Vacancy: Marine Programme Officer
Added to website: 12 July 2007
IUCN Marine Programme
Duty station: IUCN WESCANA Regional Office, Amman, Jordan and Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, Saudi Arabia
Reporting to: Regional Director and Head, Global Marine Programme (GMP) in close coordination with the Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology Specialist of the Global Marine Programme
Expected start date: September 2007, 12 months initially, with possibility of extension
Introduction
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is seeking a motivated individual to join its Global Marine Programme and its Regional Office for West, Central Asia, and North Africa (WESCANA) to address marine conservation science and policy issues. The Global Marine Programme is headed by Fil. Lic. Carl Gustaf Lundin and is based in Gland, Switzerland and the WESCANA Regional Office is headed by Dr. Odeh Jayoussi and is based in Amman, Jordan. The post will be based in Jordan and Saudi Arabia and technically Dr. Ameer Abdulla, Specialist - Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology, of the Global Marine Programme, will supervise it. The Marine Programme Officer will assist in implementing an IUCN Arabian/Persian Gulf and Red Sea Marine Programme. The Programme is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional effort to develop innovative marine research and conservation for the Arabian/ Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. This programme is implemented by regional research and management institutions in partnership with the IUCN Regional Office for East Africa (EARO) and the global technical working groups of IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission - SSC, the World Commission on Protected Areas - WCPA, and the Coral and Climate Change Working Group). The overall aim is to build a globally linked, regionally implemented conservation and management programme based on sound marine science and policy. The Marine Programme Officer will assist the development and the implementation of work at the WESCANA regional level to meet the strategic goals defined for the programme in partnership with other offices (such as IUCN EARO and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation), particularly working closely with key IUCN members and with PERSGA and ROPME.
Technical Responsibilities
The main technical responsibilities of the Marine Programme Officer are to:
1. Develop and promote the 5 key elements of the Red Sea and the Arabian / Persian Gulf Programme strategy and programme portfolio initially developed in 2006.
* Assessing population status of threatened mega-fauna
* Enhancing the resilience of coral reefs to climate change
* Identifying key biodiversity areas for conservation
* Assessing and monitoring socio-economic conditions of coastal communities
* Developing a globally-linked network of marine institutions, scientists and managers
2. Further develop and disseminate the IUCN Red Sea portfolio of 5 key activities to donors and partners and secure funding for the projects identified.
3. Initiate the development in 2007 of an IUCN Arabian Gulf sub-programme based on the 5 key elements noted above and disseminate to donors and partners.
4. Support the implementation of projects in Red Sea and the Gulf related to the above 5 key elements
a. Project scoping, planning, and field missions
b. Designing project components and writing project proposals
c. Identifying and managing national and international team / partners;
d. Conducting field activities
e. Reporting on budgets
5. Develop and reinforce the links with the IUCN Commissions and Programmes by enhancing the IUCN networks of marine researchers, conservationists, and managers, specifically WCPA and SSC to implement Red Sea-Gulf activities
6. Support the development and implementation of the IUCN Global Marine Programme and develop links within the WESCANA region.
7. Help prepare an exhibition on the Aldabra World Heritage Site.
Requirements
The successful candidate will hold an advanced or post-graduate degree (MSc or PhD) in some area of marine biology or ecology, conservation, policy, or resource management; environmental biology, resource dependency, social resilience, or socio-economics of coastal communities preferably with at least 2-3 years of experience of tropical ecological systems such as coral reefs, mangroves, or sea grass in developing countries or the social systems that depend on these natural resources.
Candidates must demonstrate excellent written and spoken English and Arabic; proficiency in French is a plus. Experience in team-based, multidisciplinary, international research, fundraising, coordination, and management is a must. Applicants must have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in project management and implementation. Computer literacy (word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint) is expected with statistical and or spatial analysis skills a plus. Diving skills, small boat and field experience are expected.
