Marine Researcher

SIF manages and protects Seychelles’ two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Aldabra Atoll and the Vallée de Mai. We are seeking a Marine Researcher to provide  overall scientific supervision and management of the annual marine monitoring programme on Aldabra.

Working under the Aldabra Scientific Coordinator and SIF’s Director for Research and Conservation you will be set specific tasks relating to Aldabra, including ensuring that all marine monitoring and research projects run efficiently and produce high quality standardised data, coordinating and supervising research staff and volunteers, overseeing and responsible for producing an end-of-season report on the marine season and analysing and writing up marine data for scientific papers.

Criteria and specific skill set:

• Minimum MSc and post-graduate qualification (PhD preferred) in marine subject(s)
• Minimum of 2 years of experience managing marine monitoring, research and conservation programmes, preferably in the tropics and around small islands
• Strong experience in conducting and supervising ecological/conservation research beyond BSc/MSc project (ideally including supervision of data collection, management of long-term datasets, technical reporting, experience of publishing scientific manuscripts, expertise of/leading a range of underwater data collection methods) (essential)
• Excellent coral and fish identification skills of the Seychelles/WIO region (essential)
• Extensive diving experience (minimum PADI rescue diver, essential)
• Technical skills including computer literacy, statistical and modelling skills in R, good understanding of GPS use and GIS software (e.g. QGIS, Arc GIS) (essential)
• Strong background of writing documents in English to a range of audiences (essential; ideally including technical reports, scientific manuscripts, social media posts)
• Experience with coordinating teams (essential)
• Excellent understanding of global, regional and national conservation issues (essential)
• Experience of developing and delivering high level presentations/lectures (essential)
• Experience with CPCe photo software and BRUV video analysis (preferred)
• Experience of conservation/environmental management in Seychelles or Indian Ocean (preferred)

Skills and characteristics:

• Excellent organizational, planning and multi-tasking skills - ability to establish priorities and to plan and coordinate work; ability to effectively coordinate different activities
• Strong communication skills – able to communicate with diverse groups and audiences effectively in both writing and verbally, presentation plus effective interpersonal skills
• Good teamwork and respect for diversity – ability to manage and motivate teams of staff to achieve results
• Proven adaptiveness, resourcefulness and positivity
• Commitment and diligence – Committed to conservation and diligently working towards achieving results for a sustainable future for Aldabra

Languages: Fluency in English speaking and writing (essential), Creole (preferable), French (asset).

Please send applications (CV & cover letter) and queries to hr@sif.sc by Friday, 2nd October 2020.