, including an investigation of current perceptions of conservation among REDD+ communities.

-          Design and conduct an ongoing programme of stakeholder analysis within REDD+ villages to facilitate adaptive management.

-          Develop and use an integrated compliance system to inform REDD+ Benefit Sharing and other livelihood interventions in KSWS.

1. Commission and oversee studies and research by consultants, external researchers, and students to fill information gaps that are relevant to implementation of the 2021 Seima Strategy, for example:

-          Investigate potential for and local interest in a cashew-based incentive program for KSWS.

-          Investigate dynamics of land sales and speculation.

-          Conduct research to understand how debt influences household decisions regarding deforestation.

-          Investigate the efficacy of potential solutions to reduce hunting in KSWS.

1. Manage the storage and use of datasets relevant to KSWS, and ensure their accessibility and that value is derived from them.
2. Assist in report and proposal writing and help identify additional potential funding opportunities to leverage external resources.
   

Position Requirements:

• At least five years’ experience in intervention design and/or evaluation in a relevant sector. Experience of working in Mekong region preferred.
• Experience of independently managing social research programmes. 
• Ability to apply scientific insights to assess and increase the impact of behavior change interventions.
• Demonstrate a commitment to rights-based approaches to conservation.
• Ability to produce clear and concise reports and presentations.
• Experience of publishing in high-impact scientific journals.
• Experience in training/capacity building.
• English fluency required. Competency in Khmer preferred.

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should apply by sending an application letter and CV together with the names and contact information of three references references to cambodiahr@wcs.org. Please include “Research and Community Impact Technical Advisor” in the subject line of your email.

Pre-screening will start around 9 February 2022. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.

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