Senior Conservation Research Assistant

Position Overview:

The Senior Research Assistant (SRA) will work in collaboration with SEED Madagascar’s international and national staff taking responsibility for leading data collection in the field to a high standard, providing day-to-day management to the field team, data cleaning and working with the SCRP coordinator in data analysis, reporting and input to papers.

SEED’s research camp also hosts short-term volunteers for between 2-8 weeks and the SRAs provide day-to-day management, pastoral support and training to the short-term volunteers.

This post is ideal for someone with 1-3 years of field experience and data analysis and report writing skills in English to a publishable standard. Applications without this experience will not be taken forward.

Title: Senior Conservation Research Assistant

Location: Fort Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar

Commitment: 2 years (extendable)

Salary: basic local monthly stipend (with food and transport paid in the field), plus £1,200 contribution to flight and £650 to insurance

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Provide day-to-day management of the research programme and oversee camp organisation in the field alongside other support staff
2. Support the SCRP Coordinator and Research Assistants in writing standard protocols for each research project
3. Personally collect and manage a wide variety of data across all of SEED Madagascar’s conservation projects to a high standard
4. Support the SCRP Coordinator in ensuring that data collection across the programme follows protocols and is at a publishable standard
5. Lead in training the research assistants and volunteers in field research techniques and ensuring consistency of data
6. Assist in the development of research projects, analysis of data and write-up of research papers
7. Be the lead researcher on specific projects in the field taking on responsibility for the establishment of methodologies, organisation of data collection, input of data and leading data analysis
8. Work with other departments to develop cross-disciplinary projects
9. Support the Research Assistants to supervise volunteers during their time in the field, leading on SEED’s duty of care, ad-hoc problem-solving and pastoral care
10. Ensure good communication and team relations between volunteers, SEED Madagascar office-based staff and national staff and ensure problems and concerns are reported
11. Ensure risk assessments are in place for each activity and these are adhered to by the team and volunteers. Contribute to the evaluation and updating of current risk assessments
12. Assist in writing internal and external reports for SEED and any collaborating partners or donors
13. Work with the Executive Coordinator and SCRP Coordinator to implement the long-term strategy of SCRP
14. Work alongside SEED’s Communication Officer in producing information for the website and social media
15. Represent SEED Madagascar in external meetings with other agencies, donors and partners on the ground in Madagascar and in the UK where required
16. Ensure all of SEED Madagascar’s policies and procedures are evident throughout the work of the department, including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing and anticorruption, and undertake continual training to ensure these are promoted at all times
17. Any other tasks the Director/ Project Coordinator deems necessary within the broad remit of this role

Personal specification:

• Have a Masters in a conservation-related field, or a first degree with at least three years of in-field experience
• Have at least two years of practical experience in field-based research
• Previous experience with data handling, cleaning and statistical analysis using programming software
• Specialist knowledge of either primatology, herpetology, botany or environmental education is desirable
• Able to or willing to learn to safely handle and identify reptiles and amphibians
• Previous experience of collecting GPS data with a working knowledge of GIS mapping
• Hold a current First Aid certificate
• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to SEED Madagascar’s ethos and approach and be a good ambassador for SEED Madagascar at all times
• Have passion, curiosity and motivation for the job and the ability to enthuse others
• Have the ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers
• Have the ability and desire to build capacity and share skills across cultures
• Demonstrate proven ability to recognise and appropriately deal with challenging situations
• Demonstrate an awareness of and comfort with increased social and professional responsibility, working at all times with cultural sensitivity and respect
• Demonstrate the ability, social skills and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the policies and procedures of SEED Madagascar, including those on safeguarding, bribery and corruption and whistleblowing
• Be punctual and be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard
• Have a flexible and patient attitude
• Have excellent problem-solving skills
• Be able to work both independently and as part of a team