[Coral-List] Position American Samoa MPA Coordinator

Alice Lawrence alicelawrence.mpa at gmail.com
Wed Apr 4 22:39:52 EDT 2018


We are pleased to announce the hiring of the following position within the
American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) based within the Department
of Marine and Wildlife Resources offices in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Closing date for applications is Monday 23rd April 2018. Please contact
Alice Lawrence (alicelawrence.mpa at gmail.com) with any questions about the
position.


DEPARTMENT OF MARINE & WILDLIFE RESOURCES



AMERICAN SAMOA GOVERNMENT



*1. POSITION TITLE NAME*: Marine Protected Area Coordinator



*2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION TITLE & WHERE POSITION IS LOCATED:*

The American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) is hiring a Marine
Protected Area (MPA) Coordinator who will provide technical assistance and
support to local MPA staff, and report to the primary agencies of the
Territorial MPA Network.

Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) was established to coordinate specific
activities of five agencies in American Samoa; the American Samoa
Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, the American Samoa Department
of Commerce, the National Park of American Samoa, the American Samoa
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Community College of American
Samoa.  The purpose of this coordination is to protect and preserve coral
reef ecosystems, while attempting to balance and satisfy development needs
of the people and fa’asamoa (Samoan way of life).  CRAG works closely with
regional and national partners on coral reef conservation issues, most
notably with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Coral Reef Conservation Program (NOAA CRCP), the US Department of Interior
(DOI), and members of the US Coral Reef Task Force.

*3. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES*:

·        Provide technical assistance to Marine Protected Area management
activities within the territory;

·        Assist in designing and implementing monitoring of sites in the
DMWR Marine Protected Area Program;

·        Coordinate data analysis and dissemination of scientific
information to village communities in the Marine Protected Area Program;

·        Provide technical support for specific activities surrounding the
designation of MPAs through collaboration between DMWR and the local
communities;

·        Coordinate activities in relation to MPA enforcement and update of
fisheries and MPA regulations and other legal documents, as needed;

·        Ensure that the local MPA efforts are in line with the National
Framework of MPAs and that the locally established MPAs are listed as part
of the National System of MPAs;

·        Serve as a point of contact in coordinating MPA activities between
American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa under the Two Samoa
Initiative to support the development of an archipelagic network of
co-managed MPAs;

·        Coordinate regular MPA Network meetings and update all member
agencies with minutes of the meetings as well as information of upcoming
activities and funding opportunities etc.

·        Serve as the liaison for MPA related requests for information from
off island.  Provide coordination between the territorial and federally
managed MPAs to implement the activities and tasks laid out in the MPA
Network Strategy;

·        Oversee periodic and regular evaluations of the MPA Network
Strategy and integrate feedback and necessary adaptive changes into the
Network when necessary;

·        Develop projects to support the implementation activities for the
designated network of MPAs.



*4. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:*

·    A strong understanding of conservation, marine governance frameworks,
environment and/or biodiversity issues as they relate to coral reefs (esp.
land-based sources of pollution, fisheries management, and climate change).

·        Ability to work as part of a team and with a diverse group of
stakeholders.

·      Willingness to live and work on a small, remote, and isolated island
in the South Pacific.

·        Ability to self-manage, adjust according to competing priorities,
and allocate time as necessary to complete tasks.



*5. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES*:

·        Demonstrated technical understanding and experience working with
all aspects of marine protected area management and program evaluation;

·        Expert knowledge and understanding of coral reef ecosystems as
well as marine policy, science and education;

·        Working knowledge and demonstrated experience of experimental and
survey design;

·        Experience in resource evaluation and monitoring, particularly
reef fish and benthic resources;

·        Proven capacity to work with, and enhance relationships with, a
diverse group of stakeholders including communities, government agency
staff, researchers, educators, and enforcement personnel;

·        Experience living and working in another culture, preferably a
Pacific island community;

·        SCUBA diver certified, with at least 50 scientific dives;

·        Competency with basic computer skills including word processing,
development of spreadsheets and presentations and preferably GIS skills;

·        Excellent oral and written communication skills in English,
including experience with writing and successfully acquiring grants;

·        Experience in coordinating meetings and management groups
preferably with an emphasis on effective resource management;

·        Experience in developing recommendations and preparing clear and
well-organized reports;

·        Strong interpersonal, listening and facilitation skills;

·        Experience in management;

·        The individual should be highly organized, communicative, and
self-motivated; and

·        Proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively as a member
of a team and to effectively prioritize workloads;

·        Experience with MPA network design optimization software such as
MARXAN.



*6. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: *Preferably a PhD, however the minimum
requirement is a Master’s Degree in biology, marine biology, fisheries or
related field, with 5 year work experience. It is preferred that the
individual’s background includes tropical ecosystems, particularly coral
reefs.



*7. TO APPLY:*

Applicants must send a cover letter and a resume and their contact details
(phone numbers and email addresses). Applicants should email these
documents to the DMWR HR Manager, Caroline Tafeamaalii *c.tafeamaalii at gmail..com
<c.tafeamaalii at gmail.com>* with email subject: “MPA Coordinator Position.”
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews. Applications
to be submitted before the closing date on Monday 23 April 2018.
Attachments when submitting application must include:

1. Cover Letter;

2. CV / Resume;

3. References;

4. Copy of degrees and transcripts.


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