ThaiNGO

1. Background

The World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund (WWF)) aims to conserve nature and ecological processes by preserving biodiversity, ensuring sustainable use of natural resources and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful use of resources and energy. WWF works in more than 100 countries around the world. WWF has been working in Thailand since 1983 and WWF-Thailand was founded in 1995.

WWF Thailand has been working on tiger conservation for more than a decade, with activities in support of tiger and tiger prey monitoring though use of camera traps, technical and funding assistance for SMART patrol, tiger prey augmentation and habitat improvement, and community education and outreach.

The Rewilding and Tiger Research Manager will oversee and manage the project by implementing and coordinating the tasks of four major themes: implementing best practice research and monitoring strategies for the target areas, habitat improvement and prey augmentation to reboot  ungulate populations, enhancement of protected area management, patrolling, and enforcement, and increasing participation of local residents and the public in tiger conservation. Specifically, to the Manager will guide technical work on all relevant themes that impact tiger conservation.

In addition, in order to work in accordance with the Thai government, the Rewilding and Tiger Research Manager will need to collaborate closely with the DNP at the field, regional, and national levels. Furthermore, the work needs to be aligned with the WWF Network Standard on wildlife research, monitoring, and translocations and animal handling.

2. Major Responsibilities

The Rewilding and Tiger Research Manager will be responsible for overall project management to achieve the project’s goals and targets, and ensure all activities comply with the project agreement and WWF’s contractual obligations, and donor’s requirements. The Rewilding and Tiger Research will take full responsibility for technical, financial and administrative aspects of the project.

• Manage and coordinate on the ground tiger research and monitoring efforts, as well as rewilding aspects;

• Support and implement the tiger and wildlife research and monitoring in the target sites (five protected areas in WEFCOM) as defined in the activity and budget plan
• Become familiar with wildlife monitoring methodology and analysis and SMART patrol system implementation. As well as, the context of community engagement
• Take care the tiger database and collaborate results with DNP and other key partners such as Wildlife Conservation Society, etc.
• Lead WWF Thailand’s partnership with DNP’s Wildlife Breeding Centers to rear and release up to 450 sambar and possibly other deer species in three or more protected areas over the next 4 years.
• Ensure that any translocation or re-introduction plans are carefully planned, implemented, and supported by DNP and other stakeholders
• Ensure the monitoring strategy for the released animals is in place and being implemented
• Advise and provide technical, resource, and logistical support to conduct accurate tiger and prey surveys and monitoring and rewilding program
• Advise and support the project officers for work implementation
• Develop and maintain a tiger and wildlife database, and share or connect with the key partners. As well as support for the country database.
• Coordinate data collation, and other information on tiger research and rewilding program from relevant collaborators
• Act as trainer, facilitator, interpreter if required
• Frequently travel to existing program areas and related sites.
• Participate in Tigers Alive team meetings and workshops as required.

• Work with financial staff for budget preparation for the activities of the project in charge, monitoring, and reporting activities; guarantees the financial integrity and accountability of project budgets.
• Write and provide a high-quality tiger research and rewilding project results for project technical report and administrative aspects on the utilization, and impact of all resources made available to the project, and ensure all report requirements are met.
• Responsible as direct line manager of project staff by reviewing individual work plan, managing performance, providing induction, training, coaching and advice to ensure that they are appropriately motivated and that staff deliver the performance objectives.
• Provide advisory and technical guidance to staff, counterparts, and consultants on all aspects related to the project when required.
• Represent WWF Thailand in meetings, workshops, conferences, and symposium to present research and rewilding project activities and achievements.
• Provide inputs to communications products/campaigns to ensure accurate information will be published to promote the image of the organisation and project activities.
• Update the monitoring and evaluation matrix through available platform is reviewed and submitted on time in cooperation with the M&E team and supervisor.
• Lead project compliance with WWF ESSF, Quality Assurance, and Risk requirements.

3. Working Relationships

Internal                

• WWF Thailand: Interact on a regular basis with Tiger Conservation Program Lead, Conservation Programme Manager, program staff, finance staff and Project Managers of similar projects in other Asia Pacific Country Programmes and network.
• Tiger Alive Initiative: Interact and coordinate on regular basis on multiple aspects of tiger research and rewilding program
• WWF Network: Coordinate and consult with related program focal persons

External  

• Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (project sites, regional, and national levels). Interact with donors, local government agencies, as well as NGO partners, communities, and other stakeholders

4. Requirements

Education and Qualification

• Ph.D. in conservation, forestry, natural resource management, bioregional planning, environmental, or in relevant fields
• Qualification in project management and project research at least 5 years in related conservation and natural resource work, especially wildlife conservation

Knowledge

• Knowledge of conservation biology principles and practices, especially related to tiger recovery
• Knowledge of wildlife research and monitoring, and rewilding works in Thailand
• Knowledge of conservation and natural resource management issues in Thailand
• Proven understanding of issues in related fields and working knowledge of policy/institutional context in wildlife conservation in Thailand
• Knowledge of the realities of government agencies, development partners, donor institutions, and the not-for-profit sector in the project
• Knowledge of WWF structure, priorities and procedures as well as WWF's ecoregional approach to conservation
• Knowledge of M&E methodology, quality assurance, ESSF
• Knowledge of WWF’s PPMS is an advantage

Experience

• Minimum five years of practical experience in field biological survey work, conservation ecology, managing project
• Experience of working in Thailand especially in the project areas, is an advantage
• Experience of working with Government officials, local communities and/or donors at all levels
• Experience in conducting studies and coordinating research activities
• Diplomatic and networking skills, and proven capability to work well with government counterparts and key partner organizations, including WCS, ZSL, Panthera, Freeland, IUCN, Kasetsart University, etc.

General Skill

• People management, coaching and capacity building/development
• Financial management
• Presentation, communications, and negotiation
• Networking
• Teamwork
• Planning, organisation, time management, facilitation, and coordination
• Fluency in Thai and competence in English
• Proficiency in MS Office
• Influencing is preferred

Technical Skill

• Leadership and management
• Analysis
• Report writing
• Problem solving
• Monitoring and evaluation is preferred

Ability

• Ability to work effectively at all levels, with institutions, governments, and non-government actors to build excellent working relationships
• Ability to travel and work in the remote areas
• Working on own initiative with minimum supervision and staying on task
• Travelling extensively, program field sites, nationally, and internationally

Personality

• Enthusiastic
• Outgoing
• Resourceful

5. WWF's Mission and Values

1. It is part of every staff member's terms of reference to contribute to WWF's mission:

WWF’s Mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

- conserving the world's biological diversity

- ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable

- reducing pollution and wasteful consumption.  

2. It is also part of every staff member's terms of reference to embody WWF's values, which are: Passionate and Optimistic, Challenging and Inspiring, Credible and Accountable, Persevering and Delivering Results.