POSITION: Intelligence Officer

ORGANISATION: African Parks – South Sudan

LOCATION: Boma National Park

REPORTING TO: Senior Research Officer

EXPECTED START DATE: July 2026

 

BACKGROUND:

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on responsibility for the long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 24 protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares.

In South Sudan, African Parks supports the management of the Great Nile Migration Landscape (GNML), centred around Badingilo National Park, Boma National Park, and the Jonglei landscape. Covering more than 120,000 km², the landscape supports the world’s largest remaining terrestrial mammal migration and is of major ecological importance regionally and globally.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Intelligence Officer (Boma) will lead the Situational Awareness Cell for the Boma landscape. The role focuses on transforming dispersed observations from community scouts (Tangos) and rangers into structured, actionable intelligence to support baseline situational awareness, pattern identification, and preventive interventions.

This position prioritises structured aggregation and analysis of existing field data over covert collection, enabling early warning, spatial risk mapping, and evidence-based Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) measures.

This position sits within a new Information Coordination initiative across African Parks-managed landscapes in South Sudan. The model deliberately seeks to develop structured detection, patterning, attribution, and preventive interventions to reduce wildlife crime. Analysts play a central role in turning dispersed observations into usable information that shapes the operating environment and reduces opportunities for illegal activity.
You will be measured by the quality, consistency, and usefulness of analytical products; improved coverage and structure of incoming data; identification of actionable patterns and risk areas; and contribution to evidence-based SCP interventions.

MAIN ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Data Collection & Structuring (Primary Focus)

• Establish and maintain standardised reporting formats and debrief protocols for rangers (≈12) and community scouts (≈50).
• Ensure consistent, timely submission of patrol and scout observations (signs of illegal activity, tracks, camps, snares, human/wildlife movement changes, encounters, etc.).
• Log, tag, and clean all incoming information in the central intelligence database (date, location, activity type, source category, etc.).
• Maintain spatial data layers (GIS/mapping) for patrol coverage, incident locations, and emerging risk areas.
• Analysis & Patterning
• Conduct regular spatial and temporal analysis to identify repeat locations, hotspots, and emerging patterns.
• Produce weekly analytical outputs, including: Operational Brief (key developments and immediate implications).
• Pattern and Risk Update (repeat activity, patrol vs. incident correlation, risk trends).
• Develop early warning indicators based on environmental and activity patterns.
• Escalate priority issues requiring deeper investigation (e.g., to Field Research Officers or external partners) with clear supporting evidence.
• Tasking & Direction
• Contribute to the weekly strategic tasking cycle (3–5 priority intelligence questions) under the guidance of the Intelligence Lead.
• Develop operational monitoring tasks for rangers and scouts focused on pattern identification and data quality improvement.
• Provide feedback to field teams on reporting quality, coverage gaps, and priority areas.
• Capacity Development
• Support the phased Ranger Development Pathway:
  • Phase 1 (0–12 months): Focus on consistent, structured information collection and reliability.
  • Phase 2 (12–36 months): Build rangers’ ability to interpret local patterns and contribute to targeted patrol planning.
• Deliver or support in-house training on reporting standards, basic observation skills, and data handling for scouts and rangers.
• Work towards progressively integrating intelligence outputs into patrol planning and SCP interventions.
• Coordination & Integration
• Collaborate closely with the Analyst Cell, Field Research Officers (Badingilo/Jonglei), and the Juba Market Node where linkages exist.
• Ensure intelligence products directly inform SCP measures tailored to Boma’s environmental patterns and repeat locations.
• Support broader conservation and law enforcement teams with timely, accurate situational awareness products.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Essential:

• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in field operations, data management, or intelligence-related roles in conservation, security, or community-based monitoring.
• Strong understanding of protected area management and wildlife crime issues.
• Proven ability to work with community structures and field teams in remote environments.
• Experience with data structuring, basic analysis, and mapping tools (e.g., GIS, Excel, simple database systems).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to produce clear, concise reports.

Desirable:

• Previous experience working with rangers, community scouts, or in intelligence/support roles in South Sudan or similar contexts.
• Familiarity with Situational Crime Prevention principles or intelligence-led operations.
• Basic GIS/mapping proficiency and data visualisation skills.

6. Skills and Competencies

• Strong organisational and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to translate raw field observations into usable intelligence products.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity for working with diverse field teams.
• Self-motivated, able to work independently in a challenging field environment with limited supervision.
• High integrity, discretion, and commitment to ethical intelligence practices.
• Problem-solving orientation and adaptability.