Marine Conservation Technical Advisor

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. In addition to its global conservation programs across 60 countries, WCS manages five zoos, including the Bronx Zoo, and the New York Aquarium.  WCS’s Marine Conservation Program works in over 20 countries and all five oceans to protect key marine habitats and marine wildlife, to end overfishing, and to protect key species groups, including marine mammals, sharks and rays, and corals, as well as to inspire an ocean constituency. WCS has worked in Myanmar since the early 1990s, and now manages a $3 million/year program with over 100 staff in-country active across the terrestrial and marine realms. With the dramatic changes in the government and the growth of civil society, Myanmar is poised to reform its management of marine resources, and WCS is positioned in a key role to assist the government in leading those reforms. 

WCS seeks a Marine Conservation Technical Advisor to lead the continued development of its marine conservation efforts and partnerships in Myanmar. The position is based at the WCS office in Yangon, with travel required to coastal states and regions, the capital Naypyitaw, and within South-east Asia. 

Overall  Responsibilities:

The Marine Conservation Technical Advisor provides strategic, programmatic and technical oversight to the WCS Myanmar marine conservation team in the development, implementation and management of all activities for the WCS Myanmar marine conservation program, which focuses on four strategic themes:

• Marine Spatial Planning;
• Healthy Fisheries;
• Thriving Species; and
• Private Sector Engagement.

He/she will work as a team with the WCS Myanmar Program and the Global Marine Conservation Program in strategic development, program planning, building and maintaining local and international partnerships, and budgeting processes.  He/she will be principally responsible for guiding technical orientations and providing specific input for on-site decisions.

Marine Conservation Strategic and Programmatic Planning (30%)

• Oversee and develop the marine conservation vision and strategic plan for WCS’ work in Myanmar that identifies goals, objectives and programs of work for research, conservation and community resource management.  Review and refine program priorities, strategy and approaches, and overall monitoring and evaluation system.
• In collaboration with the WCS Myanmar Country Director represent marine conservation in Myanmar to government, non-government and private sector partners in country; present program information at state/regional, national and international meetings. Establish and maintain strong working relationships with these partners.
• Develop and oversee relationships with appropriate international private sector, academic and non-government implementation partners.
• Identify new funding opportunities to support priority marine conservation initiatives in Myanmar.  Prepare grant proposals and reports, engage the public (multi and bilateral) and private (corporate and philanthropic) donor communities, and liaise with other organizations.  Provide technical support to WCS Myanmar Program staff in grant proposal, budget and report preparation.

WCS Marine Conservation Program Technical Management and Support (40%)

• Ensure that WCS Myanmar marine field programs/projects appropriately address WCS Global Conservation Program (GCP) marine conservation goals and objectives relating to site-based, species-based and GCP priority issues.
• Work with team and partners to design and implement robust research methodologies to support Marine Spatial Planning, Species and Sustainable Fisheries thematic strategies.
• Provide direct supervision to the WCS Myanmar marine conservation team to reinforce their technical planning, management, and implementation capacity.  Work with the WCS Myanmar Country Director coordinate and facilitate capacity building, training and professional development of current staff and partners.
• Oversee preparation of annual workplans and periodic reports as required by WCS and donor partners, including appropriate content and clarity of all reports
• Supervise the oversight of any sub-contractors or grantees performance.
• Ensure appropriate collection, analysis, dissemination and publication of field data. 
• Work with the WCS Myanmar communications team to publicize WCS Myanmar marine program achievements through popular, social and scientific media, and publish project results in scientific journals.

Technical Oversight of Marine Program Implementation (30%)

• Provide coaching and technical support to, and maintain regular contact with field staff in program/project workplan development, financial planning and field level implementation through regular team meetings and field visits.
• Advise on determining personnel and technical needs to ensure implementation of an efficient, effective, and technically capable marine conservation field program.  As needed, oversee the recruitment of new staff, including short-term local and international experts.
• Ensure that field program/project efforts coordinate with other technical and financial partners within the context of a land/seascape approach. Promote capacity building of local communities and civil society partners as effective and engaged resource stewards.
• Prepare recommendations to address any problems or constraints with the implementation of WCS marine conservation activities in Myanmar, and take the lead, as appropriate, in implementing those recommendations.

Qualifications and competencies:

• Ph.D./ MSc., or equivalent experience and strong record in marine conservation and fisheries science, fisheries management, marine ecology or biology, including conservation and program and project management experience.
• Contemporary knowledge of regional fisheries issues, fisheries governance and management systems, market-based mechanisms and regulatory bodies.
• Knowledge of relevant national and international marine policy mechanisms and approaches, including but not limited to CITES, I/NPOAs, UN SDGs, CBD Aichi targets, NBSAPs, and FAO’s small-scale fisheries guidelines.
• Proven ability to manage significant projects and achieve successful on-the-ground conservation in tropical developing countries.
• Ability to develop productive partnerships and shared-value collaborations with ocean-based industries, including fishing companies and international oil and gas companies.
• Demonstrable experience of fundraising, donor proposal and report writing (narrative and financial) and a working knowledge of contract and consultant management.
• Knowledge of decision support tools associated with conservation and marine spatial planning.
• Ability to build capacity in community-driven natural resource management, field research, conservation biology, conservation advocacy, and project management. 
• Ability to work sensitively and effectively with people of diverse cultures, value systems, perspectives and levels of education, and to manage staff in these contexts.
• Professional proficiency in English.
• Willingness to live and travel within Myanmar and to travel internationally.

If interested, please apply online at www.wcs.org/about-us/careers and

send a CV and letter of interest to marineprogram@wcs.org with the subject line:

Myanmar Marine Conservation Advisor