Conservation Ecologist, Andes-Amazon and Guiana Shield

The Field Museum’s Keller Science Action Center translates museum science and expertise into action for conservation and quality of life. We are seeking a Conservation Ecologist to focus on the Andes-Amazon and the Guiana Shield regions, where we have been working in Guyana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, with the potential to extend into other regions.

The successful candidate has significant knowledge of the region’s conservation context and natural and human communities, a passion for collaborative interdisciplinary research and fieldwork in remote areas, taxonomic expertise to lead surveys in a rapid inventory, and a dedication to quick and tangible results. We seek an experienced conservation ecologist who will contribute to strategies, methods, and future directions of the Action Center’s rapid inventory team, and who will work with team members to develop and implement effective approaches to collaborative research, oriented to decision-making for conservation and people’s well-being.

This position is hired on a 3-year term with potential for renewal. It is based at the Field Museum in Chicago and reports to the Director of Andes-Amazon Program. The work involves frequent travel to South America, with approximately 30-40% of the year in the field.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide ecological and taxonomic expertise to Action Center conservation efforts
• Lead initiatives within Andes Amazon and the Guiana Shield program
• Collaborate as a lead scientist in rapid assessments in the Andes-Amazon region, including planning, fieldwork, and technical reporting with the goal of establishing and sustaining conservation that benefits local people
• Manage key relationships with partners and help establish new partnerships that advance our conservation and well-being goals.
• Work closely with Action Center staff and partners to synthesize insights and outcomes across particular experiences and generate understanding to leverage results at larger landscape scales.
• Support the monitoring, evaluation, and iterative improvement of the program
• Contribute to grant proposals, technical reports, and other materials for dissemination, including peer-reviewed publications, that support the creation or management of conservation landscapes.
• Support the creation of conservation tools and training opportunities for conservation professionals, scientists, and other stakeholders
• Integrate ecological expertise into the development of long-term conservation strategies in collaboration with other Action Center scientists and partners, identifying and implementing opportunities to expand conservation programming and funding

Qualifications:

• Required Advanced degree in conservation science, such as ecology, organismal biology, wildlife science, evolution, etc., and at least four years of relevant experience in fieldwork, applied conservation science, with demonstrated experience in conservation results on the ground in Andes Amazon and/or the Guiana Shield
• Experience with project management, and competency working both independently and in a team
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams and community partners, and to prepare and facilitate meetings.
• Experience in engaging local and Indigenous knowledge in ecological research
• Strong writing, editing, and verbal communication skills: able to structure ideas clearly and to communicate them in English and at least one of either Spanish or Portuguese
• Commitment to continued learning in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion competencies
• Proficiency with digital work platforms such as MS Office and Google Workspace
• Willingness to travel frequently and work in a fast-paced environment

Important Note: In order to protect the health and safety of our employees, guests and their families, the Field Museum is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Requests for exemptions from the vaccine will not be considered as given the nature of this position, we are unable to provide an accommodation for anyone who has not been vaccinated.

The Field Museum is an equal opportunity workplace and employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected class. We strive to create a working environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and one that promotes human dignity and mutual respect among all staff. We believe every member of our organization enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, to identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions.