Location: Bengaluru (With travel to field site)
Program/Sector: MPA & Coral Conservation Program of WCS-India
Position Type: 1 year- Fixed Term employment
Work Experience: 0-2 years
About us: The Wildlife Conservation Society-India works to conserve wildlife, backed by science. We work in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations to deal with conservation challenges such as human-wildlife interaction, combating wildlife trafficking, conservation of marine ecosystems and species, conservation of endangered species, livelihood development of local communities, and so on. Committed to wildlife conservation and the ecological worldview that recognizes the inextricable link between human welfare and the protection of wildlife and wild spaces, WCS-India endeavors to inspire positive attitudes in people towards wildlife.
WCS-India is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
The WCS-India Marine Program aims to conserve the unique diversity of India’s coastal habitats and seas by working with communities and partner organizations to overcome these challenges through a multidisciplinary approach. The program’s efforts are focused on five broad work streams: (1) strengthening the Marine Protected Area (MPA) / Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) network of India (2) reducing marine megafauna bycatch (3) curbing the decline of sharks and rays (4) incorporating sustainability into marine-centric tourism and supporting sustainable fisheries and (5) generating awareness on India’s marine biodiversity.
Background: Under MPA & Coral Conservation, we focus on a habitat approach towards conservation, which in turn, ensures and involves various stakeholders including coastal communities. The Tiffany & Co. Foundation-funded project aims to protect unique coral reef systems by emphasizing good dive tourism practices, incorporating conservation into tourism, and devising collaborative strategies for coral reef conservation.
Responsibilities:
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Collect ecological and/or social-economic data as per project requirements and assist in field logistics.
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Maintain a data repository, analyze collected data, and draft donor reports, and scientific or popular articles as per project deliverables.
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Assist in designing and executing outreach activities pertaining to the project.
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Liaise with individuals, research institutes, and governmental and non-governmental agencies towards collaborative efforts.
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Assist the Program members in other tasks to ensure the continuity and success of the project.
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Collaborate with members of the Marine Program or WCS-India on research ideas, ancillary projects, and activities such as fundraising.
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Contribute to the WCS-India social media and any assigned outreach activities of the Marine Program.
Qualification & Requirements:
Experience and Knowledge:
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0-2 years of experience.
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Highly motivated with a good understanding of issues pertaining to marine sciences, conservation, and management.
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Experience in academic, non-academic writing, and editing or outreach activities is desirable.
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Prior work experience in wildlife sciences, ecology and marine conservation, and/or with coastal communities is desirable.
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Experience in conducting ecological surveys of marine habitats is desirable.
Education:
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Post-graduate degree, preferably a Master's degree in Wildlife Biology, Anthropology, Social Sciences, Conservation Sciences, or allied subjects OR equivalent years of work experience.
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SCUBA certification – minimum certification of an Advanced Open Water Diver.
Technical Skills:
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Knowledge of curating, analysing, and visualizing data using GIS platforms and analytical software such as MS-Excel, R, etc.
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Good language and communication skills in English and any of the coastal languages: Konkani/Marathi/Kannada.
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Ability to work systematically and independently, take initiative, meet deadlines and be willing to work with a team.
Compensation: Offered as per the qualification and experience.
It’s time to apply:
To apply, please send together in one file a cover letter and an updated resume. Submit your application using the position title “Project Assistant – MPA & Coral Conservation” in the subject line and send us at careers@wcsindia.org latest by August 21, 2022.
Candidates to share three professional references mandatorily.
All applications will be reviewed however only shortlisted candidates will be notified for further process.