Arabian Leopard Initiative Community Based Conservationist

South Africa/Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Contracted
Conservation Action
Mid Level
Position
Arabian Leopard Initiative Community Based Conservationist

Location
South Africa and Saudi Arabia

Start Date
01 June 2024

Duration
1 year fixed-term contract

Background
Panthera is the only organisation in the world that is devoted exclusively to the conservation of the world’s 40 wild cat species and their ecosystems. Utilising the expertise of the world’s premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global strategies for the most imperilled species. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera partners with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities, governments around the globe, and citizens who want to help ensure a future for wild cats.

Job Description
Admin
  • Assist the Project Coordinator in managing the day-to-day activities of all project personnel in KSA. Such activities may include camera trap surveys for wildlife monitoring, human-wildlife conflict mitigation and community engagement, capacity building and training of non-Panthera staff, and other related activities.
  • Contribute to, and lead where requested, the creation and management of the work schedule, managing inventory and logistics, ensuring robust financial reporting, and providing brief daily updates to the RCU and other partners as required.
  • Support a positive, collaborative relationship with the RCU and other project partners.
  • Deliver additional support, where necessary, to Panthera’s Leopard Program. 


Community Conservation
  • Oversee the activities of the Community Liaison Officers. Ensure they are engaging regularly with farmers in their communities, working the required time, and are collecting data correctly. Summarise their activities (time worked, distance travelled, farmers visited, livestock kills investigated, etc.) for inclusion in reports to the RCU as required.
  • Contribute to the development, testing, and implementation of culturally appropriate HWC mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses to predators.
  • Foster good relationships with local communities by maintaining regular communication with the local Sheikhs (through face-to-face meetings, WhatsApp groups or other relevant medium) and hosting community meetings to provide updates and receive feedback from community members. 
Capacity Building
  • Lead or contribute to training and capacity building for communities and project partners as required. This may include the creation of training materials, ensuring all material is translated into Arabic, and delivery of some or all of the training workshops and seminars.
Camera Trapping
  • Support the design, site selection, logistical planning, deployment, problem solving, data curation, and analysis of camera trap surveys in Saudi Arabia (community camera traps, livestock enclosure monitoring, and wildlife surveys) as required.
Data Management and Reporting
  • Participate in the development of scientific data collection protocols and rigorously collect a variety of HWC data under the guidance of the Project Coordinator and Conservation Scientist.
  • Ensure that all relevant survey data (human-wildlife conflict and community data, camera trap data, metadata, etc.) are managed in accordance with the project protocols. This includes ensuring that data are correctly captured and curated, safely backed up, and transferred to project partners in a timely manner. 
  • Participate in, and lead where requested, data preparation and analysis, creation of summary data tables and plots, and creating project deliverables (reports, scientific publications, etc.) for the RCU and other partners.
  • Participate in the collection and curation of photographs, videos, and other media detailing field activities for use in promotional material by Panthera and the RCU (in accordance with Panthera and RCU policies). 

Requirements
  • The position will be based in Cape Town, South Africa, but may entail spending up to 9 months of the year in Saudi Arabia, predominately in AlUla County.
  • MSc degree in a conservation-related discipline, although applicants with a degree in social-sciences and experience of working in conservation will also be considered.
  • Candidates should be proficient in the use of MS Office products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
  • Experience in using SMART Conservation Tools will be an advantage.
  • Familiarity with ArcGIS, QGIS, or other mapping software will be an advantage.
  • Candidates should have strong written and spoken English.
  • Arabic speaking will be an advantage.
  • Previous experience of working in Saudi Arabia or another middle-Eastern country will be an advantage.

How to Apply 
Applications close 6 May, 2024.  CVs must include two professional referees and their contact details. If submitting a cover letter, ensure that CV and cover letter are uploaded as one document.  
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.


 
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