Overview

The Greater Gola Landscape, covering 350,000 ha and straddling the Sierra Leone/ Liberia border, is the largest remaining block of Upper Guinea Forest in Sierra Leone.

The Gola Programme is implemented as a partnership between the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), the Gola Rainforest Conservation Leadership Group, the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia, local communities and the RSPB.  In the long term, the programme aims to conserve the forest ecosystems of the globally important forest landscape, contributing to biodiversity conservation, climate change resilience, water conservation and food security.

The position will be based in Kenema with frequent travel to the field. The position will report to the RSPB Programme Manager for Sierra Leone with a dotted line to the Senior Conservation Scientist in Conservation Science.

Technical Advisor, Research – Sierra Leone
Reference: DEC20216706
Location: Sierra Leone
Salary: £32,400.00 – £35,944.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance and Annual Leave
Duration: 2 years

A job share arrangement is encouraged.

Purpose:

  • To provide technical support and advice across all biodiversity-related projects involving GRC-LG and with all collaborators with GRC-LG
  • To build the capacity of the GRC-LG Research and Monitoring Department through organizational development and technical understanding, learning and application
  • To provide technical advice and support on biodiversity-related matters to the research team in Liberia as required

Main duties:

Work with the RSPB Conservation Science team:

  • Collate and help analyse existing data from camera traps and other surveys of the spatial and temporal occurrence and movement of mammals and other species to enable evidence-based research of species of high conservation concern
  • Review the strategy and put together an action plan (including appropriate training) for improved communication of scientific data for management purposes within GRC-LG,
  • Build links and collaborations with academic and other research partners to build the evidence base to support effective conservation

Work with the Research & Monitoring Department:

  • Provide advice and support in field assessments on a day-to-day basis as well as on database management, reporting and quality control
  • Review the strategy and put together an action plan (including appropriate training) to increase the capacity of Research Technicians to input field data in an effective and timely manner
  • Ensure progress on deliverables and workplans, following Annual Operation Plans and project related indicators with a focus on REDD+, Darwin and PAPF or project related activities
  • Drive the implementation of the action plan to increase the capacity of Research Technicians to input field data
  • Support and facilitate other departmental activities when necessary as requested by senior management of GRC-LG and the RSPB Programme Manager for Sierra Leone.

Work with the broader GRC-LG team:

  • Provide advice and support for Park Operations development and activities, including supporting the development of capacity within GRC to evaluate different methods to collect and analyze information, including SMART monitoring system

Duties that you will support on:

  • Compilation of donor reports on biodiversity and ecotourism related areas, with a focus on REDD+, Darwin and PAPF
  • Development and submission of the biodiversity and ecotourism related elements of proposals to donors
  • Organizational development work being undertaken by the RSPB Country Manager, especially in relation to the capability and capacity of biodiversity research and monitoring and ecotourism resources
  • Country logistics for field visits by RSPB staff and other external collaborators
  • Timely completion of permits and payments from external researchers working with the Gola Forest National Park
  • Development and implementation of annual community-volunteer projects to ensure the active involvement of local communities in basic biodiversity research and monitoring
  • Lead /support the analysis of the data and assessment of the status of the White-necked Picathartes within the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP)
  • Develop key relations with local and national stakeholders dedicated to biodiversity research and monitoring
  • Maintain good relations with project partners and other important stakeholders, with a particular focus on local communities
  • Implementation of the biodiversity component of other grant funded projects.
  • Design and implement/test pilot human-wildlife conflict solutions

Skills Required

Essential

  • Or MSc in ecology or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
  • Experience working in Africa
  • Accomplished spoken and written communication skills in English to enable stakeholders’ clear understanding of project objectives, activities and outcomes, with experience working with people with varying levels of education and for whom English is not a first working language

Desirable

  • Proven ability to enable or deliver measurable biodiversity conservation impacts through Civil Society Organisation’s ranging from species to site conservation.
  • Direct work experience in remote rural community engagement.
  • A flexible creative approach, with the ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances.

This is a Fixed Term, 2 year Contract Full Time role for 37.5 hours per week. A job share arrangement is encouraged.

The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term

Closing date: 23:59, 31 January 2022
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from w/c 3rd February 2022.

For further information please contact heather.mitchell@rspb.org.uk

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974.