Post Title: Marine Research Assistant

Supervisor: WCS Marine Program Coordinator

Background
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partners are tackling the issue of deteriorating marine environments in the Western Indian Ocean by working with local communities, Government authorities, and private stakeholders to improve management and conservation in coastal waters across Tanzania Mainland, and Zanzibar. The Western Indian Ocean is a socially and biologically diverse region that contains some of the world’s most extensive and climate-resilient coral reefs and mangroves, which are critical sources of protein, coastal protection, and income to coastal populations. Yet, the integrity of the region’s ecosystems is threatened by the overexploitation of fisheries, habitat clearing, and pollution. These threats are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, coral bleaching, and storm events. WCS is leading conservation projects across all major seascapes in Northern Tanzania, including Zanzibar and the proposed TransBoundary Conservation Area (TBCA) between southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.

In this context, WCS is seeking 4 research assistants to work in the offices of Pemba and Tanga. The ideal candidate is a motivated, dynamic, and technically skilled individual to support the implementation and planning of activities across the Pemba Channel. The role will focus on supporting the team in the implementation on the ground of activities in support of marine conservation. The candidate will join our growing marine team and will involve frequent travel to field sites in Pemba and Tanga.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Support dialog with fishing communities to strengthen fishery co-management.
Work with MPA rangers and officials to support MPA management.
Be responsible for data collection and analysis of various ecological data.
Activity report writing
Budget and work plan preparation
Represent WCS in meetings with stakeholders.

Qualifications and Requirements
A bachelor’s degree in a marine-related subject
Familiarity with working in the Marine environment and with communities
Knowledge of MS Excel and Word
Fluency in English and Swahili is required.
Ability to swim and be comfortable in water.

Preferred Qualifications
Diving experience and certifications
Experience in monitoring coral reefs, mangroves, and/or ETP species
Experience with GIS and spatial analysis (QGIS or ArcGIS)
Programming in R/Python

Project Location & reporting

The Candidate will be based at one of the WCS offices in Pemba or Tanga. Reporting to the WCS

Marine Program Coordinator

Terms
1 year from the date of recruitment with the possibility of renewal Subject to performance and Availability of funds. Remuneration will be commensurate with experience.