The Fellow will work with the Director of Strategic Conservation Initiatives and a team of EDF scientists, economists, and other professionals on a high-profile shark conservation project with trilateral implications (U.S., Mexico, and Cuba). The project contemplates both, biological and socioeconomic objectives that will become important components of a rights based management solution capable of stopping the decline of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico by producing economic benefits from conservation, and improving ecosystems and livelihoods in the three countries involved.
The fellow will have the unique opportunity of shaping important decisions for our project through contributions addressing the theoretical and practical implications of rights based management models for wildlife. In particular, she/he will build on the lessons of rights based management models used for elephants and rhinos in Africa, and will also examine other types of strategies and models used for the conservation of marine mammals, and whales in particular. She/he will evaluate the incentives for conservation produced by other existing conservation models, as well as their potential for shark conservation. The fellow will also analyze international institutions aimed at preserving highly migratory species, and assess their effectiveness in light of catch and mortality behavior.
Additional project work will include:
- Contribute to film and edit several scenes of an ongoing documentary for the project.
- Provide assistance in the organization of a major tri-national meeting featuring government officials, shark experts, and on the ground teams.
- Review and improve several ongoing documents of the project.
The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in marine conservation, international relations, and environmental economics, as well as knowledge of conservation science, or related fields. Additionally, the Fellow will be required to travel in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as to attend various meetings.
Desired Qualifications
- Bachelors Degree required, advanced degree in marine policy, natural resource economics, or related discipline preferred.
- Demonstrate prior work experience.
- Strong preference for Spanish fluency (written and oral).
- Excellent research, analytical, and writing skills required in order to gather and summarize data for reports, contribute to policy papers and outreach materials, and prioritize work.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Self motivated with the ability to work independently while managing various tasks.
- Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
- Passion for environmental issues.
Location
Austin, TX
Term
This is a one year term fellowship, starting September, 2012 through August, 2013.
Hours
Full-time (35 hours/week)
Compensation
$45,000 plus benefits
Application
Interested applicants should attach their cover letter to the EDF application, together with a writing sample and transcripts.
Due to the volume of employment applications and queries received, EDF is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate.
Environmental Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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