Technical Officer – Dzanga Forest Elephant Project

Position title: Technical Officer – Dzanga Forest Elephant Project

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Location: Bayanga, Central African Republic

Duration: 2 years

Mission of the Department

In the Central African Republic, the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is active in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA) located in the extreme southwest of the country and is composed of the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and a community hunting zone. The DSPA are part of the Sangha Tri-National Landscape (TNS), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo and Lobeke National Park in Cameroon. Focal conservation targets in the landscape include African forest elephants, great apes (western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees), and consumable species (ungulates and monkeys). Conservation efforts also target the forest complex itself, including forest clearings that regularly attract and support all of these species.

The Department of Research, Monitoring and Forest Management at DSPA is responsible for ensuring that the administration has reliable information on the state of wildlife, forest cover and human pressure. Its activities also include long-term research on forest elephants.

In 2020, WWF signed a memorandum of understanding with the Elephant Listening Project (ELP) of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology of Cornell University (USA) to re-establish research presence in Dzanga Bai after a break of several years. The Lab of Ornithology is dedicated to advancing the understanding and protection of the natural world and joins with people from all walks of life to make new scientific discoveries, share insights, and galvanize conservation action. Together the two institutions manage the project called ‘The Dzanga Forest Elephant Project’.

The Dzanga Forest Elephant Project is dedicated to the conservation of forest elephants in the Dzanga forest clearing (bai) and the surrounding forest. We protect this critically endangered species by a long-term study on the demography of the elephant population visiting the clearing, studying their behavior and social system, and monitoring acoustically their activity in the clearing and the forest. Through research and conservation of forest elephants, we target to train local researchers and to mentor students to become leading voices in conservation in Africa. One of our main objectives focuses also on community engagement and educational outreach.

Il. Major Functions of this position

The Technical Officer will play the role of co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) for the Dzanga Forest Elephant Project. He/she is responsible for assisting the Principal Investigator to implement the objectives of the Dzanga Forest Elephant Project cited in the memorandum of understanding signed between WWF and the “Elephant Listening Project” which focusses on the conservation of forest elephants at Dzanga bai and the surrounding forest

Ill. Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The Technical Officer (co-principal investigator) will be expected to fulfill the following tasks:

· Ensure data collection as required by ongoing protocols and projects;

· Carry out capacity building of researchers, research assistants and field team members, to facilitate development of a new generation of conservationists;

· Supervise data collection methods and data quality;

· Take part in the design of research studies and data collection methods;

· Take part in data analysis and co-authoring publications

· Write activity reports and submit within deadlines

· Mentoring students from Central Africa

· Hosting guest researchers

· Supporting anti-poaching efforts

· Collaborating with tourism teams

· Ensuring safety of the field team

· Community involvement

· Educational outreach

· Submit a quarterly report of field activities to the DSPA head of Research and Monitoring as a contribution to the DSPA quarterly report;

· Carry out annual evaluations of staff under his supervision;

· Be ready to perform other activities and tasks requested by the hierarchy;

IV. Profile:

Required Qualifications:

· Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferable) in one of the following domains: Wildlife Biology, Conservation, Resource Management or any related specialization;

· Minimum of 02 years professional experience in conservation field work, preferably at remote sites in Central Africa

Required Skills and Competencies:

· Have experience and be willing to work and live for longer periods of time at a remote field site, with no access to internet, or mobile phone signal and with basic living conditions;

· Experience in capacity-building, training local staff and researchers;

· Enthusiasm for engaging with students, researchers, and conservationists from diverse backgrounds and geographic regions;

· Capacity and excitement for international travel and longer periods in the USA (approx. 4-5 months a year, starting in the second year); must obtain and maintain a valid passport;

· Proficiency in French, good writing skills;

· Advanced in English;

· Self-motivated, willing to learn new skills, able to work both as part of a team and independently, and to regularly communicate status and progress;

· Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills with the ability to complete tasks in a timely and effective manner;

· Attention to detail as well as good analytical and problem-solving skills;

· Use of Windows Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint);

Preferred Skills and Competencies:

· Experience in project management and team leadership in Central Africa

· Knowledge of Sango language

· Familiar with camera traps, with camcorders and reflex cameras, and acoustic units

· Use of GIS software

· Experience with data analysis

· Experience working with communities and children

Required Behavioral Skills

· Shares the values of WWF: Courage, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration.**

· Be able to foster and maintain excellent working relationships with coworkers, collaborators, community members, and students from very diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.

· Have an open mind, sense of curiosity, service-minded attitude, and respect.

V. Working Relationships:

Internal –

Works closely with the Principal Investigator, the Head of Primate Habituation, Research, Monitoring and Forest Management; the DSPA Director, the Head of Protection and Surveillance. Collaborates also with other relevant DSPA staff as well as with WWF experts, e.g., Regional Biomonitoring Coordinators.

External

The position requires close collaboration with partner organizations such as University of Bangui, etc