Requirements

Additional Requirements

• Minimum of five years professional experience relevant to on-the-ground conservation in tropical developing countries, preferably in Bangladesh.
• Knowledge of species conservation, protected area (PA) management, and illegal wildlife trade issues related to Bangladesh and the region.
• Experience related to capacity building and training material development for conservation.
• Proven grant management skills with successful experience in supporting fund raising, grant reporting and monitoring and evaluation related to international donor agencies such as UK DEFRA, UNDP, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID, USFWS etc.
• Experience in building partnerships with civil society, private sector, donor agencies and international institutions.
• Ability to work sensitively and effectively with people of diverse cultures, value systems, perspectives and levels of education, and mediate and resolve complex issues.
• Excellent English language verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities & Context

Job Summary:

• WCS is seeking an experienced individual with a strong technical background in conservation to provide support to the WCS Bangladesh Terrestrial Conservation Program. This position will provide direct technical support and build local capacity in project development, implementation and reporting to advance scientifically-informed conservation in Bangladesh.

Major Responsibilities:

• In coordination with the Country Director, help develop the conservation vision and strategic plan for WCS’ terrestrial conservation work in Bangladesh, identifying goals, objectives and programs of work.
• Assist in identifying conservation priorities and technical needs within WCS Bangladesh, review and refine program priorities, strategy and approaches, and overall monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Support staff in the implementation of sound, science-based field activities and interventions, including both research and conservation initiatives.
• Ensure and oversee the appropriate and efficient design, collection, analysis, dissemination and publication of field data.
• Provide technical input and editing support for donor reports and other technical outputs (e.g., training curriculums, identification guides, posters etc.), to ensure that information is presented in an accurate and logical manner.
• Support interaction with Government partners to promote WCS priorities and proposed conservation interventions, including reviewing and editing policy briefs, revisions of legislation, management recommendations, and species conservation strategies.
• Provide technical support to strengthen links with international conservation fora (e.g., CITES, IUCN SSGs, CBD, CMS), including providing technical support to the Government of Bangladesh to meet their international obligations.
• Assess the capacity development requirements of staff and along with the Country Director, develop a plan to address those needs, including internal training, workshops, and seminars (virtual and in-person).
• Identify external capacity building opportunities for staff and support them to take advantage of these opportunities including graduate scholarships, online and local short courses, and participating in international workshops and seminars.
• Work with WCS regional and global staff to support the Country Director to identify funding opportunities and translate ideas into practical funding proposals.
• Assist in building new partnerships with donors, NGOs and the private sector in Bangladesh and beyond to promote WCS priorities and meet funding needs.
• Lead grant development, engaging donors and partners, and interacting with regional and global WCS focal points for review and submission of proposals in a timely fashion.
• Support staff in the communication of scientific results and conservation achievements through the publication of scientific papers, popular articles, blogs, press releases etc.