Research and Monitoring Unit Director, Nouabalé Ndoki National Park (NNNP)

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, 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. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

Congo Program Overview:

The WCS’s largest country program has been working to save Congo’s wildlife and wild places for almost three decades. Protecting this astonishing biodiversity means saving wild places that sustain the local people, protect natural resources, and buffer global climate change. Over the past 25 years WCS Congo has been the government’s principle conservation partner, assisting the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF) in managing wildlife and its habitat in several of the country’s national parks, reserves, and protected area buffer zones. WCS and the MEF have formalized their partnership with the signing of several protocols, which define the roles of each partner in assuring protected areas are managed to international standards. These protected area protocols include Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (NNNP). NNNP is considered to be WCS Africa’s flagship protected area and is our first public private partnership for the management of a national park.

 Job Summary:

This position will provide essential data to inform management decisions as well as ensuring capacity building of national research assistants, students and researchers. S/he will oversee the coordination and development of research initiatives as well as long-term monitoring programs. The Research and Monitoring Unit Director will have extensive experience in research design, implementation, analysis, and publication.

Major Responsibilities:

·         Overall supervision of the Research and Monitoring Unit and staff

·         Participate in strategic planning and reporting in accordance with the park needs

·         Ensure review of data quality and research design

·         Develop new research initiatives and partnerships which adhere to the conservation strategy of the park management plan

·         Oversee all aspects of data management, storage, back-up and analysis including GIS

·         Coordination of existing research sites, including assisting with logistics and operations for research missions

·         Ensure adherence to national and international research protocols and standards

·         Coordinate training and capacity building of national and international researchers

·         Ensure regular and standardized data collection and reporting

·         Coordinate regular landscape-wide monitoring survey (every 5 years, next one in 2021) and long term ecological data collection, including system of monitoring at specific sites (bais) and established transects and plots

·         Maintain and expand collaborations with national and international research institutions

·         Work closely with the WCS Global Health Program to ensure researchers and staff adhere to best practice protocols and that a health monitoring system is in place; including monitoring of impact of human presence (tourism, logging etc.)

·         Assist in the overall promotion of NNNP as a center for research and monitoring by building collaborations with external researchers, promoting publication and distribution of data (i.e. publication in peer reviewed and popular journals, representation at meetings, development of promotional materials, and providing open access to certain datasets).

·         Contribute to reporting obligations of the PMU for donors, national authorities, etc.

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD in Biology, Ecology or related field
• At least 5 years’ experience conducting or overseeing research programs
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Ability to manage teams and work in a multicultural context
• Experience working in a developing country setting. Experience in the Congo Basin will be considered a plus
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal. English & French required
• Effective “roll up the sleeves” work ethic, with attention to detail
• Experience with Distance-based and camera trapping surveys a plus.
• Willingness to live in a remote location with few amenities and in a multi-cultural social environment.

Application Process:

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications should apply by emailing an application letter and CV together with salary requirements and the names and contact information of three references to: wcscongobrazza@wcs.org  by 31 January 2020 deadline. Please include “Research and Monitoring Unit Director” in the subject line of your email.

In addition, all candidates must apply on-line using the following
link: http://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers.aspx/

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

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