TAF Africa Program
Director Gabon/Rep. of Congo
Company The
Aspinall Foundation (TAF)
Job
category Project Management
/Great Apes Reintroduction and Monitoring
Location Batéké
Plateaux National Park (BPNP) – Republic of Gabon, and Lesio Louna Reserve,
Republic of Congo – Brazzaville.
Project
background TAF has been working
in Gabon/Rep. of Congo since 1997, funding and managing 2 western lowland
gorilla rehabilitation and reintroduction projects in la Réserve Naturelle des
gorilles de Lesio-Louna (RNGLL), Rep. Congo (Brazzaville), and the Batéké
Plateau National Park (BPNP) (Projet Protection des Gorilles [PPG
Gabon/Congo]), and has been working in close collaboration with the Gabonese
and Congolese Governments to ensure the protection of these 2 protected areas.
The main actions to achieve this objective are:
1. Law enforcement
against illegal bushmeat trade;
2. Management of a
gorilla reintroduction program at both sites
3. Monitoring
surveys of wildlife and human pressure.
Position
description The holder of this
job will be the overall Program Director for TAF in Gabon and Congo. He/she will supervise all PPG activities
within BPNP and RNGLL, in collaboration with the Gabonese National Park Agency,
Congolese Ministry of Sustainable Development, Forestry Economy and the
Environment of the Republic of Congo, and project staff. This will include supervision of PPG staff
(both expat and nationals) at different field sites, to ensure proper
monitoring of gorillas. The Program
Director will report to the TAF Director of Overseas Projects, based in the UK.
The successful candidate will be part of the conservation team and have the
following responsibilities: work-planning; staff and camp management; financial
and technical reporting; gorilla health monitoring (with field vet); staff
capacity building; and all other necessary operations.
Skills
required The successful
candidate should hold at least a Master’s degree in ecology or related field,
with at least 10 years of experience in Africa (preferably working with
gorillas). Ideally this includes project management experience (staff
supervision, work-planning and reporting, etc.) with an emphasis on
conservation. The successful candidate
should be able to work in a multicultural and multinational environment while
occasionally living in isolated field camps.
Language The
candidate must be fluent in French and English.
Starting
date As soon as possible.
Closing
date 1st October 2014
Salary Negotiable
depending on experience (not to exceed ₤40,000 per year).
Others
advantages 10.000,00 XAF per day
(food rations),
Housing provided in
Franceville Gabon and accommodation in RNGLL, Rep. of Congo, Health Insurance, 6 weeks of vacation
per year, One economy
ticket Libreville – (home country), to represent two single tickets, one for the
beginning and one for the termination of this contract, and one return economy
ticket Libreville – (home country) per
twelve month period (annual leave).Period of
contract Three month trial
period which either party can terminate without notice. If the trial period is
successful, then the contract will be prolonged to complete a period of two
years. This contract will be renewable each two years.
Contact Amos
Courage,
The Aspinall Foundation Overseas Projects Director
Port Lympne Reserve,
Nr Hythe,
Kent, CT21 4PD, UK
TAF Africa Program
Director Rep. of Congo and Gabon
Overview of The
Aspinall Foundation projects in Gabon and Congo
The Aspinall
Foundation, a British charity founded by the late John Aspinall, in cooperation
with the governments of the Republic of Congo (since 1987) and of Gabon (since
1998), set up the Projet Protection des Gorilles (PPG) for the overall goal to
work with local partners for the conservation of indigenous endangered species
in general, and of gorillas in particular.
To achieve this
goal, PPG is involved in several distinct but related activities in the two
range countries:
• The
reduction of the trade in orphan gorillas, and consequently the illegal
bush-meat trade, by repression (facilitating confiscation of illegally held
gorillas by the national governments) and by prevention (information,
awareness, education).
• The
rehabilitation of confiscated orphan gorillas into a natural forest habitat,
for the conservation and individual welfare of these ‘ambassadors’ of their
species.
• The
reintroduction of gorillas into protected areas within the former range of the
species.
• The
management of these areas for the restoration and the protection of their
natural resources.
• The
promotion of local, national and international awareness of the threats facing
the species.
• The
development of sustainable conservation-minded activities which provide
economic benefits on a local and national scale.
TAF fund and manage
a western lowland gorilla reintroduction project in the Batéké Plateau National
Park, Projet Protection des Gorilles (PPG Gabon) and has been working in close
collaboration with the Gabonese Government to ensure the protection of the national
park since its creation in 2002. TAF are also responsible for the management of
the “Reserve Naturelle des Gorilles de Lesio-Louna” (RNGLL) in collaboration
with the Congolese government - situated northwest of Brazzaville, Republic of
Congo, the “Projet Lésio-Louna” (PLL) is
a western lowland gorilla reintroduction and protected area management
project.
The tasks of the TAF
Africa Program Director Rep. of Congo and Gabon are:
• Assist Project
Field Coordinators in the development, design, organization and implementation
of their work plans.
• Collaborate with
the respective government agencies, ANPN (Gabon) and MEF (Congo), both at the
national level in Libreville/Brazzaville, and particularly with the appointed
Conservators, to assist with design and implementation of the law enforcement program.
Collaborate with the conservator to design, organize and implement ongoing
biological and socioeconomic monitoring programs in and around the protected
areas, to provide monitoring data that will allow for adaptive management of
both sites.
• Ensure development
of effective management of the Projects in collaboration with the national
staff, regional and local authorities. Specific duties will include assistance
in the preparation of regular activity reports, work plans and budgets, organization
of project logistics, procurement of necessary equipment, and responsibility
for accounting.
• Recruitment,
training, and management of staff. This
will include annual reviews of staff performance, and responsibility for
managing employee grievances and implementing disciplinary procedures in
instances of poor conduct or poor performance/capability as required
implementing the activities outlined in the Project’s overall objectives).
• Explore and pursue
strategic legal agreements with government bodies and other parties necessary
to achieve the project’s objectives.
Administration
• Ensure timely
accounting and reporting on all expenditures and monitor overall budget
management with the UK-based TAF director of overseas projects.
• Coordinate
logistics at the Project base camps and satellite bases (ecoguard posts,
research camps, etc.).
• Assure open and
regular communication with the TAF director of overseas projects concerning
program activities, donor ideas or contacts, and other related administration
issues.
• Arrange project
purchasing, logistics, monthly payroll, and other administrative activities in
collaboration with the Administrative Assistant.
• Ensure thorough
and regular inventories of existing Project equipment and infrastructure.
• Prepare project
budget proposals for each of the project components and annual budget proposals
for the TAF director of overseas projects and identify and secure supplemental
funding sources for the Project activities where appropriate.
• Ensure fulfillment
of reporting and administrative requirements with the TAF UK office.
• Management and
monitoring of staff absence including holiday, sick leave, maternity/paternity
leave etc.
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