Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist

Position Summary:

The focus of the role is the provision of marine biology and ecology, with a particular focus on large marine species known as marine megafauna, specialist services and advisory on ecological surveys, conservation projects and ecology inputs for Environmental Impact Assessment reports for development projects. The role will also require undertaking ecological research studies for conservation projects. The role will be a combination of fieldwork and report writing.

The employee will be able to prepare technical and commercial proposals, design, plan and conduct ecology field surveys, analyse data and compile technical reports to a high standard, following national and international standards and guidance. The role will require a high level of technical expertise and advanced knowledge of general ecology including marine megafauna in particular.

They will need to be able to co-ordinate, supervise and work with other team members on a wide range of project-based needs, tasks and deliverables and manage other specialists, mentor more junior personnel and coordinate remote field teams.

The appointed candidate will need to have extensive experience in marine biology (minimum 5 to 10 years), specifically in the study of large marine species such as dugongs, whales, dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles. It must have a post-graduation (MsC or PhD) in marine megafauna with and be a subject matter expert in at least one of the following:

• Marine turtles.
• Marine mammals.
• Marine megafauna population assessments, tagging and tracking studies.
• Marine Protect areas or Conservation areas management.

The Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist position will be largely centered on managing large ecological, conservation or impact assessment related projects, undertaking field work and reporting Marine Environmental Baseline Surveys (MEBS), marine megafauna monitoring including marine mammals and sea turtles or similar projects.

A proportion of the role may be field based dependent on the project's needs, potentially in remote areas, although the position will be mostly office-based with project management, team management, prepare technical and commercial proposals, liaison with existing and future clients, data analysis, project planning, field work coordination and supervision and scientific publication drafting.

Office based work may include logistics, equipment preparation, data management / analysis and report writing, etc., as well as supporting the development of conservation or Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and other technical documents.

Tasks may be varied tasks, depending on Project scope and specific requirements. The Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist may manage projects in their entirety, deliver the marine megafauna components of multidisciplinary Projects, work as part of a team run by another PM or (for longer duration projects) work on rotation with other PMs. However, they will often operate independently and be responsible for survey arrangements and achieving project objectives on schedule and in budget, with a focus on excellence. Survey teams will generally comprise small groups of specialists and / or field technicians working from small day vessels, although some surveys may be conducted from larger survey vessels or potentially over an extended period. Coral relocation or reef rehabilitation projects may require working as part of a larger team.

The ideal candidate should have project management capabilities, be experienced in leading marine field teams and be competent in standard marine field sampling and survey techniques. It is mandatory to have proved experience in marine turtle surveys including satellite tagging. Building capacity is a major focus of KBD and the Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist should also support the professional development of Saudi nationals and other field personnel who have shown a passion and aptitude for marine science and the environment.

Major Responsibilities:

• Conduct research (field and office based) to monitor and study marine megafauna populations.
• Develop and implement conservation strategies tom protect vulnerable species.
• Collaborate with national and international organizations on marine baseline or conservation studies.
• Analyse data and publish findings in scientific journals.
• Lead and mentor a team of other marine biologists.
• Engage with clients, the academia, the public, national organizations and authorities and other relevant stakeholders to raise awareness about marine conservation.
• As Project Manager coordinate, prepare project and contract management documentation and technical and financial proposals and lead the team of discipline specialists.
• Coordinate working and organizational meetings, with internal staff and/or external stakeholders.
• Work closely with the project team in the development of technical reports with specific focus on biodiversity-related components.
• Act as senior ecology specialist for Environmental Due Diligence and monitoring of projects, including identifying risks and impacts, reviewing compliance with project's commitments and applicable. international requirements and supporting in the reporting phase.
• Planning, conducting and leading marine fieldwork following established scientific methodologies.
• Data management, analysis and interpretation.
• Writing Marine Megafauna Ecology Baseline or Conservation reports and other technical documentation.
• Conduct marine turtle beach assessments, reproduction assessments, flipper tagging and Satellite tagging.
• Subject Expert Matter specialist advisory and technical inputs across KBD projects.
• Good communication with team members, KBD management, the client and relevant authorities.
• Project management, including budgets and schedules, survey personnel coordination, sub-consultants and suppliers.

Personal Requirements:

Competencies:

• At least 5 years of previous professional work experience on biodiversity impact assessment, monitoring and management plans (Biodiversity Management Plan - BMP, Biodiversity Action Plan - BAP, Critical Habitats Assessment - CHA, etc.).
• Full command of local regulations and International (IFC/EBRD/OECD/Equator Principles) environmental standards and their implications with specific focus on IFC PS6 requirements.
• Familiarity with environmental impact assessment methodology, procedures, and regulations.
• Knowledge of Excel /Access database management, basic statistical data analysis and graphics production.Excellent English (both written and spoken) is a must.
• Needs to have experience with marine turtle studies, specifically satellite tagging.
• Good communication skills with a wide variety of audiences and ability to work in a diverse and multidisciplinary team.
• Experience and ability to work on several projects simultaneously undertime pressure. Attention to detail and orientation towards problem solving.
• Willingness to travel within KSA and on short term visits worldwide.
• Needs to have high regard for quality, ethical commitment, teamwork.
• Needs to be able to work in a multicultural environment and demonstrable ability to work effectively as a team.
• Requires ability to work independently and be self-motivated.
• Willing and able to time away from home (travel to and from sites with overnight stays.
• Flexible, adaptable and punctual.
• Needs to be fluent in English language (spokenand written).
• Needs to be proficient with Microsoft work tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc).
• Arabic language will beadvantageous.

Qualifications:

• Minimum MSc in Marine Biology, Ecology or a related subject.
• PhD in Marine Biology, Ecology or relevant marine megafauna specialty is desirable and advantageous.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 to 10 years of relevant experience, including leading marine field surveys.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a related and similar commercial consultancy environment.
• Experienced scientific diver is advantageous.
• Excellent report writing skills in English.
• Project management skills, including schedule, staff resource and budget management.

Experience of the following would be an advantage:

• Taxonomic classification of Red Sea species (marine megafauna including mammals and turtles).
• Marine megafauna gps/radio studies.
• Marine Acoustic studies.
• Turtle conservations, population and reproduction studies.
• Dugong surveys experience.
• Critical habitat assessment.
• Photogrammetry, eDNA analysis or other specialist survey techniques.
• Previous work in consultancy.
• Development of ESIAs to IFC standards.
• Previous work in the Middle East.
• Ability to speak and write Arabic is advantageous.