In the WCS Bouba Ndjidda – Bénoué (BN-B) Landscape, WCS implements activities that support the Cameroonian government through the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF) for conservation, stability, and sustainable development in and around the PBN-B. Within this framework, WCS is committed to structuring a Research and Ecological Monitoring (R&EM) department to monitor the evolution of the animal population and its habitat, as well as the pressures and threats they face, and to measure the impacts of landscape UTO management to guide protected area managers in their interventions.

WCS is looking for a Research and Ecological Monitoring (R&EM) Department Manager, based in Garoua, with frequent visits to the protected areas (PAs) concerned by the PBN-B and occasionally to other PAs in the region. The success of this position is defined by a strong technical and operational mastery, but also by an increased and shared understanding—as well as a strong adhesion—of the values, mission, and objectives of the PB&B, as well as a good knowledge of its target audiences (including the general public, direct and final beneficiaries of the projects, donors, and other partners present at territorial and national levels).

Responsibilities

• Development and Implementation of Strategy
  • Develop and implement the BN-B Landscape Research and Ecological Monitoring (R&EM) Department strategy in line with the BN-B landscape conservation strategy (over 5 years).
• Scientific Committee Participation
  • Participate in BSB Scientific Committee meetings.
  • Facilitate and coordinate approved scientific research activities.
• Research Methodology Development
  • Work with existing teams to develop appropriate research methods for priority research areas as defined by the Scientific Committee.
• Annual Work Plan
  • Develop and implement the PBN-B R&EM department’s annual work plan.
• Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Monitor and evaluate the R&EM Department’s strategy and annual work plan in collaboration with the PBN-B Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team.
• Data Archiving and Utilization
  • In collaboration with partners and the Ecole de Faune de Garoua, and possibly other academic institutions with the requisite skills, set up regular archiving of ecological monitoring data and ensure that research results are put to good use.
• Opportunities and Partnerships
  • Proactively identify R&EM opportunities and partnerships for PBN-B.
• Project Management
  • Manage PBN-B R&EM department equipment.
• Planning Participation
  • Participate in PBN-B’s monthly and quarterly planning.
• Capacity Strengthening
  • Draw up and implement an action plan to strengthen the R&EM department’s capacity: recruit, train, and supervise staff.
• Awareness Activities
  • In collaboration with other departments, develop and supervise activities to raise awareness among local populations of biodiversity conservation issues and human/wildlife conflicts.
• Terms of Reference and Budgeting
  • Prepare Terms of Reference (TOR) and budget forecasts for the R&EM department’s activities.
  • Contribute to enriching the TORs of other relevant departments to ensure the R&EM department’s involvement in PB&B’s cross-cutting objectives.
• Reporting
  • Oversee the production of periodic activity reports for the PB&B R&EM department.
• Research Supervision
  • Supervise and develop research projects (scientific articles, academic research, etc.).
• Standards Development
  • Develop, update, and apply PB&B R&EM department standards.
• Ecological Monitoring Strategy Support
  • Under the supervision of WCS scientific bodies and in relation with conservation departments and partners:
    • Support the implementation of the ecological monitoring strategy set out in the management plans.
    • Define and propose ecological monitoring methodologies and protocols adapted to conservation objectives/strategies:
      • Monitoring, analysis, and communication of remote sensing data using satellite geolocation collars and camera trapping.
      • Monitoring, analysis, and communication of aerial and pedestrian survey data.
      • Support for the coordination of the activities of the Anti-Poaching Department (LAB) and the Aviation Department of PBN-B.
      • Monitoring, analysis, and communication of changes in PBN-B’s vegetation cover.
      • Monitoring, analysis, and communication of changes in the abiotic environment.
      • Monitoring, analysis, and communication of anthropogenic activities, including data on sport hunting in PBN-B ZICs.
      • Monitoring, analysis, communication, and management of human/wildlife conflicts in and around BN-B Landscape.
      • Monitoring, analysis, communication, and management of developments in BN-B Landscape.
• GIS Administration
  • In collaboration with the GIS Officer based at the National Coordination office in Yaoundé:
    • Administer GIS-related applications.
    • Exploit ecological monitoring data from various information sources.
    • Build up and feed databases.
• Cartographic and Data Production Supervision
  • Supervise the production of cartographic and ecological monitoring data by/for the various project needs.