Wildlife Conservation Society-Bangladesh

The Wildlife Conservation Society (www.wcs.org) began operations in Bangladesh (https://bangladesh.wcs.org/) in 2004 focusing on marine conservation with an emphasis on cetaceans and later marine megafauna. WCS-BD collaborated with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to establish the country’s first marine protected area and three Wildlife Sanctuaries for freshwater dolphins in the Sundarbans. WCS-BD supports the GoB for developing science-based community informed protected area management plans, improving the effectiveness of law enforcement through patrols using a spatial monitoring and reporting tool (SMART), and strengthening the capacity for compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). WCS-BD?s extensive engagement with relevant stakeholders; our offices in the capital city Dhaka and Khulna; 18 experienced local staff; and an extensive network of citizen scientists, trained interns, community members and partner NGOs place us in an ideal position to help Bangladesh establish and effectively manage protected areas to conserve threatened species and their habitat.

Program Manager, Marine Protected Area

The Wildlife Conservation Society (www.wcs.org) Bangladesh Program partners with local communities and Government agencies for a healthy ocean and healthy people. WCS a not-for-profit conservation and research organization actively engaged in Bangladesh since 2004 with a strong focus on marine conservation. WCS Bangladesh collaborated with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to establish the Swatch-of-No-Ground marine protected area (MPA) and three Wildlife Sanctuaries for freshwater dolphins in the Sundarbans. WCS's extensive engagement with marine stakeholders, our offices in the capital city Dhaka and Khulna, 18 experienced local staff, and an extensive network of trained interns, community members and partner NGOs place us in an ideal position to help Bangladesh establish and effectively manage MPAs in its marine waters.

WCS Bangladesh is recruiting a Marine Protected Area Program Manager. This program uses rigorous science, interactive outreach and effective policy development to empower the GoB to achieve its goal of protecting biodiversity in 10% of the country's marine waters. More specifically the program will i) Identify ecologically representative areas of priority conservation importance for marine biodiversity and essential ecosystem services through rigorous scientific surveys informed by local knowledge; ii) Engage stakeholders through respectful consultations and interactive educational outreach to guide site-specific, equitable MPA declarations and management plans; iii) Work with government officials and local communities to develop policies for "Conserving globally threatened important marine species through establishment of a network of coastal protected areas including the Swatch-of-No-Ground submarine canyon," as per the Bangladesh National Action Plan for the Programme of Work on Protected Areas; iv) Apply recent conservation innovations such as a Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) for evaluating and improving marine law enforcement and fisheries/wildlife monitoring and v) Develop sustainable conservation financing to provide long-term funds to support MPA management.

This position will be offered for one year with an initial 3-month probationary period and an option for renewing employment in subsequent years as per performance, availability of funds and a renewed agreement between the employee and WCS Bangladesh.

Vacancy
01

Job Responsibilities

  • The responsibilities of the WCS Bangladesh Marine Protected Area Program Manager will be to work together with the WCS Bangladesh Senior Program Adviser, Country Representative and Operations Manager, and in close collaboration with the MPA Program Coordinator, MPA Program Officer and other WCS BD program teams to manage WCS BD MPA Program activities and achieve its goals. The position requires high level management, science, communication and policy skills to plan and implement activities, analyze data, evaluate results and write reports on:
  • Sighting surveys for cetaceans, turtles, and fishing gears;
  • Investigations of fishery catches and bycatches;
  • Systematic interviews with fishermen;
  • Developing maps and analyzing baseline data to identify and prioritize target areas for marine protection;
  • Targeted scientific investigations on the ecology and human use in priority MPA sites;
  • Science-based monitoring in MPAs using innovative approaches;
  • Integrating results from the WCS Marine Megafauna Program and MPA Program into marine conservation plans and policy recommendations.
  • Consultations with fishing communities, government agencies and other marine stakeholders on establishing effective conservation management in the existing Swatch-of-No-Ground MPA;
  • Consultations with local communities and government agencies on establishing and managing new MPAs in priority sites identified through rigorous surveys and site-based investigations;
  • Respectful, innovative, and interactive educational outreach and training to inspire and empower marine stakeholders for MPA establishment and management;
  • Regular communication with GoB agencies and officers on MPA activities, recommendations and results;
  • Strengthening the public image of WCS as a key partner for addressing marine conservation issues.
  • Developing and promoting science-based, community informed plans for establishing new MPAs;
  • Developing management plans with government and community stakeholders for existing and new MPAs;
  • Responding to requests from the GoB to provide relevant information on policy revisions, fisheries regulations and marine fisheries management.

Employment Status
Full-time

Educational Requirements

  • Master of Science (MSc) in Marine Science, Oceanography, Maritime Science, Fisheries, Zoology and Environmental Science.
  • Candidates with previous experience on policy development and facilitating high-level consultations and/or PhD degree will be given preference.

Additional Requirements

  • Age Na
  • The position requires high-level management, science, communication, and policy skills.
  • Excellent communication and facilitation skills in English and Bengali (written and spoken), strong analytical thinking, demonstrated leadership capacity, and previous experience in project management and interacting with high-level Government policy makers and local leaders are essential.
  • The position will be based in Dhaka but requires substantial travel to coastal areas.

Job Location
Dhaka

Salary

  • TK.80000 - 115000 (Monthly)

Compensation & other benefits

  • Weekly 2 holidays
  • Salary Review: Yearly
 

Apply Procedure

If you are confident to meet organization's expectations and fulfill the above-mentioned requirements, please send your CV and a cover letter to Masudur Rahman (e-mail: mrahman@wcs.org)

*Photograph must be enclosed with the resume.

Application Deadline: July 14, 2019

Wildlife Conservation | Society-BangladeshHouse-22, Road-03, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205 | Web: https://bangladesh.wcs.org/