Senior European Marine Conservation Officer

Location: Cambridge, UK

1. Introduction

BirdLife Europe is the European Division of BirdLife International, and is one of the six BirdLife regional offices around the world. BirdLife Europe leads and supports the European and Central Asia Partnership of BirdLife International, which consists of 49 independent, grassroots Civil Society Organisations with over 2 million members.

Together with BirdLife International, present in 121 countries through a Partnership of autonomous Civil Society Organisations, we protect wild birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, by working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. We are the global authority on the status of bird species, with unparalleled technical expertise in bird and biodiversity assessment, and capacity to link local conservation activities and groups to domestic and international policy and conservation work. 

2. Overall purpose of the job

The Senior European Marine Conservation Officer leads the development and effective implementation of the European Marine Strategy as part of the Global Seabirds and Marine Programme of BirdLife International. He/she contributes to the planning, development, implementation and communication of the strategy by the European and Central Asian Partnership.

He/she will support and coordinate BirdLife Parnership’s marine work, with a special focus on the following topics:

a)     Marine IBA identification, legal protection and management

b)    Seabird and fisheries interactions, including promoting the adoption of mitigation measures for long-line, trawl and gillnet fisheries

c)     Promotion of sustainable fisheries at European, national and regional level

d)    Marine pollution

e)     Invasive alien species

3. TASKS

Main tasks

1. To support implementing the goals and objectives of the Global Seabirds and Marine Programme from a European and Central Asian perspective as defined by the European Marine Strategy and action plan
2. To foster collaboration on marine conservation issues amongst the BirdLife European and Central Asian Partnership
3. To promote the marine conservation priorities of the European and Central Asian Partnership as a member of the Global Seabirds and Marine Programme Coordination Team
4. To coordinate the activities of the European Marine Task Force, ensuring timely and effective communication, regular meetings, timely circulation of minutes end documents and maintain the task force archive.
5. To identity funding opportunities and help BirdLife European Partners and the European and Central Asian Division Office to submit funding applications to key donors
6. To develop strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders
7. To represent BirdLife Europe with donor agencies, European institutions and in relevant European organisations and fora, with special emphasis on the Mediterranean, Baltic and Atlantic, together with country representatives.
8. To represent BirdLife in regional conservation and/or policy fora or bodies where BirdLife has a strategic or programmatic interest, in collaboration with colleagues from the European and Central Asian Division
9. To assist in planning institutional development in the region, including agreements with local partners, as made necessary by the European Marine Strategy.
10. To contribute to the policy objectives of the Europe Marine Strategy, in particular seabird bycatch and the classification of Marine IBAs as SPAs under the EU Birds Directive.

12. To participate, in collaboration with other colleagues, in joint conservation fundraising bids.

13. To help design and deliver successful campaigns, projects and publications aiming to achieve BirdLife’s conservation and policy objectives

4. Qualifications required:

PLEASE, READ THIS CAREFULLY: Before submitting your application take time to score your qualifications for this job. Remember to be honest, this is the best way to increase your chances to get the job. Please use the following scores: 0 = I do not have this qualification, 1 = basic, 2 = good, 3 = very good). 

Before submitting your application, please answer to the following questions:

If you are qualified to submit your application, please attach the scorecard to the cover letter.

Please consider that any application sent without individual and total scores or with any 0 or 1 in qualifications from 1 to 7 or with a total score of less than 50 will be automatically discarded.

5. Employment conditions:

Location: Cambridge, UK.

This is a one-year contract, with the possibility of being extended afterwards

Salary range: 25000 – 30000 GBP gross per annum. Benefits according to BirdLife standards.

6. How to apply:

Please submit the qualification scorecard, a full CV and a comprehensive cover letter (all in English) setting out your reasons for applying for the post and outlining the qualifications experience knowledge and skills that you feel you can bring to the role to: recruitment.europe@birdlife.org

Closing date:  18^th November 2013 at midnight CET. Please consider that applications received after the closing date will be automatically discarded.

7. Short listing and interviews:

Short listing is based on CV, scorecard and cover letter. Successful candidates will be asked to attend face to face interviews in Brussels and perform an additional test. 

Please note that due to the large number of expected applications only successful candidates will be contacted.

Interview day:  29^th November 9am – 4pm.