Project Manager, Ecosystem-wide forest conservation in Democratic Republic of Congo using okapi as a flagship

ZSL has been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2001 to support the Congolese Wildlife Authority, ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature), carrying out capacity building, training, park infrastructure rehabilitation, patrol/ranger support and socio-economic/ecological research and monitoring.  

This is an 18-month position offered to implement, manage and develop ZSL’s ongoing work in the DRC to establish an ecosystem-wide forest conservation project with the okapi (Okapia johnstoni) as a flagship.  The project is funded by the UK Government’s Darwin Initiative, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.  The main objective of the project is to tackle the drivers of forest loss in DRC by 1) increasing the capacity of ICCN to protect, monitor and manage protected areas, using the okapi range as a flagship for broader forest conservation and 2) developing incentives for local communities to conserve forest resources outside of these areas. This work will also be supported by a PhD project on okapi genetics between the University of Cardiff and ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and supported by a CASE partnership from ZSL.

The project manager for the okapi project will be required to:

• Manage and coordinate field teams undertaking field survey work for okapi and other species in the DRC
• Produce project outputs in the form of progress and financial reports, data analyses and journal papers
• Train ICCN rangers, local communities and ZSL project staff in field techniques and support associated ZSL activities
• Manage the smooth-running of the okapi project and assist with its development
• Organise and hold a multi-stakeholder workshop to develop an okapi conservation action plan and inform a future IUCN Red List reassessment of the species. 

Candidates should have at least an MSc-level qualification in biological / conservation sciences, with a good understanding of tropical forest conservation issues, excellent communication skills, fluency in spoken and written French and a good standard of written and spoken English. Experience of managing and training survey teams is essential (preferably in Central Africa). 

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The post-holder will have a fixed term ZSL contract for 18 months, renewable until July 2013, and be based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The position holder will be given a base salary of £23,782 to £27,497 p.a plus benefits including, annual return flight to home country, visa and insurance under ZSL’s group travel insurance policy. The position is to start as soon as possible, for immediate handover with the current Project Manager.

Applicants should send their CV and a covering letter, detailing relevant experience and skills and including a possible start date, by email to ZSL’s HR Department (hr@zsl.org) by Wednesday 23^rd November.  We hope to hold interviews the following week. We regret that we will only be able to contact applicants who have been selected for interview.

Closing date: 23^rd November 201