ZSL Counter-Trafficking Advisor (Full-Time / 1-year Fixed Term Contract)

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), a charity founded in 1826, is a world-renowned centre of excellence for conservation science and applied conservation. ZSL’s purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals from going extinct. This is realised by carrying out field conservation and research in over 50 countries across the globe and through education and awareness-raising at our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, inspiring people to take conservation action.

ZSL has an exciting opportunity for an experienced law enforcement professional with an interest in wildlife law enforcement and countering illegal wildlife trafficking. The role will sit within ZSL’s Africa Conservation Programme. Reporting to the Senior Programme Manager - Africa, this senior position will oversee ZSL’s law enforcement and counter-trafficking activities to combat the illegal wildlife trade in countries where ZSL operates, with a focus on Africa and the opportunity to expand the role into Asia.

The Africa Programme in ZSL’s Conservation & Policy department is focussed on some of the largest and most intact landscapes on the continent, with three programmes in Cameroon, Kenya and the W-Arly-Pendjari landscape in West Africa. We take a landscape approach to our work, with protected areas and communities at the core of this. Our law enforcement and counter-trafficking activities engage with a range of stakeholders including government law enforcement agencies, communities and other international and national organisations.

• Lead implementation of law enforcement and counter-trafficking activities for country programmes.
• Support relevant government authorities in effective law enforcement and counter-trafficking initiatives through training, mentoring and ongoing technical support, as required.
• Monitor and assess the performance of law enforcement and counter-trafficking activities carried out in various field sites, and manage and/or arrange technical assistance to support delivery where necessary.
• Support the implementation of community-focused information gathering on wildlife crime.
• Maintain and enhance existing written guidelines and procedures for all law enforcement and counter-trafficking activities.
• Oversee management of information networks to include overseeing collection, utilisation and transmission of sensitive information.
• Provide support to project and partner teams in the planning and execution of enforcement activities and counter-trafficking operations (targeted arrest operations, drafting and forwarding court complaint reports, judiciary follow up of court cases etc.) in the field.

This is senior level position which requires a high level of technical expertise in the field of law enforcement (e.g. intelligence gathering, information management, investigations and analysis, anti-corruption, anti-poaching, wildlife law), with a substantial professional interest in counter-trafficking and/or wildlife law enforcement. Candidates should also have:

• An excellent standard of written and spoken English. French is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of living and/or working in developing countries, ideally Africa.
• Proven capacity-building skills, experience in developing training resources, delivering training and mentoring.
• An understanding of current international and Africa-specific illegal wildlife trade issues.

Please Note: The position will be based at ZSL’s offices in London and will involve significant travel to the relevant countries.

Please find attached the full job description for this role here.

Applicants will need to upload their CV (maximum 3 pages) and covering letter (detailing relevant experience and skills, stating why they want the position and including details of availability) by clicking the "Apply for this job online" button on ZSL’s website www.zsl.org/jobs. If you have any queries regarding this position or when applying through the system, please contact Human Resources at hr@zsl.org. A full job description is available from www.zsl.org/jobs. We regret that we will only be able to contact applicants who have been selected for interview. 

Closing date for applications: Midnight Sunday 25th November 2018

The Zoological Society of London is a charity registered in England and Wales: no. 208728.