Bear Care Group board member and advisor volunteer positions

The Bear Care Group (BCG) is looking to expand the skill set of our board by seeking applicants with more diverse backgrounds for volunteer roles on our Board of Directors, and advisors with specific expertise.

The Bear Care Group was founded in 2008 with a mission to foster improvements in global bear welfare and conservation through communication, cooperation, and education among international bear care professionals by:

· Advancing and sharing information on bear behavior, husbandry, enrichment, training, veterinary care, and other welfare-related topics.

· Organizing bear care conferences and workshops focused on educating and sharing information to improve global bear welfare.

· Producing publications and resources to support bear care professionals in achieving excellence in bear husbandry and care.

Specifically, we are looking for applicants that may have the following skills and experience to fill a position on the Board of Directors:

· Running a small non-profit organisation

· Strategic planning

· Report writing and editing

· Project/volunteer management

· Bear rehab/release experience (outside North America)

We are also looking for advisors for our Board of Directors that have the following skills and expertise:

· Marketing

· Graphic design

· Legal expertise (in the NGO field)

· Polar bear expertise

· Andean bear expertise

· Bear conservation/biology/ecology/in-situ research

If you are interested in joining our cause and have some of the above skills or expertise, the BCG would be very interested to hear from you! Below are some of the main duties involved with being a volunteer board member or advisor.

Main duties for a board member

• Bring new ideas to the board on how the BCG can improve bear husbandry and welfare

• Assist with the preparation and delivery of conferences and workshops where required

• Assist with writing and editing documents, statements, media where required

• Help research resources to update website

• Increase participation

• Assist in monitoring BCG social media channels

• Hours: average 2 hours a week, although this increases significantly when part of the conference or workshop committee. Frequent (Skype) meetings are scheduled throughout the year.

Main duties for an advisor

• Assist with specific projects or tasks related to the advisor’s expertise when requested

• Advise the BCG on specific topics when requested

• Assist board members with conference or workshop content related to specific expertise

• Serve as a resource for social media inquiries related to specific species expertise

• Hours: the amount of time will vary depending on specific projects or requests.

Board members should have ex-situ bear care skills and experience. Both board members and advisors need to have good communication skills and be able to respond to emails and messages in a timely manner. A probation period of six months is applicable.

If you are interested in becoming involved with the BCG, please send a letter stating the added expertise you would bring to the BCG and a brief resume to i nfo@bearcaregroup.org