WRI seeks a full-time Africa Forests Associate to support Global Forest Watch (GFW) activities in East and West Africa. The position will lead development of strategies and support on-the-ground implementation to apply GFW tools and information to improve land-use decision-making and forest resource monitoring in priority countries. The Africa Forests Associate will be required to have a diverse skillset from which to draw from, ranging from conducting spatial research and analysis on forests to managing relationships with partners from the private, public and NGO sectors.
The WRI Africa Forests Associate will be based in Washington, D.C., working as part of the Africa Forests team and in close collaboration with the Global Forests team and partners. The position will largely focus on overseeing WRI’s engagement in countries outside of the Congo Basin, notably Liberia and Madagascar. The Africa Forests Associate will report to the Africa Forests Manager. The post will require regular travel to Africa in support of project implementation.
GFW’s mission is to make high-quality information about forests universally accessible and useful for people worldwide, so as to empower them to manage forest landscapes sustainably and improve the livelihoods of local people. The GFW platform (www.globalforestwatch.org) unites satellite technology, open data, and human networks to provide free access to the most timely, reliable, and actionable information about forests around the world. The GFW initiative supports governments, civil society, and the private sector to apply this information to solve critical forest monitoring and management challenges.
Responsibilities
General
- Support the development of strategies and implementation of WRI’s forest activities across Africa, with a focus on Liberia and Madagascar
- Provide regular technical, analytical, communication and strategic support to staff based in WRI’s priority countries for forests
- Manage collaboration with WRI’s forest partners in Africa, including oversight of subgrants
- Coordinate and oversee the development and implementation of technical applications in support of improved forest land-use allocation and monitoring
- Ensure the quality of any data and data products related to WRI’s work
- Support elaboration and implementation of MOUs with key partners in WRI’s priority countries
- Work closely with WRI’s global forest team and partners to ensure functional integration of African partners, information and activities
- Identify opportunities for WRI’s engagement with forests in Africa outside of current priority countries
- Contribute significantly to proposal and report writing
Research and Analysis
- Identify and pursue a set of research priorities through which WRI can support partners in priority countries to improve management of forests.
- Lead the production of original, policy-relevant research and analytical outputs (e.g. reports, blogs, maps, data products) based on WRI/GFW datasets.
- Collaborate with and support WRI colleagues and partners in priority countries to produce research and analysis using WRI/GFW data.
Outreach and Communication
- Support efforts to communicate about WRI’s Africa forest work and analytical content to non-technical audiences, including existing and prospective funders.
- Support in-country capacity building efforts by leading the development of training materials on WRI/GFW data and related data generation and data validation methodologies.
- Represent WRI’s Africa forests work through presentations at relevant conferences and workshops.
- Develop research-based communication materials for diverse audiences in Africa.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in geography, environmental science, natural resource management or a related field required.
- Minimum 2-4 years full time relevant experience
- Significant hands-on experience managing or supporting management of forests/natural resources in Africa.
- Strong understanding of the forest/natural resource sector in Africa (e.g., forest policies and laws, forest management and law enforcement practices, governance and institutional context, forest and land tenure regimes, biodiversity conservation).
- Significant understanding of how remote sensing, GIS and field-based methods can be used in support of forest management.
- Proficiency in using GIS and remote sensing methods and technology to conduct analysis desired.
- Proven ability to think holistically and build high-impact strategies in a complex environment.
- Project management experience desired.
- Ability to lead and manage a small team.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, particularly when it comes to communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
- Fluency in French
- Ability to cultivate and manage relationships with external partners.
- Ability to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines while setting and delivering on clear priorities.
- Enjoys working within a large, diverse, and collaborative team environment.
- Willingness to travel up to 20% of time.
Final candidate will be required to take a writing test
Salary and Benefits:Salary is commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous, comprehensive benefits package
Location: Washington, DC
HOW TO APPLY:
Qualified applicants should apply online atwww.wri.org/careers. All applications must be submitted online through this career portal in order to be formally considered.
The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.
