Natural Science Coordinator at World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Kenya

ROLE DESCRIPTION 

The primary responsibility of this position will be to coordinate the co-creation, implementation and interpretation of ecological monitoring approaches for SOKNOT, that will enable the Programme establish trends and underlying causes of conservation and environmental outcomes and impact of the Programme’s work. 

This position will work closely with WWF staff, partners and stakeholders to provide guidance, training and support to develop and implement data collection and analysis that informs adaptive management and contributes to improving the impact of the Programme’s work.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Oversee the delivery of nature-related conservation outcome & impact for SOKNOT-UNGANISHA, such as functional and structural connectivity, habitat health, and wildlife numbers.

• Prepare, support and document innovative approaches for the ecological and natural-science based data collection and interpretation and ongoing monitoring; 
• Further develop capacities and provide training and mentoring of WWF, partner and WMA/Conservancy staff for the assessment and monitoring of wildlife, habitats and other natural resources
• Develop ecological monitoring and research capacities among WWF and partner staff to facilitate monitoring, research and evaluation through training, mentoring and workshops on key ecological research approaches, methods, tools, data analysis and interpretation and related templates
• Design science-based monitoring approaches to assess and capture ecological impacts on wildlife, habitats, functional and structural connectivity and other natural resources and promote the involvement of local communities, WMA/conservancy staff and game scouts through community-based monitoring systems
• Support WWF, partner and WMA/Conservancy staff with the installation, monitoring and interpretation of data/information acquired via Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as camera traps, satellite and drone images etc 
• Collaborate with remote sensing specialists of WWF Country Offices and other organizations for the monitoring of ecological parameters; 
• Cooperate with and support the WWF M&E staff in developing and maintaining a science-based monitoring and evaluation framework for ecological project impacts on wildlife, habitats and natural resources
• Collaborate with the Social Science Coordinator in facilitating the integration of participatory approaches to ecological monitoring wherever possible, by providing guidance, tools and training to field teams and partner organizations, to enhance uptake of M&E function in the landscape;  
• Provide expert advice and guidance on quantitative research methods and tools that inform SOKNOT-UNGANISHA strategies and improve the delivery of landscape projects on the ground; 
• Support WWF, partners and WMA/Conservancy staff in the collection and interpretation of weather and climate data and correlate those with data on wildlife, habitats and other natural resources to determine climate change impacts and priority areas for climate change adaptation in wildlife, habitat and natural resource management; 
• Lead the data collection and interpretation on human-wildlife conflict data, wildlife populations, habitat health, functional and structural connectivity and climate change-related indicators 
• Collaborate closely with global technical advisors of the WWF Network and Practices; and consultants as necessary
• Champion the use of ecological data to inform decision-making at all levels 
• Communicate, in liaison with the Communication staff where necessary, findings (from research, monitoring and evaluation activities) across WWF and partner organizations to support learning and adaptation
• Contribute to key knowledge outputs (reports, peer review literature, and communications) that communicate methodological development and ecological/conservation impacts
• Support the WWF M&E Staff to summarize key findings and contributing evidence to proposal development and reporting to donors where required including the use of indicators on biodiversity, structural and functional connectivity, climate change and others
• Support WWF, Partner, WMA/conservancy staff in the further development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of environmental safeguards as outlined in WWF’s Environmental and Social Safeguard Framework 
• Advise on the development of ecological research projects and partnerships
• Regularly liaise with other Government- and Non-Government organizations, national and international research institutions and local experts
• Work closely with the Social Science Coordinator and other WWF Staff to enable an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to impact monitoring, which demonstrates impact against the triple challenge (biodiversity, climate adaptation, livelihoods).

PROFILE

 Knowledge and Qualification

• Postgraduate/graduate degree (or equivalent) in relevant field and/or proven experience in natural science/ or environmental conservation
• Demonstrable, substantial practical experience of working on conservation related research projects or impact monitoring in a low-income country especially concerning community-based natural resource management and monitoring and associated adaptive management 
• Practical experience in participatory monitoring, evaluation and research approaches
• Quantitative research experience, including design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of findings through reports, publications and presentations. 
• A background in conservation ecology/ biodiversity conservation research and practice is highly desirable.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical skills including statistical analysis and associated software
• Excellent skills in communication of complex information to a diverse range of stakeholders
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Confident, strong interpersonal skills and ability to relate to and work effectively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, at all levels
• Capacity to undertake research and development work independently as well as part of a team
• Experience in capacity building and coaching of staff from different backgrounds in ecological assessment and monitoring approaches
• Experience in the development of innovative measurement methods for ecological impact
• Previous international organisation / NGO experience
• Experience in the Northern Tanzania-Southern Kenya landscape would be of advantage