Project Facilitator - Udzungwa Forest Project, Tanzania

Job Advertisement – Udzungwa Forest Project, Tanzania


Job Title: Project Facilitator

Location: Kilombero District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania

Salary: TSh600,000 monthly living allowance, free accommodation, one return flight annually from home country, plus other in-country expenses

Duration: One year, with potential to extend

Start date: 1st July 2013 (with some flexibility)

Deadline: 7th May 2013

Interviews: 23rd/24th May 2013

Job description: The award-winning Udzungwa Forest Project (UFP) is seeking a highly motivated individual to support its field team in the research, monitoring and conservation of threatened forests. The successful applicant will be expected to:

1. Facilitate the sound implementation of the UFP strategic plan for forest conservation, livelihood development and monitoring;

2. Provide technical input to the UFP adaptive management process;

3. Assist in the gathering of ecological and socio-economic data under an established forest conservation monitoring programme;

4. Advise and train project staff in the recording and storage of data to a high quality;

5. Summarise data in reports, bulletins and presentations for the UFP director, and for stakeholders including government officials, NGOs, industry partners and local communities;

6. Negotiate with land-owners and government for improved forest conservation;

7. Assist the UFP director in writing reports and research papers and in establishing a new charity;

8. Give presentations to project partners and international conferences;

9. Develop the English-language skills of senior project staff.

About the employer: UFP is a conservation project based in southern Tanzania, established and directed by Flamingo Land, which is home to the UK’s most visited zoo. The aim of the project is to better protect tropical forests through ecological monitoring, community education, capacity building and lobbying. UFP is based mostly in Magombera Forest, on the east of the breathtaking Udzungwa Mountains. The main emphasis of UFP is on the monitoring and management of indicators of forest conservation and the sustainability of human natural resource use. UFP’s all-Tanzanian team ensures that the project has a strong local connection, aiming to integrate fully with local communities and managers. Ultimately the goal is to develop sufficient in-country income generation and capacity among villages and management authorities, such that forest conservation can continue without external support. The project collaborates closely with four local villages, WWF Tanzania, the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group, Wild Things Safaris, the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre, and Illovo Sugar Company who provided funding for this position. UFP receives technical support from the Centre for the Integration of Research, Conservation and Learning (CIRCLE), a University of York facility based at Flamingo Land.

Key selection criteria

ESSENTIAL

- Bachelors degree or higher in a relevant discipline (e.g. biology, zoology, botany, conservation, environmental science, environmental management)

- Passionate about conservation of the natural world

- Native English speaker

- Proven ability to learn at least one foreign language

- Experience working or volunteering in a developing country, preferably in Tanzania or elsewhere in East Africa

- Experience of working in remote locations

- Awareness of health and safety considerations of working in remote locations

- Practical experience of ecological monitoring methods

- Competent in the use of field survey equipment (especially GPS, maps and compass)

- Knowledge of basic statistical methods

- Computing skills including Microsoft Office, Excel, Powerpoint and Word

- Excellent presentation skills

- Excellent inter-personal skills

- Flexible approach to work

- Full driving license

DESIRABLE

- Experience of Geographical Information Systems

- Experience of working in tropical forest

- Experience of socio-economic survey methods

- Experience of working to a tight budget

- Good knowledge of the Swahili language

- Experience in environmental education

- Knowledge of the role of modern zoos in global biodiversity conservation

Application: Please e-mail a cover letter and cv including full contact details of two referees to circle@flamingoland.co.uk. Alternatively postal applications can be sent to Dr. Andrew R. Marshall, Environment Department, University of York, York, YO10 4DP, UK. If you will be outside of the UK on 23rd-24th May, please indicate that you will require a Skype or phone interview.