Primate Habituation, Research and Tourism Advisor

The World Wide Fund for Nature  seeks a Primate Habituation, Research and Tourism Advisor

The Wolrd Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the largest independent conservation organizations in the world. We are an international NGO committed to environmental protection active in almost 100 countries and have been working in the Congo Basin since 1978.

The Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas complex (DSPA) is a 4,450 km2 area, comprising the Dzanga Sangha Dense Forest Special Reserve with its various community use and other zones, and the Dzanga Ndoki National Park. This area is home to spectacular large mammals such as forest elephants, lowland gorillas and chimpanzees, bongo, buffalo, sitatunga, giant forest hogs and as well as a large variety of monkeys and duikers. The area is also home to exceptional diversity in other taxa. 

 

WWF is supporting the Government of CAR to manage DSPA both to conserve its exceptional biodiversity and to promote the sustainable management of natural resources for the well-being of nearby human populations.

 

The DSPA administration and WWF take a multi-disciplinary approach to management of this important area, including developing and managing infrastructure, human and financial resources; conservation through surveillance and anti-poaching activities; income generation via tourism through a primate habituation programme focused on lowland gorillas as well as other tourism activities; and sustainable rural development to take pressure off natural resources and sustain livelihoods.

 

DSPA is part of the recently inscribed Sangha Tri-National (TNS) World Heritage Site. The TNS is made up of three national parks (Dzanga Ndoki in CAR, Lobeke in Cameroon and Nouabale Ndoki in the Republic of Congo) and their buffer zones. The protected area managers and their key partners work together to manage the TNS.

 

The conservation department’s mission is to ensure the protection and conservation of DSPA’s biodiversity. It is responsible for managing the 40 eco-guards, and the conservation trackers and porters and implementing anti-poaching and law enforcement activities. The department also contributes to planning and implementing trans-boundary anti-poaching patrols and contributes to the operations of the TNS anti-poaching brigade.

 

The WWF team based in Bayanga providing support to the DSPA consists of a Principal Technical Advisor, a Technical Advisor for Conservation, a Primate Habituation, Research and Tourism Advisor (this position), a Community Development Technical Advisor as well as different support staff for logistics, finances and administration; WWF also has a national office in Bangui.

 

WWF-CAR seeks a Primate Habituation, Research and Tourism Advisor whose major function will be to provide technical assistance, oversight and leadership to ensure the effective management of the Primate Habituation Programme (PHP), tourism-related activities, and research activities in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA), ) and transfer his/her technical and management knowledge and experience to the DSPA staff.
Location: The position will be based in Bayanga, CAR.

Duration: 2 years renewable

Main responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Principal Technical Adviser, the Primate Habituation, Research and Tourism Advisor’s main responsibilities are to:

Ensure that primate habituation and research activities are managed to the highest international standards by:

• Supervising all aspects of the PHP focussing essentially on Lowland Gorilla and Agile Mangabey and associated tourism development towards programme sustainability and increased revenue for DSPA and local communities; 
• Ensuring that the habituation process is conducted using a non-invasive methodology that minimises risk (stress, disease, injury, behaviour change) to the primates. Similarly, ensuring the risks of injuries and of transmission of disease to visitors, staff and volunteers are minimised;
• Ensuring the PHP adheres to IUCN best practise guidelines.

Support the development and management of DSPA tourism activities by:

• Supporting the DSPA Head of Tourism regarding staff management and development, staff evaluation, detailed and accurate record keeping, visitor management, etc.;
• Co-supervising activities related to tourism in collaboration with lodge contractors and existing / potential tour operators, ensuring an efficient activity reservation system and logistics, tourism welcome centres, guide training, and data collection and analysis.

Promote and coordinate research activities at DSPA by:

• Ensuring appropriate research procedures are in place (including proposal assessment, permits, methodology, report submission and appropriate acknowledgement etc.);
• Working to identify opportunities, funding and people to increase the research activities at DSPA, especially in the context of ecological monitoring and biodiversity research as a support to conservation management;
• Coordinating biological data collection by DSPA staff and support the procedure from conception to evaluation. 

What you need:

Required Qualifications

• Minimum MSc in conservation, environmental management or related field;
• A minimum of five years of experience in working in the field of primate habituation and research, especially in a similar biome;
• Knowledge of eco-tourism management;

 

Required skills and competencies

• Depth and breadth knowledge of conservation and development issues;
• Organisational, managerial and administrative skills;
• Strong communication skills, particularly in writing reports and proposals for donor agencies;
• Fluency in both French and English;
• Ability to live and work in a remote place;
• Adhere to WWF’s values: Knowledgeable, Optimistic, Determined and Engaging.

 

 

Please consult the attached job description for more information on the position.

 

How to apply?

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are invited to send a cover letter and a detailed CV to the addressrecruitcarpo@wwfcarpo.org

The subject should read TA.

Please note that only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted for follow up. If you have not been contacted six (6) weeks after closing, consider your application unsuccessful.

Deadline for applications:9 April 2014.

 

WWF is an equal opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce