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Title

French-speaking Principal Consultant

Posted
Reference   (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors Terrestrial / Aquatic Ecology & Conservation
Location England (East Anglia) - UK
Town/City Cambridge, UK
Type Fixed Term and Permanent Roles
Status Full Time
Level Senior Level
Deadline 05/09/2016
Company Name The Biodiversity Consultancy
Contact Name
Email recruitment@thebiodiversityconsultancy.com
Website Further Details / Applications
The Biodiversity Consultancy  logo
Directory Entry : Founded in 2006, The Biodiversity Consultancy rapidly became a key player in the world of business and biodiversity through our practical and rigorous approach. We are based in Cambridge, UK, with a growing global presence. We also have members of the TBC team in Australia, France, Belgium, Colombia, France, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Kenya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and South Africa. For roles and vacancies with The Biodiversity Consultancy please visit their site and take a look at their careers page. Vacancies are often listed with us too at ww.environmentjobs.co.uk and www.environmentjobs.com
Also Listing:
Description

We are a consultancy based in Cambridge (UK) specialising in biodiversity and ecosystem services management. We provide technical expertise, policy advice and field capacity to the private, public and NGO / science sectors globally with a particular focus on Francophone Africa, Latin America and Asia.

We occupy a niche position within industry, NGOs and academia, making Cambridge (with its cluster of conservation NGOs European HQs and lively hub of conservation policy and practice) the perfect home for us. TBC has a pivotal position within the rapidly growing field of business and biodiversity by providing highly specialised analytical skills, networks and policy knowledge to levels not generally available within larger environmental consultancies. We exercise a due diligence process and only work with clients who demonstrate a real motivation for quality. Known for pragmatic leadership, we are a resource for problem solving and a platform for cross-sector engagement.

A shared passion for the environment brings together our dynamic team, which otherwise spans a wide range of backgrounds. Sound ecological values inform all our work and conduct. For example, we’re proud that, through our staff-led Conservation Fund, we donate 12.5% of our profits to environmental causes.

Examples of our work can be found on www.thebiodiversityconsultancy.com 

Specifications

TBC wishes to recruit a Principal Consultant to work full time on a number of different Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) projects, with a focus on Francophone Africa. The post would initially be based in Cambridge, but an alternative location in Europe or West Africa would be considered for the right candidate. The position is offered on a permanent basis.

An ability to think creatively and put oneself in the shoes of all stakeholders, especially project proponents, will be essential. The capacity to communicate with all sectors, coupled with core ecological principles, fieldwork experience and biodiversity knowledge common to ecologists and protected area specialists is the making of a TBC consultant.

The chosen applicant will be approachable and will have excellent communication skills, able to communicate complex material to non-technical audiences in French and English. The chosen applicant will be able to digest, dissect and summarise large amounts of information into readable, technically sound and decision-focused reporting in French and English. Importantly, the chosen candidate will be a problem-solver with the capacity to reduce complex issues into scientifically and politically defensible solutions that can be communicated effectively to specialists and non-specialists alike.

We are seeking and individual with sector experience such as forestry, agribusiness, infrastructure, renewable energies, or, a specialist field expertise such as landscape ecology, marine science, HCV assessment, conservation planner, ecosystem services evaluation or protected areas and livelihoods expert, all with non-OECD focus. The right candidate will be driven by self-motivation and a desire to deliver creative and rigorous solutions. You should be able to make leadership decisions where necessary within pressing situations, and also be able to work autonomously within multi-cultural teams in different environments and countries.  

If you have an affinity for nature, have worked in international environmental management or conservation, and wish to make a real change to the way the world works then the post may be for you.

Roles

The ideal candidate will be interested in rapid career progression within consultancy, having the skills, experience and knowledge necessary for the implementation of leading-practice biodiversity management programmes as they apply to large development projects.  

Elements of the role include:

Supporting clients to interpret, understand and apply financial lending criteria, e.g. IFC PS6.

  • Design of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) baseline surveys, and field testing of proposed methodology
  •  Selection/design and application of appropriate metrics for BES loss/gain accounting
  •  Design, review and implementation of impact assessment or Strategic Environmental Assessment
  •  Design and field implementation of the mitigation hierarchy, including biodiversity offsets
  •  Advising on the development of government BES mitigation and offsets policies, in particular mechanisms for implementation
  •  Stakeholder engagement, and facilitation of cross-sectoral meetings and working groups.

In order to achieve this, the candidate will need to be able to:

  •  Network globally within the conservation movement
  •  Interpret and analyse a wide range of environmental and social data
  •  Write and edit succinct reports, and give oral presentations in English plus French
  •  Contribute to, and facilitate stakeholder engagement processes, both remotely and in-country, with government, civil society and industry
  •  Manage and critically review small-medium projects with multiple inputs and collaborators, ensuring timely delivery of on-budget projects to the requisite level of quality and technical substance  
  • Train client personnel in aspects of biodiversity and ecosystem services management and build BES management / risk assessment capacity within client team
  •  Research and writing on technical and scientific aspects of biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital, for publication.
  •  Develop new business in line with TBC strategy and due diligence framework

 Other duties commensurate with the role.

Attributes

The ideal candidate will have the following attributes

Essential attributes

  •  Five years or more experience in biodiversity conservation, especially in the field
  •  Familiarity with international biodiversity, natural resource and livelihood issues, especially in the developing world
  •  Excellent writing and verbal communication skills in French
  •  Fluency in spoken and written English in a work context
  •  A willingness to work with the private sector, understand their needs, and operate strategically within client organisations which might hold vastly different core values
  •  An ability to provide intellectual leadership, creativity and simplicity to problem solving
  •  Willingness and enthusiasm to travel globally and work in challenging environments
  •  Positivity and teamwork
  •  A Masters’ degree or equivalent post-graduate studies in relevant disciplines.

Desirable attributes

  •  Field experience in conservation or natural resource management - a species specialist / expert in biodiversity priority setting; a conservation planner; a protected areas specialist; a forest manager, a HCV specialist; or in biodiversity policy.
  •  Solid consultancy experience 
  • Experience of training/mentoring biodiversity/ecosystem service professionals in OECD contexts  
  • Demonstrated track record in project management 
  • Experience of working across a range of communities and cultures, particularly within Africa 
  • Experience with IUCN red listing or species action plans, or experience with specific biodiversity survey and management methods; 
  • Familiarity with scientific publishing 
  • PhD in environmental discipline 
  • Experience in one of more of the following sectors: mining; oil and gas; renewable energy; infrastructure; agribusiness 
  • GIS skills 
  • A proven ability to be able to work in Spanish and/or Portuguese would be a bonus.

Details

Position details

  •  Permanent contract. 
  • Location: Cambridge, with international travel. The consultant will work from the TBC Cambridge office. After an initial induction period in Cambridge, a regional placement may be possible for the right candidate. 
  • Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience. 
  • Information also at www.thebiodiversityconsultancy.com

Application details Send the following to recruitment@thebiodiversityconsultancy.com by 5 September 2016.

  •  Curriculum Vitae
  •  A short one-page application letter explaining your interest in the job and showing clearly how you meet our job and person requirements
  •  Two short and pithy (maximum four pages each) extracts of work that you have written within the past two years
  •  A one-page brief, written in French, describing the business case for a voluntary biodiversity offset to an agribusiness executive in charge of investment decisions.


Interviews: Will be held by phone or in person.


Deadline for applications is 5 September 2016. We plan to hold first interviews in week commencing 12 September. 

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