Conservation Science Programmes Intern 316 views0 applications

Department: Programmes

Location: Kenya HQ – Nanyuki

Contract Type: 3 months term contract

Hours: 40 hrs per week

Reporting to: Conservation Monitoring Coordinator

Direct Reports: None

About Us

Space for Giants is an international conservation organisation, based in Africa, founded in 2011. Our mission is to protect the natural ecosystems on which Africa’s large wild animals depend, ensuring they are valued by local people. We currently work in 11 countries across Central, East and Southern Africa, focusing on some of the most pressing challenges facing the conservation of megafauna today. We have three thematic pillars of work to achieve our mission which are: 1) The protection and management of natural ecosystems and associated value creation for local citizens; 2) Combating the illegal wildlife trade; and 3) Promoting Human-Wildlife Coexistence. We pride ourselves on our highly collaborative approach with national governments, recognizing the importance of being relevant to elected leaders and their constituents, striving to ensure that our conservation work is aligned with their priorities. Grounded in world class science, we bring high quality technical expertise and experience to inform and deliver our conservation Programmes, wherever we work. We also pride ourselves on being adaptable and nimble to respond quickly to emerging opportunities and evolving challenges in a very dynamic space.

Overview

Conservation is primarily about people and the choices they make. It is a human endeavour, designed and initiated by people and intended to modify human behaviour to achieve a socially desired objective – conserving biodiversity. Biology alone cannot provide the answers. Conservation is also social and political. Interdisciplinary science therefore lies at the heart of our approach. Evidence informs all of our work and this is anchored by our Conservation Science Department. We use research to ask and answer critical and often controversial questions about the conservation challenges we face: about the behaviour of people, wildlife and their interactions, how people and wildlife use landscapes in space and time, and the values, governance, political and social contexts which determine the types and effectiveness of conservation interventions that society is willing to implement. We measure and assess our impact to refine our approach and develop new solutions. One of the greatest challenges of today is to understand and manage people’s impact on nature in the face of development and climate change.

Role Summary

The Conservation Science Intern will provide support to the Conservation Science team with managing data flow, storage and analysis to maximize the efficiency of how we monitor and evaluate our impact. The intern will also help the team carry out novel social and ecological research on different thematic areas.

This internship is an excellent opportunity for someone who is looking to gain practical experience in conservation and develop their skills in a dynamic and supportive environment.

Job Description

Performance Criteria

1. Improve storage and management of data on the location and nature of human-elephant conflict incidents in Laikipia, Uganda, and elsewhere and ensure all historical data is in the same format and convert this into well labelled shapefiles.
2. Support the management of data from camera trap images/footage: this will involve building up identification files for identified individual elephants along the West Laikipia Fence and labelling in google drive and google photos on a weekly basis. This data should be organized to identify fence-breaking elephants, show different elephant behaviors and fence performance.
3. Support GIS data cleaning, sourcing and upload to ArcGIS online and EarthRanger.
4. Support data analysis and report writing for different projects including elephant tracking, Earthranger, baseline surveys, and human-elephant conflict and mitigation.
5. Support the development of manuscripts for submission to scientific journals using existing Space for Giants data.
6. Any other duty assigned by Space for Giants team members.

Culture and Values

1. Drive the Organisational Culture to internal and external Stakeholders
2. Conduct oneself and encourage team behaviour to create awareness and reinforce Organisational Vision, Values and the Culture Contract

Any other relevant tasks related to the role as directed by the Supervisor

Person Specification

Key Skills: Experienced in project management impact measurement, Efficient, Hard-Working, Driven, Innovative and Organized.

Uphold the cultural values and code of conduct of Space for Giants: Passion, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability, and Innovation.

Experience, Knowledge & Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife management, biological or social sciences, or a related field- We value candidates who are eager to learn and have a genuine interest in conservation.
• Excellent GIS mapping skills
• Understanding of Earth ranger, SMART, and Survey 123 is a strong advantage
• Ability to spend time in a “bush” environment
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail- We are looking for someone who is highly organized and can manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal- We need someone who can communicate clearly and effectively with different stakeholders.
• Tech savvy- able to effectively and efficiently use technology and software systems in performing tasks. Proficiency in software programs i.e. Google Suite or Microsoft Office, knowledge of digital communication tools, such as email, calendar management and experience with HR management systems or databases.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and adapt to changing priorities- We are looking for someone who can collaborate effectively with others and can adapt to changing situations.

Additional information

• While this internship does not provide compensation for work performed, please note that a small facilitation fee will be offered to assist with expenses.
• The intern will receive on-the-job training on a broad scope of activities in line with the delivery of the work conducted by the Conservation Science Department, areas of research and technology being applied. Depending on performance there may be opportunities for future involvement in Space for Giants’ portfolio of projects.
• Note that incomplete applications will not be considered, and diversity balance considerations will be applied in the selection process.