WAP Technology Mentor

• Reports to: Pendjari & W National Parks Managers
• Direct reports: Pendjari & W National Parks’ IT Managers
• Location: Operations Bases – Worktime split between Pendjari and W National Parks, Benin
• Starting date: 1 July, 2022

Job Overview:

African Parks is a non-profit organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. Founded in the year 2000, African Parks currently manages 19 national parks and protected areas in 11 countries covering over 14.8 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Since 2017, Benin Government has entered into a long-term agreement with African Parks to revitalize, rehabilitate and develop both Pendjari and W National Parks. Together, these two Parks form a significant portion of the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex, a globally significant transboundary landscape representing the largest intact wild ecosystem in West Africa.

The ultimate objective is to ensure that these protected areas are managed in a holistic way, ensuring that they are ecologically, socio-politically and financially sustainable. These three elements interact with one another and impact on each other, and therefore all three need to be considered in long-term planning and in all decision making. To achieve this desired impact of long-term sustainability, African Parks implements the following five key pillars of management in all the parks that it manages: (i) Park Management and Infrastructure, (ii) Law Enforcement, (iii) Biodiversity Conservation, (iv) Community Development and (v) Tourism and Enterprise Development. If well implemented, these protected areas will not only contribute to improved ecosystem services, but will bring safety and stability to these regions and drive socio-economic growth.

As part of its operations in Benin, African Parks is seeking a Technology Mentor to support parks under management in the country. Technically skilled, highly organized, self-motivated and passionate individual with good problem-solving and mentorship ability, the Technology Mentor is responsible for developing in accordance with African Parks SOPs on Technology an individual and linked information and technology function for W and Pendjari national Parks, Benin. He/she will have to develop each Park IT Manager’s capacities and abilities in handling successfully all IT and technology related queries at the user level, responding to user needs in a timely manner and ensuring the optimal running of all systems, among other technical duties.

Expected key performance areas to achieve are as follow:

1. Hardware

• VHF network management, including repeaters, Motorola, TRBO
• Wi-Fi network management
• IT stock/inventory management, including repairs
• LoRa network management, including gateways, devices, server, including the coordination with Law Enforcement (LE) and Field Operations on compliance as regards the implementation of tracking devices
• Management of specialized LE equipment, incl. sat comms, NVG, etc.
• 5-year replacement schedule for all technology equipment/hardware
• Coordination of renewable energy development in the BANP

2. Software

• Earth Ranger management and integration
• ArcGIS management and integration
• Anti-virus and Windows update management
• VLAN, Unifi, Mikrotik management

3. Data

• Server support and data backup assurance
• Staff cybersecurity

4. Procedures

• Implementation of IT and Technology SOPs across the BANP
• Implementation of IT equipment components of LE SOPs in BANP

5. Training & Capacity Building

• Train LE staff in the usage of communication devices used during patrols, e.g. Motorola radios, Garmin GPS, Smartphones for data collection, Garmin inReach, etc.

Required qualifications, competencies, and experience:

• Degree in computer science, computer systems administration or similar
• Experience in hostile environments will be an advantage
• At least 5 years’ experience in IT and network management
• Demonstrable experience in IT maintenance and repairs
• Demonstrable experience on managing networks and PTP antennas
• Basic knowledge of digital radio systems
• Basic experience in GIS
• Experience working in remote environments
• Willing to learn and grow with the organization
• Strong personal integrity and dependability
• Computer Literacy.
• Fluent French (written and spoken) and good level of English (written and spoken)
• Good report writing skills.
• Good team player
• Adhesion to African Parks values