[Coral-List] 2 Positions: South Pacific Program Director & Marine Scientist

[Liz Lauck]

JOB DESCRIPTIONS:  TWO POSITIONS


Position 1: 	Country Program Director, WCS South Pacific Program, Fiji

Reports to:	WCS Marine Program Director

AND

Position 2:	Associate Marine Conservation Scientist, WCS South Pacific
Program, Fiji

Reports to:		Country Program Director, WCS South Pacific Program


The Marine Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking to fill
two vacancies in its South Pacific Program:  the Country Program Director
and an Associate Marine Conservation Scientist.  The positions are based in
Fiji; salary is commensurate with experience and the closing date for
receipt of applications is January 20, 2005.  Brief descriptions of the
positions’ primary responsibilities and qualifications follow.

The primary responsibilities of the South Pacific Country Program Director
are to:

·	Lead the implementation and further development of conservation and
research programs in the South Pacific, with a focus on Fiji, as part of the
WCS Marine Program, and lead development of a strategic vision, plan and
approaches for conservation and conservation-oriented research in the
region.
·	Ensure successful implementation of current marine and terrestrial
projects in the South Pacific, and especially the Fiji Seascapes project,
through supervision of existing staff, provision of strategic and technical
expertise, and effective communication with partners, collaborators, and
funders.
·	Train national students and staff and guide and oversee student and staff
research.  Write and publish documents, reports, books and papers.  Be
active in professional societies and attend meetings, workshops, strategy
sessions, etc.
·	Oversee and administer the South Pacific Program.
·	With the support of WCS staff in New York, raise funds to cover South
Pacific Program budget and to support larger initiatives for marine
conservation in the Pacific.
·	Establish and maintain strong working relationships with partner and donor
organizations.  Promote biological conservation in the South Pacific.
·	Participate in and contribute to WCS’s cross-cutting marine conservation
initiatives in the Pacific region.
·	Willingess to travel, within Fiji and across the South Pacific.
·	Contribute to, enlarge and uphold the Society’s policies towards Equal
Employment Opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, the handicapped
and other protected groups.

Qualifications, South Pacific Country Program Director:

·	Ph.D. or equivalent and solid record in tropical field biology, research,
and conservation, with a background in marine biology or ecology strongly
preferred.
·	Proven ability to achieve successful on-the-ground conservation in
situations of strong local tenure of resources, lands, and marine areas by
local and traditional communities. Ability to effectively deal with the
challenges of tropical research and local conservation politics.
·	Ability to work effectively with people of diverse cultures, value
systems, perspectives and levels of education.
·	Ability to train and build capacity in field research, tropical biology,
conservation biology, conservation advocacy, and project management.
·	Experience living and working in Fiji or Melanesia strongly preferred
·	Demonstrated success raising funds and managing large projects.
·	Working knowledge of French useful.


The principal responsibilities of the Associate Marine Conservation
Scientist are to:

§	Lead implementation of the Fiji Seascape Project in partnership with WWF
Fiji and the University of the South Pacific.  Conduct required project
research, train national students and oversee student and staff research.
Keep project on schedule and ensure that project benchmarks are met and
outcomes are fully realized according to the timetable established in the
project grants.  Prepare and submit project reports as required by WCS and
donor organizations.
§	Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with partners and
donors.  Meet regularly with project partners, relevant government agencies,
and village leaders.
§	Promote marine biological conservation in the South Pacific to donors,
governmental agencies, non-government organizations and in the general
population through meetings, speaking engagements, media interviews,
writing, and general communication.  Disseminate project results widely in
the peer-reviewed and popular literatures.
§	Lead efforts to secure additional funding for the project, working with
South Pacific Program Director and WCS staff in New York.  Oversee grant
reporting.
§	In consultation with field staff, the South Pacific Country Program
Director, and the Director of the Marine Program, develop marine
conservation program priorities, strategy and approaches and participate as
a senior member of the program-level planning and policy making team.  Help
to identify conservation needs within the region; establish new programs and
initiatives; and evaluate the direction and success of the regional
programs.
§	Participate in and contribute to WCS’s cross-cutting marine conservation
initiatives in the Pacific region.
§	Contribute to, enlarge and uphold the Society’s policies towards Equal
Employment Opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, the handicapped
and other protected groups.

Qualifications, Associate Marine Conservation Scientist:

§	Ph.D. in marine biology, ecology or the equivalent.
§	Experience managing field conservation projects, project budgets, and
staff.
§	Demonstrated success working with diverse partners and in a variety of
cultural contexts to develop and achieve common objectives.
§	Ability to train and build capacity in field research, tropical biology,
marine conservation biology, conservation advocacy, and project management.
§	Willingness to travel extensively, both within Fiji and across the South
Pacific region.
§	Familiarity with marine conservation issues in the South Pacific, and a
commitment to marine conservation and to the mission of the Wildlife
Conservation Society.
§	Experience with marine protected area science and policy, including design
principles for MPA networks and evaluations of MPA effectiveness strongly
preferred.


To apply:  Please submit a letter of interest and CV to
marineprogram at wcs.org, including in the subject line “South Pacific
 Director” or “South Pacific Marine Scientist.”  The closing date for both
positions is January 20, 2005.