Project Assistant(Research Officer I) at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute

KMFRI is implementing a Mangrove Research Project funded by the Pew Charitable Trust and other agencies. The ‘Pew Project’ will implement social, economic and ecological research in Lamu on ways to incorporate mangroves into Kenya’s nationally determined contributions (NDC’s) to climate change. We are seeking to recruit high caliber and passionate scientist on mangroves and climate change who is a self-motivated professional to fill the position of a Project Assistant under the Mangrove Research Programme in Lamu County. The Project Assistant will work directly under the supervision of Pew Fellow and Principal Investigator (PI), Dr James Kairo.

• Mapping of mangroves resources, biomass data management as well as authoring and organizing project meetings;
• Collecting, maintaining, and validating mangrove carbon data;
• Performing QA/QC checks on stand table data and maps for Lamu mangroves;
• Facilitating a full process of consultations, explaining blue carbon ecosystems and how mangrove;
• Mainstreaming of conservation with Kenya’s development and climate change agenda ;
• Initiating drafting of policy briefs on blue carbon and NDCs in Kenya;
• Leading in writing scientific papers on mangrove and climate change for peer-reviewed publication; and
• Other job-related duties as may be assigned including providing technical support for field-based data collection

Requirements for Appointment

Academic/Professional Qualifications

• MSc in natural resources management, geography, forestry, or related field (those whose MSc thesis has been accepted can also apply).
• Other Necessary Skills · Strong analytical skills combining both GIS and RS techniques
• Ability to lead and organize meetings involving different stakeholders
• Knowledge and experience working in mangrove environment
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Possess at least one peer reviewed publication in a field related to mangrove conservation
• Knowledge of international processes such as SDG’s and NDC’s will be added advantage.

Terms of Employment

The successful candidate shall be engaged on contractual basis, One (1) year renewable for a maximum of three (3) years.

Work Station/ Location

Work location/station will be in Gazi/Shimoni with frequent visits to Lamu Archipelago, Lamu County.

Compensation

A competitive salary package will be offered based on KMFRI’s Scheme of service.