Senior Landscape Ecologist at African Wildlife Foundation

Responsibilities

Be responsible for all priority ecological monitoring in the landscape

•  Familiarity with relevant ecological monitoring tools and methodologies and ensure their appropriate application in the transboundary landscape
•  Plan and participate in ecological studies and surveys in the landscape including key large mammals, other key species, human influences, habitat changes and submit technical reports of the surveys and recommendations to AWF
•  Ensure data from the species’ surveys and habitat monitoring are transmitted to AWF central repository consistently
•  Contribute to the reviewing and updating of all AWF ecological monitoring tools, documenting learning from applications at the specific site

Ensure ecological data and information feeds into the integrated land-use zoning or biodiversity plans in the Tsavo landscape

•  Track and report on critical threats, habitat, land-use change, and water availability within the landscape periodically
•  Work with GIS team to undertake periodical land-use changes of the landscape, submit technical reports including recommendations for conservation actions
•  Provide scientific information including data necessary for land use and spatial planning; zonation in the landscape, to ensure wildlife habitat is secured
•  Provide support to Land and Conservation Enterprise program areas; documenting strong conservation logic for the establishment of conservation enterprise projects

Undertake species conservation actions in the Tsavo landscape

•  Participate in the selection and prioritization of species work in the landscape
•  Provide technical support in the development and implementation of species conservation action plans in the landscape based on the respective national species recovery and action plans
•  Participate and contribute to proposal writing and fundraising for species conservation projects providing clear guidance on current needs
•  Provide technical oversight of other species work being undertaken in the landscape by AWF staff

Ensure climate change science integration into the Landscape program

•  Collect, analyze and report meteorological and climate data within the landscape
•  Work with partners and relevant authorities in building a basic database of relevant climate change data and information in the landscape
•  Contribute to the assessment of climate change impact on biodiversity within the landscape.

Ensure effective management of resources and processes within the landscape

•  Knowledgeable about Landscape Approaches and contribute to updating these approaches and related ecological tools in priority landscapes
•  Provide relevant ecological data, information, and reports needed for AWF’s Program Impact Measurement Assessment (PIMA) on a timely basis
•  Participate in the development and dissemination of policy briefs and other publications on results and impact of AWF species and other ecological work in the Tsavo-Mkomazi landscape

Undertake requisite ecological restoration in landscape

•  Identify rationale and methods for ecological restoration at key sites within the landscape
•  Initiate, monitor and document the progress of restoration at key sites within the landscape.

Represent AWF in strategic forums

•  Ensure results are written professionally and shared internally and externally ensuring AWF visibility
•  Provide lessons learnt and application of experiences for projects, landscapes or / and program; proactively ensuring that ecological findings get their way into and inform AWF programming
•  Inform AWF’s policy inputs at relevant local, national and multilateral levels

Qualifications

•  Postgraduate (MSc. or PhD degree) qualifications required in relevant field
•  5+ years post-degree experience in the sector - any relevant area of ecology acceptable
•  Direct experience of conservation or field ecological work in Africa
•  Experience engaging partners and other stakeholder consultation in policy analysis
•  Experience working under organizational and site-level strategies as a member of teams
•  Demonstrable commitment to AWF’s mission and understanding of issues faced by AWF in delivering its mission
•  Has verified record of participating in the design, managing resources and running a project
•  Participant in several forums and published at least one peer-reviewed paper
•  Be fluent in spoken and written English
•  Must have a thorough knowledge of ecological and human issues relevant to AWF’s Landscape Program approach.