VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT at Wildlife Conservation Society–Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) as WRU/TPU Coordinator

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Wildlife Conservation Society – Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) is currently seeking for qualified candidates to fill the following vacancies:

Position	:	WRU/TPU Coordinator
Based in	:	Bogor
Contract Period	:	6 months with possibility of extension

Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has a distinguished history of scientists exploring and saving wildlife in some of the most remote and wild places remaining on Earth. WCS has long recognized that successful conservation requires a long-term commitment to individuals and places. Such a commitment has defined the culture and style of the Global Conservation Program, including the Indonesia Program.

The Wildlife Conservation Society – Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) has significantly grown over the last decades, and contributed substantially to the conservation of biodiversity in Indonesia. We currently work in several landscapes in Sumatera and Sulawesi where we aim at protecting threatened species and their habitat. In order to achieve our overall goal of saving wildlife and wild places, the WCS-IP programs are strongly supported and backed up by field activities that aim to halt wildlife poaching and other forest crimes, illegal wildlife trade, reduce and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, and monitor and sustain the health of wildlife.

Illegal wildlife is a vast, international, and multi-million dollar commercial enterprise across Indonesia, key species including tiger, rhino, elephant, orangutan, birds, bears, orchids, fish, turtles, pangolins, coral, snakes, sharks and more are being hunted and traded in large volumes. While Indonesia comprises a legal environment that supports the control of wildlife trade, its effective implementation has many barriers. WCS aims to support the removal of these barriers, and to remove the threat to Indonesian biodiversity caused by both legal and illegal over-exploitation of wildlife.

Poaching and other forest/wildlife crimes are increasingly being recognized as the leading problem facing biodiversity and forest conservation in Indonesia. Important threats to forest ecosystems in Indonesia include poaching, illegal logging and encroachment. While Indonesia’s legal framework for controlling forest crimes is ranked among the best in South-East Asia, its enforcement is currently under-resourced and less than effective. Through establishing patrol units on the ground and using a Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tool (SMART), WCS aims to curb forest crimes in its key landscapes.

Human-Wildlife conflicts in the landscapes where WCS-IP works have increased over the last decennia as human populations continue to expand into the wilderness areas. These have resulted into negative impacts on people and their resources as well as wildlife species and their habitat. Through a number of interventions, WCS-IP aims to mitigate the human-wildlife conflicts and ensure a sustainable co-existence between people and wildlife.

Recent outbreaks of avian flu and other epidemics amongst the human population show that humans and wildlife are intimately connected. Studies have shown that due to the increase in interaction between humans and wildlife, species such as tigers are increasingly affected by a number of diseases, including canine distemper. Furthermore, the human-wildlife conflicts in the landscape often result in wounded and sick animals, which need urgent veterinary help. Recognizing the complex link between human, domestic animals and wildlife health, WCS aims to address these issues through research, monitoring, policy advice as well as direct support in the field.

To increase the effectiveness of our conservation interventions and strengthen the role WCS-IP in mitigating human wildlife conflicts and sustaining healthy wildlife populations, WCS-IP has established a unit, called Wildlife Response Unit/Tiger Protection Unit. WCS-IP is looking for a strong and motivated WRU/TPU Coordinator to support this unit in line with WCS-IP Strategic Plan. The WRU/TPU Coordinator will be required to assist in the planning, management and monitoring of all projects under the unit. The work will cover both field interventions as well as on policy development. The work will include but will not be limited to assist in managing the existing Patrol Unit, Wildlife Response Unit in the WCS-IP landscapes, responsible to compile and analyze data regarding forest crimes, wildlife conflict and health to identify patterns, develop innovative strategies and interventions to address the above issues.

The position will be based in Bogor with regular trips to the field to provide direct technical advice, monitoring and oversight to the projects. The WRU/TPU Coordinator will work under the general supervision of the Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society – Indonesia Program (WCS-IP), as well as work closely together with other colleagues in the office as a team. The position will be available for a period of 01 April 2014 to 31 October 2014 with possibility of extension when incumbent is provided to perform satisfactorily.

 

Tasks:

1.   Providing assistance to the Country Director WCS-IP in the implementation of activities and interventions aimed at curbing wildlife trade. These will include but is not limited to establishing informant networks, market observations, investigate activities, assistance to law enforcement operations, as well as providing legal and policy advice to key stakeholders.

2.   Providing assistance to the Country Director WCS-IP in the implementation of activities and interventions aimed at curbing forest crimes, including poaching, illegal logging and encroachment. This will include but is not limited to patrol activities, establishing informant networks, market observations, investigate activities, assistance to law enforcement operations, as well as providing legal and policy advice to key stakeholders.

3.   Providing assistance to the Country Director WCS-IP in the implementation of activities and interventions aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflict. This will include but is not limited to investigate activities, community-based mitigation activities, patrolling, assistance to law enforcement operations, as well as providing legal and policy advice to key stakeholders.

4.   Providing oversight in the compilation of data, quality control of data, and ensure that all data is transferred to existing database systems such as SMART, WCDB and SIGAHAR.

5.   Providing backstopping to project activities, including planning, implementation and assuming quality control through monitoring and evaluation.

6.   Assisting in coordinating the implementation and administration of all projects under the Wildlife+ Program, including oversight in developing of operational and M&E plans, and ensuring that approved work plans and activities are undertaken in a timely manner in line with budgetary means, as well as adapt the objectives, strategies, work plans and budgets as circumstances dictate, ensuring that annual, mid-term and end-of-project targets will be met.

7.   Assisting in the selection, management and supervision of partners and sub-contractors to implement activities and produce deliverables in timely fashion, including developing Terms of Reference, providing assistance in their selection and recruitment process, coordinating sub-contractor work, and monitor evaluate their deliverables and ensure that they are submitted in a timely manner.

8.   Preparing activity reports and assist in preparing financial reports as required by donors and/or stakeholders, in Indonesian or English, written or verbal, as well as submit monthly technical report to the Country Director WCS-IP.

9.   Providing capacity building and technical support to Program team to ensure that the projects are effective and achieve targets.

10. Providing technical and facilitating support to meetings, seminars, workshops and public outreach activities as required and formally represent WCS as necessary in such meetings, workshops and conferences.

11. Providing technical and facilitating support to meetings, seminars, workshops and public outreach activities as required and formally represent WCS as necessary in such meetings, workshops and conferences.

12. Assisting in writing regular updates on the project activities, including news flashes and updates for WCS-IP website and other social media postings, and articles for brochures, leaflets and printing media.

13. Providing inputs regarding the vision and strategy for WCS-IP. Participate as a member of WCS-IP to plan, implement, monitor and periodically update WCS-IP's strategic approach to conservation in Indonesia.

14. Undertake any other duties as assigned by the Country Director WCS-IP.

Please note that the above TOR constitutes only the main responsibilities and duties of this position. As WCS-IP is a flexible organization, staffs members are expected to undertake any other tasks that are allocated to them but which are not part of their regular TOR.

Qualifications:

1.   The post holder must have a bachelor degree qualification in biology, ecological science, social science, and other related discipline.

2.   Proven track record of program management, including project development, implementation and backstopping, staff supervision and budget oversight.

3.   Minimum 3 years working experience in related area.

4.   Able to operate computer, especially Microsoft Words and Excel.

Competencies:

1.   Excellent writing skills in both English and Bahasa Indonesia.

2.   Have strong managerial capacities.

3.   Good analytical and planning skills; ability to set forecast and refine/review them in the light of experience and further analysis.

4.   Able to maintain financial and technical control of projects in the field.

5.   Good report writing and presentation skills

6.   Able to work independently with emphasizing team-building approach.

Application:

When you are interested on the above position and consider that you possess the necessary qualification, please submit your job application consisting of updated curriculum vitae, expected salary, three professional references and a cover letter explaining your interest towards this work and/or this organization to recruitment@wcsip.org. The email subject should be put as: "WRU/TPU Coordinator".

Deadline: 

05 February 2014. 

No correspondence, only short-listed candidates will be notified.