Gabon: Senior Scientist, WCS Gabon

Position: Senior Scientist, WCS Gabon

Division: Global Conservation

Location: Libreville, Gabon, with travel to the field in Gabon, the wider region and abroad

Reports to: WCS Gabon Country Director

Start Date: September, 2016

Contract duration: 2 years full-time, with possibility of renewal

The Wildlife Conservation Society seeks a full-time experienced and qualified scientist to lead a new research, conservation and monitoring program in Gabon, with a focus on elephants and other large terrestrial mammals. This is an exciting, rare and unique opportunity to apply rigorous and cutting-edge science to conservation action and management.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is the largest and longest-serving international conservation NGO in Gabon, having worked in the country for over 30 years. WCS started by supporting elephant surveys of Gabon in the 1980s that led to the first understanding of the drivers of forest elephant distribution and abundance. In the 1990s, this work was followed up by pioneering studies of forest ecology that resulted in a negotiated settlement between the government and foresters that ended illegal logging inside the Lopé Wildlife Reserve. The political capital and experience gained during this negotiation in turn catalyzed the launch of a nationwide evaluation of Gabon’s most intact forests. This formed the basis for the creation in 2002 of a network of 13 National Parks selected to represent all major ecosystems and covering 11% of the country. In 2003, at the request of the Government of Gabon, WCS Gabon significantly expanded its operations to support the Government with a range of issues from science-based wildlife monitoring and marine protected area spatial planning, to management plan development, law enforcement monitoring and capacity building for protected area management. Today, WCS works closely with Gabon’s National Parks Agency (ANPN – Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux) in providing technical advice and support to protecting Gabon’s wildlife and wild places.

Between 2016-2018 WCS is planning to lead a nationwide elephant survey across some of Gabon’s most important elephant populations and protected areas. WCS is looking to leverage this opportunity to scale up its scientific capacity in Gabon to develop a cutting-edge science-based support program to inform and improve conservation management and protection efforts in the country. This program is designed to coordinate and work closely with ANPN in achieving their protection and management objectives. The Senior Scientist for WCS Gabon will lead this program.

Position Objectives

The Senior Scientist will be responsible for the leadership and management of the terrestrial component of the WCS Gabon program’s portfolio. The position will implement a targeted wildlife research and monitoring program in collaboration with ANPN and other partners, and explore opportunities to expand program activities by building on WCS’s range of expertise in field conservation.

The Senior Scientist will oversee the design, implementation, and analysis of the national Gabon elephant surveys. He/she will build a collaborative, innovative and cutting-edge applied research and monitoring program for WCS Gabon’s terrestrial conservation portfolio that responds directly to ANPN conservation and management goals and help build the next generation of Gabon’s conservation scientists.

The successful candidate will have practical field experience in wildlife monitoring as well as experience in project management and development. S/he will ensure integration of WCS Gabon’s research and monitoring activities with WCS regional initiatives and Gabon’s national authorities (National Parks Agency and the Ministry of Waters and Wildlife) strategic priorities. The Senior Scientist will be involved in a broad portfolio of activities with particular focus on research, planning, fundraising and coordination of WCS conservation strategy in Gabon. The position is based in Libreville with frequent visits to the field sites.

The position will report to the WCS-Gabon Country Director and work closely with the appropriate Gabonese government representatives and WCS regional technical advisors. The key governmental partners include the national parks agency (ANPN), the Ministry of Waters and Wildlife, and the national research agency (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CENAREST) especially its tropical ecology research institute (Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale-IRET).

Principal Responsibilities

For the nationwide elephant surveys:

· As Principal Investigator for the Gabon national elephant survey, lead a National Technical Coordination Team of government and other NGO partners in the design, implementation, data quality, and data analysis.

· Identify, recruit, evaluate and coordinate training and regular mentoring for Gabonese field staff to implement the surveys

· Develop and oversee parallel research and development into new and improved methodology for surveying forest elephants

· Develop workplans, budgets, and terms of reference for new field staff as needed

· Coordinate and procure equipment in coordination with WCS-New York purchasing department

· Provide regular technical and financial reports

As part of WCS Gabon’s broader terrestrial conservation portfolio:

· Design, implement and manage day-to-day operations of a targeted research and monitoring program on WCS priority species and habitats, that responds to information gaps and fully aligns to strategic priorities of the WCS Gabon program and wider regional surveys and monitoring program;

· Work with WCS Gabon country director and government partners to build strong research and monitoring team

· Develop suitable partnerships to assist in implementing and supporting the research and monitoring program

· Produce analyses and meta-analyses on the status of threats, wildlife and impact of conservation activities, exploiting long-term databases such as SMART (law enforcement monitoring database).

· Work with Ministry of Water and Forests and logging companies, to support the development and implementation of wildlife management plans of logging concessions in priority areas

· Provide general technical support and guidance as necessary to WCS Gabon and government partners on broad conservation strategy development, protected area management, research and monitoring, and tourism development in Gabon

· Contribute to strategic plans, annual work plans, and overall project planning in collaboration with WCS Africa Program and other key partners

· Support project fundraising activities for program

· Compile reports and support project managers in preparing technical reports to donors and key collaborators

· Monitor project expenditures and budgets and ensure reporting and justification of expenditure following WCS procedures and criteria set by donors

· Supervise work of external experts/consultants contracted to work on research/monitoring activities and oversee and evaluate their delivered outputs

· Prepare and distribute promotional and educational material for WCS communications

· Represent program nationally and internationally, by participation in relevant conservation events, workshops, and symposia in collaborations with partners

· Maintain linkages to WCS regional initiatives in Central Africa, Africa, and New York, and identify opportunities for cooperation

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

· Applicants should have Masters or PhD degree and experience in terrestrial conservation biology and/or natural resources management with at least 5 years of relevant experience in Africa

· Proven experience in project management and implementation (e.g., managing large budgets, staff, and liaising with government).

· Proven experience and technical competency in up-to-date scientific approaches and methodologies, including GIS and spatial planning, wildlife ecology research design, wildlife monitoring program design.

· Fully computer literate and familiar with advanced statistical software packages, including Distance, R, mark-recapture applications

· Proven publication record and competitive research ranking (impact factor).

· A good command of English and good grasp of French is essential

· Of sufficient physical fitness to undertake field work in challenging conditions

· Excellent organizational capacity, excellent interpersonal and networking skills, and a willingness to work as part of a team.

· Strong communications and presentation skills are a requirement, including strong technical writing skills and demonstrated ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences across different cultures.

· The candidate must be able to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines.

· Applicants should be committed to conservation and to the mission of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

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 referees to the addresses below not later than 15 September 2016. Please include “WCS Senior Scientist, Gabon” in the subject line of your email.

Send to: gabitsi@wcs.org with a copy to africaapplications@wcs.org.

Candidates must also apply online via the WCS career portal by searching job title at: https://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.