Biodiversity Coordinator

FFI’s mission is to conserve threatened species and ecosystems world-wide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, are based on sound science and take account of human needs.

FFI’s strategy to achieve this mission is to work with in-country organisations at all levels to support them in identifying and implementing country led sustainable solutions.

Fauna & Flora International - Vietnam Programme
is recruiting a
Biodiversity Coordinator

TERMS and CONDITIONS

Starting date: 10th September 2018
Duration: One year fixed term contract, with potential of extension based on work performance
Job type: Full-time
Location: Hanoi based with regular travel to project sites
Salary range: Gross US$1,000 – US$1,100 per month. Salary will be commensurate with experience and education
Job Title: Biodiversity Coordinator
Reporting to: Country Programme Manager (line manager) and Country Director (technical manager)
Line Manager of: N/A
Key Internal
Relationships: Country Programme Manager
                        Country Director
                        Finance Manager
                        Project Managers
                        Programme Officer and Support Staff
                        Community Conservation Teams
Working with: The Biodiversity Coordinator will routinely liaise with local government agencies, local communities and community-based organisations, and staff from the FFI Vietnam Programme, representing the values and interests of FFI at all times.

PURPOSE

The FFI Vietnam Programme has two main pillars of work: The Primate Programme and the Protected Areas Programme. The strategic goal of the FFI Vietnam Primate Programme is to identify primate populations in most need of conservation interventions and provide strategic species-focused conservation in the field, based upon sound science and participation of local communities and other relevant stakeholders. The Protected Areas Programme focuses on improving management and enforcement in existing PAs and establishing new ones where necessary. The purpose of the Biodiversity Coordinator is to provide the technical support and coordination, to the highest possible standards, of our primate and protected areas field work, which focus on crime prevention (protection), research, baseline surveys and biological monitoring.

Currently, the FFI Programme has established long-term primate-focused conservation projects at four locations in northern Vietnam that maintain important populations of Critically Endangered primates: The cao vit gibbon at Trung Khanh District in Cao Bang Province; the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey at Khau Ca and Quan Ba in Ha Giang Province and the forest of the western black crested gibbon in the Hoang Lien Son at Mu Cang Chai District in Yen Bai Province and Muong La District in Son La Province.

The programme is also working for the conservation of the northern white-cheeked gibbon in Nghe An Province (Pu Mat National Park), the Delacour’s langur in Ha Nam Province (Kim Bang), Cat Ba langur, in Cat Ba National Park, and the grey-shanked douc (Kon Tum). FFI also supports efforts to conserve the red-shanked douc (Son Tra).

THE ROLE

The Biodiversity Coordinator will be a conservation biologist, primatologist, or similar. They will be a mid-career, highly knowledgeable professional, with experience in designing and leading wildlife surveys and supporting forest protection (law enforcement and crime prevention) actions. They will be responsible for implementing project activities in all FFI conservation sites, which concern the direct protection and/or study of wildlife, and primates in particular. It is anticipated that the Coordinator will spend one-two weeks of each month in the field / at project sites.

The overall objective of this position is to coordinate the implementation of field activities for the effective conservation of CR/EN and/or endemic gibbons and monkeys, other species of high conservation value.

DUTIES and TASKS

The Biodiversity Coordinator will be responsible for the following specific activities:

Programme Development

• Drawing from field experience and data (which the Coordinator will manage), support the development of new concepts and funding proposals, to fund programme activities.

Operational Tasks

Under the supervision of the Vietnam Country Programme Manager, and where appropriate the Country Director, and working on a daily basis with Project Managers, support and implement project field activities including the following:

• Maintain good working relations with provincial, district, commune and community partners to ensure effective implementation of the projects;
• Working closely with other FFI project staff and local partners to identify data / research and conservation needs, set priorities, and then plan and implement project activities;
• Support project managers to understand and meet targets, in terms of project research (data needs) and monitoring, and its use for supporting improved protection and PA/forest management;
• Provide Mission Term of References (MTOR) before and Back to the Office Reports (BTOR) after every field trip.
• Provide regular reports on law enforcement and biodiversity monitoring activities;
• Providing logistical, technical and capacity building support to project partners, as appropriate;
• Working with partners and through coordination of consultants, ensure activities are well implemented and in accordance with high environmental and conservation standards;
• Leading and/or supporting field visits and field work by visitors (e.g. FFI UK staff or donors), advisors and consultants.

Provide additional support to the project activities where required to ensure implementation continues to meet conservation goals at all project sites, in particular the following:

• Translating documents between English and Vietnamese;
• Providing logistical support for specific activities in Hanoi; and
• Develop basic maps and GIS materials for the FFI Vietnam programme.

Financial Management

• Developing activity budgets, in close coordination with Project Managers (budget holders);
• Making fund requests, managing project funds for field operations and reporting on expenditure.

Technical Advice and Responsibilities

• Train the Community Conservation Team (CCT) members to conduct their crime prevention and monitoring patrols effectively, and continuously improve the collection of patrol data;
• Train CCT members in primate / biodiversity monitoring protocols (including data collection, analysis and management);
• Manage FFI’s SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) system, including the data model, data collection, analysis and management
• Provide ongoing managerial oversight, advice and quality control to all CCT activities;
• Accompany the CCT teams regularly on patrol in the forest to assess their enforcement and monitoring activities, their capacities, and their equipment needs;
• Support the law enforcement sections (rangers) of protected areas and district Forest
• Protection Departments to provide summary reports on law enforcement actions to their organizations/agencies;
• Work with the FPD staff, law enforcement section of the management boards to provide summary reports on law enforcement activities, including recommendations for improved enforcement;
• Ensure that the enforcement summary reports are distributed to the Forest Protection Departments;
• Lead on the development and implementation of primate and general biodiversity bio-monitoring routes, protocols and datasheets/table-based systems;
• Train FPD rangers on patrol implementation and data collection;
• Develop annual and ad-hoc biodiversity baseline survey and primate census plans, and lead survey teams for the implementation of both;
• Author technical reports (based on the above), and scientific papers (where possible).

Partnership Development

• Work in close collaboration with FFI Project Managers, and Protected Area Management Boards and the district Forest Protection Stations, in particularly with their law enforcement and scientific sections, to plan and undertake enforcement activities within the protected area and species monitoring programmes;
• Coordinate with government agencies involved in enforcement activities in the buffer zones, including the district police, the district Forest Protection Department and other local partners to ensure the implementation of law enforcement activities;

Programme Representation

• Represent the wildlife and biodiversity elements of FFI’s programme with local counterparts, communities and other stakeholders.

Communications

• Bring to the attention of the Country Director and personnel working on communications any news-worthy items arising from within the country programme and lead on ensuring that FFI Vietnam Programme’s social media pages are updates;
• Share all photos and videos taken during surveys with relevant FFI staff, for use in communications materials, presentations, etc. Photos will be credited as per the contract (i.e. © ‘name’ / FFI)

REQUIRED OUTPUTS

• Annual, quarterly and monthly work plans and quarterly progress reports;
• Mission Terms of Reference and Back to Office Reports for field visits;
• Field Activity Reports, as required;
• Delivery of activities in accordance with agreed project objectives, budget and work plans, and with the production of associated reports or documentation;
• Technical / project activity reports to Programme and Project Managers in accordance with reporting cycle;
• Regular and ad hoc updates to senior staff and communication personnel on project actions, news, discoveries, challenges and success stories;
• Accompanying photos of primates (where possible) and project implementation actions, including staff and partners at work, for all field trips;
• Monthly, annual and ad hoc SMART / monitoring reports;
• Basic GIS outputs and maps

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate must have, at a minimum, the following skills and experience:

• A bachelor degree (preferred Master’s degree) in forestry, zoology, biology, natural resource management or related fields;
• Proven skills for developing and leading biodiversity monitoring, including SMART or similar tool(s);
• Minimum six years relevant work experience in primate conservation (with a preference for community-based conservation);
• Minimum five years’ relevant work experience in biodiversity research and field surveys, including experience in leading such interventions;
• Minimum four years relevant work experience in protected area law enforcement or crime prevention, including working directly with FPD rangers;
• Good standard of English language – both speaking and writing (fluency preferred);
• Fluent Vietnamese;
• Software/IT: Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, plus working knowledge of SMART & GIS software, e.g. ArcView, ArcMap, or MapInfo;
• Excellent team work and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work well in cross-cutting or similar teams;
• Excellent time management and prioritisation skills;
• A ability to work alone, often in remote and difficult conditions, while staying self-motivated;
• Reliable, enthusiastic and trustworthy;
• A demonstrable passion for wildlife conservation in Vietnam.

Interested applicants are invited to send a Cover letter and CV in English no later than 6th September 2018 to: Ms. Le Hong Viet, FFI – Vietnam Programme; E-mail: [email protected]

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviewing.

For more information about FFI visit: www.fauna-flora.org