Programme Officer

Position and responsibilities: We invite applications from suitable candidates for the position of Programme Officer for our Biodiversity and Resource Monitoring (BRM) Programme that focuses on fisheries, ecosystem dynamics and climate change projects. While this position is a longer term position, we will offer an initial one-year contract to the successful applicant. The contract will be renewed depending on the performance of the candidate. This position demands that the candidate be a highly self-motivated, independent and enterprising individual who will fulfil the following responsibilities of this position:

1. To oversee the execution of existing projects under the BRM programme including supervising personnel, progress, management of grants and administration
2. To execute specific project related outputs of the programme by undertaking researcher-lead and community-based projects on specific issues pertaining to fisheries monitoring, management, development and changing ecosystem dynamics;
3. To undertake travel to project areas to conduct research, oversee project activities, participate in meetings, workshops and network building activities;
4. To develop funding proposals for furthering research and interventions in line with the BRM programme’s goals and objectives.
5. To contribute to institution building activities, fund raising and administration at Dakshin in coordination with Dakshin’s administrative staff.

Location: The position will be based at Bangalore, but will involve considerable travel to specific field sites in the union territories of Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman Islands, and coastal states of mainland India.

Candidates must possess the following basic qualifications/skills:

• A minimum of two years of work experience demonstrating independent thinking and capable execution of science projects relating to fisheries research and or marine ecosystems.
• A Master’s degree, preferably in the marine sciences, fisheries, or environmental studies.
• A demonstrable understanding of issues related to coastal and marine development, marine conservation and environmental monitoring and governance in India.
• Ability to work with a range of social groups and local institutions in rural settings such as grassroots conservation organisations, fishworker associations, research organisations and urban and rural groups in India.
• Ability to independently facilitate community meetings and demonstrate attention to detail and planning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Working knowledge of at least one south Indian regional language (preferably Malayalam) and spoken proficiency in Hindi.

Candidates with the following additional qualifications/skills will be preferred:

• Work experience and knowledge of coastal and fisheries related issues.
• Domain knowledge in the area of marine biology, fisheries ecology, community-based monitoring and management.
• Data analysis skills including working knowledge of excel, R, GIS software.
• Demonstrated design skills including knowledge of Adobe Indesign / Illustrator.

Remuneration: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and work experience within the range of Rs.30,000/- to Rs. 35,000/- per month.

How to apply:

* Submit a complete CV along with a cover letter (not exceeding one page) clearly conveying why you consider yourself a suitable candidate for this position.

* Provide the names of two referees along with their contact details in the CV.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Last date to apply is July 25^th 2016. This position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified; interested individuals are therefore requested to apply immediately. Short listed candidates will be invited for a personal interview in the first week of August.

Please email your application to jainimahima@gmail.com

About us:

Dakshin Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation based at Bangalore, India, with field offices and intervention across the coastline of India and in its oceanic islands. Our mission is to inform and advocate conservation and natural resource management, while promoting and supporting sustainable livelihoods, social development and environmental justice. To learn more about our interventions and research projects please take a look at our website, www.dakshin.org.

Our work, in the Biodiversity and Resource Monitoring (BRM) Programme, aims to improve the understanding of marine systems by decentralizing knowledge to empower stakeholder communities and ensure it can directly inform decision-making. Our work involves information generation by both researchers and local communities, networking and outreach.

The BRM programme consists of 3 thematic sub programmes:

• Flagship species: Using sea turtles, sea snakes and other charismatic megafauna as central themes for addressing issues pertaining to fisheries, coastal development and global change.
• Fisheries: Focusing on exploited marine resources to develop transparent, collaborative and participatory strategies for the sustainable and equitable extraction of marine resources.
• Ecosystems and climate change: Addressing concerns of local and global change and its impact on local marine systems and dependent communities.

This position in particular concerns the latter two subprogrammes and currently includes overseeing fisheries and coral reef ecology projects in India’s oceanic islands but may involve geographical and conceptual expansions in the near future.