The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, is seeking a coordinator to organize the work in the African Eurasian Flyway under the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI). The African Eurasian (AFEU) Flyway Committee Coordinator is a 100% role designed to be taken on by someone familiar with bird conservation in the region and who has experience in working with diverse stakeholder groups. This position will be divided between 60% focussed on AFEU flyway and 40% focussed on AMBI issues across the flyways, and will be based at the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate the AFEU committee and a multi-stakeholder planning team as necessary
- Develop a flyway ‘crosswalk’ for the AFEU region
- Develop an AMBI AFEU Implementation Strategy
- Work with AMBI Chair, Coordinator and CAFF Secretariat to coordinate activities within AMBI
- Liaison with partners in the region to help facilitate projects as directed by the flyway committee
- Travel to relevant meetings to represent AMBI interests
- Assist in organizing AMBI events in the region
- Fundraise for both AMBI and the coordinator position
Qualifications:
The following specifies the qualifications, experience and expertise required:
General Qualifications:
- Ability to communicate proficiently in English. Proficiency in other languages spoken in the flyway are beneficial, but not mandatory.
- Ability to work collaboratively with others in a cross cultural environment.
- Familiarity with issues of Arctic migratory bird conservation in the flyway.
- A working understanding of the Arctic Council and CAFF, including roles and objectives
- Experience and ability to host meetings, manage documentation, develop information flow and management of a team.
- Experience in writing scientific summaries and reports.
- Location within the relevant Flyway preferred, but not mandatory.
- Ability to travel to relevant meeting at international locations.
General Professional Experience:
- Previous experience working to advance global migratory species and/or conservation initiatives.
- Advanced degree in relevant field including conservation, biology, communications, international relations, governance, etc.
- Recent experience developing international conservation teams.
- Knowledge of the indigenous peoples in the flyway and experience working with indigenous peoples groups
- Recent experience managing a cross cultural team.
Assignment Specific Professional Experience:
- Familiarity with AMBI Work Plan and objectives.
- In-depth knowledge of policy framework in the flyway as it pertains to conservation, migratory species, development, human well-being and other fields of relevance to conservation.
Timeframe of commitment – May 2018 to May 2019, with the possibility of an extension. You will be expected to travel internationally to up to three meetings during this timeframe, including attending the Arctic Biodiversity Congress in October 2018 in Finland.
Location: The position will be based at the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
Pay – The AFEU Coordinator will be an individual consultant to be contracted directly or through a legally incorporated company. The compensation for this position is €60,000 for 12 months 1.0 FTE.
AMBI - The Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) is a project designed to improve the status and secure the long-term sustainability of declining Arctic breeding migratory bird populations. Arctic-breeding birds use many different flyways to move from Arctic breeding grounds to overwintering or stopover sites at lower latitudes. Many bird populations are declining at an unprecedented rate for variety of reasons: http://www.caff.is/arctic-migratory-birds-initiative-ambi.
AFEU - The AMBI AFEU Committee consists of representatives from Norway, BirdLife International, the African Eurasian Waters Agreement (AEWA), and the CAFF Secretariat. The AMBI African Eurasian Flyway (https://www.caff.is/arctic-migratory-birds-initiative-ambi/african-eurasian-flyway) covers priority conservation issues and actions relating to migratory Arctic-breeding birds from with a focus on habitat conservation and preventing unsustainable harvest. Supporting the protection of habitat in West Africa for migratory bird species is a major focus of the work under the AEF. Other priorities include ensuring sustainable populations of Lesser White-fronted Geese are protected in collaboration with the AEWA secretariat.
To apply for this position, apply with you CV (max 4 pages) and a letter of interest outlining why your skills match the position.
Deadline for submission April 15, 2018 by 24:00 GMT. All applications should be sent to Tom Barry, the Executive Secretary at the CAFF International Secretariat via tom [AT] caff [DOT] is.
