Quantitative Social Scientist

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

Closing date for applications: Sunday 12^th July 2015                       

Contract duration:                          fixed term contract (one year, potential for extension)      

Start date                                        25^th August 2015

Remuneration and benefits            Competitive salary based on experience

Summary Job Description

Blue Ventures develops transformative approaches for nurturing and sustaining locally led marine conservation.  We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and we are committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people. More information about Blue Ventures’ mission and our approach to marine conservation can be found on our website.

We are currently recruiting a Quantitative Social Scientist to lead our social research programmes, supporting existing conservation initiatives and new partnership projects.

The effectiveness of Blue Ventures’ work is measured not only through our impact on biodiversity and fisheries, but also through a number of outcomes relating to the well being of the coastal communities we support.  These include poverty alleviation, food security, adaptive capacity to climate change, gender equality, and access to sexual and reproductive health services.  

A multidisciplinary team of conservation practitioners currently delivers Blue Ventures’ conservation programmes, with research support from independent researchers and advisors. As we expand our scope to look at new fisheries and embark on new conservation programmes and partnerships, we are developing our in-house social science expertise, in order to improve our capacity to evaluate our programmes for adaptive management, monitor our impact, and provide dedicated technical support and training to partner organisations.

The position will play a key role within Blue Ventures’ Madagascar team, reviewing and developing the integrated social survey (ISS) programme through defining indicators and developing formal monitoring methodologies and clear sampling strategies. A crucial part of this role will be supporting the implementation of household and individual surveys, and ensuring clear coordination of field research activities with programme managers, as well as to support the presentation and sharing of results with communities, BV team and funders.

The position provides an excellent opportunity to develop new approaches for measuring the impact of marine conservation efforts, making a lasting contribution to the development of effective community-based fisheries management models that benefit coastal communities, and helping fight the downward trajectories so many small-scale fisheries and tropical marine ecosystems are experiencing.

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated, experienced quantitative social scientist with experience in environmental economics, an excellent knowledge of the small-scale fisheries, marine conservation and development sectors, as well as a proven track record in qualitative and quantitative research skills and peer review publication.

You will thrive in environments that are dynamic, fast-paced, collegiate and ambitious, and be able to demonstrate experience working independently and solving complex problems in challenging environments.  The role entails working as part of an interdisciplinary and international team, with excellent opportunities for professional development.

The Social Scientist will report to Blue Ventures’ Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, who is based in Blue Ventures’ United Kingdom offices in Bristol.

 

Responsibilities

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Evaluating and refining current social research programmes (ISS) and key indicators for monitoring social impacts.
• Developing monitoring methodologies and sampling strategies, and providing clear documentation for ongoing monitoring of social indicators.
• Planning and coordinating the implementation of the integrated social survey (ISS) with BV programme managers and field teams.

 

Training and outreach

• Providing technical support to programme managers and partners on socio-economic monitoring for adaptive management.
• Building the capacity of Malagasy staff members to conduct social research.

 

Analysis, evaluation and reporting

• Co-ordinating the collation of previous socio-economic datasets for comparative analysis.
• Developing analytical and reporting tools, and building capacity within national staff members that will ensure continued reporting on key socio-economic indicators within core programmes.
• Working with the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager to evaluate the socio-economic impact of Blue Ventures’ models for community conservation.
• Communicating results to field teams and partners to support ongoing adaptive management, reporting to funding partners where required, and communicating results to wider audiences through peer reviewed publication.

 

Requirements 

Qualifications/Skills Required

• MSc (or equivalent) in social science, conservation, social development or related fields (or highly relevant work experience 3+ yrs)
• At least three years’ practical experience working in conservation including
• Experience of conducting social impact research including survey development, implementation and analysis including on the ground experience of working on the socio-economic assessment of community-based development projects
• Excellent quantitative research skills and knowledge related to the assessment of social vulnerabilities
• Experience of coordinating local research teams and working in remote and challenging environments
• Experience working with and reporting to donors, including corporations, trusts, foundations and bilateral agencies

Qualification/Skills Desired

• Fluency in English; French beneficial
• Experience in environmental economics and measurements of human well-being
• Excellent writing skills, with a proven track record in peer reviewed publications
• Excellent communication skills and ability to give strong public presentations
• Dynamic, enthusiastic, hardworking and highly organised 

Application

Applicants should send an application form, cover letter and a recent copy of their CV (with full address, telephone and e-mail contact details of three professional and academic referees) to jobs@blueventures.org.  Please include the reference “Quantitative Social Scientist” in the subject line.

 The closing date for applications is Sunday 12^th July 2015