Overview

Start Date: ASAP

Location: Mahe, Seychelles

About GVI

Looking to find a real purpose in your career again? At GVI, our teams bring a range of specialised skills together for a common goal: supporting a more sustainable future.

GVI is an international multi-award-winning social enterprise. We offer conservation and community development programs in 13 countries, all aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and led by our teams and experts from the communities we operate in.

Working at GVI is fast-paced and fun. We value passion, authenticity and innovation, and we treat each other with respect. But we can do better than words to show you who we are! To see what it’s really like to work for GVI, click here.

About the role 

GVI is looking for a Program Coordinator (Science) who will support the Program Manager and field team at the GVI Seychelles Mahe research station, which is focused on marine and terrestiral conservation. You will facilitate the undertaking of all activities, including monitoring and evaluation, health and safety, as well as staff and volunteer management. The candidate should be flexible thinker and able to think on their feet and adapt according to the situation. A decent science background (minimum Masters) is a must, whether thats in degree form or field experience. Able to delegate to the team different responsibilities, as there is alot asked of coordinators both from HO and Field.

Role and responsibilities:

• Conduct snorkelling sessions for participants
• Coordinate between teams and individuals
• Conduct surveys and monitor management of household logistics
• Motivate staff team and volunteers
• Ensure high standards of project work are being maintained to meet identified objectives
• Assist in developing and updating training and operational material
• Help develop, monitor and ensure all personnel are doing proper reporting
• Supervising and mentoring participants of the program and staff.
• Develop and nurture the alumni programme
• Ensure GVI’s child protection policies are implemented and maintained
• Assist in the development of the under-18 and group programmes
• Health & Safety:
  • Ensure all H&S practices are being followed to a high standard and the necessary actions are taken should they not be
• Volunteer/Staff Management:
  • Motivate and support your volunteer and staff teams to a high level.
  • Manage conflict and complaints from all parties effectively and communicate all such issues with Program
  • Manager either immediately or via your weekly report depending on the urgency.
  • Ensure all volunteers, intern and research fellows are completing their duties to the necessary standard and taking the appropriate actions if they are not.
  • Facilitate meetings between research fellows and academic mentors and impact director
  • Ensure disciplinary measures and actions are taken when necessary and all relevant paperwork is signed and filed. Discuss any disciplinary procedures with Program Manager or Program Director before taking action to ensure the correct protocol is being followed.
• Logistics:
  • Help coordinate activities, side trips and airport transfers for our volunteers and ensure all details are communicated to volunteers in a timely manner
  • Ensure all day-to-day logistics run smoothly
• Communication:
  • Keep Program Manager well informed at all times on developments or potential issues
  • Ensure all communication channels are kept open and used effectively by you, your staff team, volunteers and project partners

What you will need: 

If you are ambitious, purpose-driven, and you have a great sense of humour,  we want to meet you. As an organisation, we know that welcoming a broad range of people with unique identities makes us powerful and we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Personal attributes:

• Background and passion for the conservation of biodiversity
• Excellent time management skills (working to deadlines)
• Active & effective communication skills (written, oral & body language)
• Autonomous problem-solving skills
• Enthusiastic and flexible leadership style, including active listening skills
• Honest, team player & strong work ethics
• Passion, motivation & commitment to conservation, research, community, education & Impact
• Positivity and a sense of humour.

Advantageous:

• A conservation or education-related degree or qualification
• Trained in First Aid and EFR training
• A background in photogrammetry or software analysis like QGIS and R, as this will be the next step in Mahe science to start pushing out some good statistical analysis.
• RYA PB Level 2 skipper license to allow you to be versatile within the team.

Competencies

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written)
• Commitment, drive, and enthusiasm to develop yourself and motivate others
• Hardworking, with the ability to show and use initiative
• Flexible, open-minded and adaptable
• Easy-going and excited about being a part of a global family on a mission to make a difference
• Likes challenges and obtains positive results.

Required

• A degree in Conservation Biology or environment-related field.
• PADI Dive Master or above certification
• Driving License (manual stick shift vehicles)
• Educated to GVSE or equivalent level
• Ability to lead by example, good interpersonal skills, strong initiative & positive proactive work ethic
• Proven experience and competence in administration and logistics
• At least 50 dives in a professional diver certification level.
• Past experience or background in internship coordination and outreach or a similar field
• Past volunteer or volunteer management, dive operations and experience of working in remote locations.

Advantageous

• EFR Instructor
• Marine, community and social development background, both academic and/or work experience
• Participation in expedition and volunteer style work experience, and volunteer work
• Management/planning background
• Past experience with dive operations and marine conservation
• Past experience working in remote locations
• Candidates should have a broad understanding of the coastal ecosystems, mangroves seagrass habitats and species etc. Bird ID, Crab, Frog and Mollusc IDs.

What we offer 

Package includes:

• Monthly salary
• Accommodation
• Food
• Visa costs (if applicable)
• Emergency medical and travel insurance
• Phone Plan

In addition, GVI has the following perks

• Leadership development
• In-house counselling support
• Growth opportunities across our 17 locations!
• Boat Licence Training (if applicable)

Benefits

We’re not interested in empty perks like having a coffee culture. We do have coffee – if you join our central team in Cape Town, you could find yourself roped into coffee and snack challenges if you visit the office, but you could just as easily be taking your morning coffee at Roots cafe, high in the mountains of northern Thailand if you work on a base. Here’s what our global team enjoys:

• Half days on the first Friday of each quarter
• Collaborative, flexible culture
• Transparency – hear directly from the CEO consistently
• Social fund
• Training fund
• Unlimited opportunities for growth across our globe
• We laugh a lot, genuinely care about and support each other, and do the occasional dress-up

You can find out more about the type of work GVI does and who we are as an organisation here. In line with this role, you can also learn more about the types of roles GVI recruits for across the globe on our careers portal here.

About us

GVI is an international multi-award-winning social enterprise on a mission to build a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference. We run programs in 13 countries worldwide aligned to the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

GVI is a platform for personal growth, and our staff have the ability to develop themselves across teams, departments, and even locations! We value passion, authenticity, entrepreneurship and innovation and treat all of our stakeholders with respect and compassion above everything else.

To apply 

Please submit your CV / complete the short application form / along with a detailed cover letter explaining why you feel you will be the best candidate for this position.

GVI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and values diversity in our organization. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or national origin.

Please note: We will do our utmost to respond to all applicants, however, given the large volume of applications we receive, this isn’t always possible. If you do not hear back from us within three-four weeks, please take it that on this occasion your application was unsuccessful.