Background

WCS is looking to hire a Marine Scientist for the USAID/Tanzania Heshimu Bahari Project led by Chemonics International Inc. The five-year project will acquire technical, material, and grant management services that support and strengthen capacity for marine biodiversity conservation to i) build the capacity of the public sector and civil society; ii) increase private sector engagement in marine conservation and coastal natural resources management; iii) improve the enabling environment for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and fisheries management at all levels; and iv) enhance data availability and use in decision making. The Marine Scientist will be responsible for leading the extensive baseline ecological assessment that will be conducted at selected locations across Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania. Detailed responsibilities are listed below.

Responsibilities:

•          Oversee the design and implementation of the ecological and fishery baseline surveys that will be conducted across Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania

•          Review the technological solutions proposed and support the refinement of the methodological approach

•          Lead consultation work with stakeholders to present and gather feedback on plans for the baseline surveys

•          Train and oversee WCS field assistants and lead field operations

•          Oversee data entry and management in digital format

•          Lead data analysis and technical report writing

•          Identify opportunities and methodologies to facilitate data sharing with stakeholders in collaboration with Knowledge Management Lead

•          Support the Heshimu Bahari team in the organization and implementation of knowledge exchange events with stakeholders

Required Qualifications

•          Minimum 10 years of working experience and a Master’s degree in marine ecology or a similar field

•          Demonstrated experience in coral reef ecological monitoring, survey design, and field data collection

•          Demonstrated experience with quantitative data analysis with a particular focus on coral reef

•          Experience with a programming language (R or Python) and geospatial analysis tools (ArcGIS or QGIS) is preferred

•          Experience in data management through online tools

•          Some experience working with communities to conduct participatory monitoring

•          Familiarity with the academic and research Government institutions in Zanzibar and Mainland

•          Fluency in Kiswahili and English is required

•          Legally eligible to work in Tanzania

Project Location & reporting 

S/he will be joining WCS’s team in Zanzibar with frequent travel to Dar es Salaam and occasional travel to project sites. The position reports to WCS Tanzania Marine Program Director.

How to apply

Qualified candidates should send 1) Cover letter, 2) CV and 3) name, phone and email for 3 referees. Applications should be sent via email to WCS Tanzania, Country Director at wcshrtanzania@wcs.org by February 15th, 2023.