Overview of the Role:
Founded in Namibia in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is a conservation non-profit dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. CCF’s mission is to be the internationally recognized center of excellence in the conservation of cheetahs and their ecosystems. CCF works with stakeholders to develop best practices in research, education, and land use to benefit all species, including people. CCF’s vision is to see a world in which cheetahs live and flourish in coexistence with people within a sustainable system that is protective of the environment, socially responsible, and economically viable. CCF’s headquarters are located in Namibia, with an additional field center in Somaliland. CCF has affiliates in several other countries including the USA, UK, and Canada.

• CCF has received a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that includes funding for certain activities in the SRS. These activities will involve:
• Liaising with SRS government heads and officials on areas of interest including:
  wildlife crime, wildlife conservation, environmental protection, community based natural resource management, human-wildlife conflict and mitigation strategies, environmental education, etc.
• Working with Ethiopian veterinary authorities and organizations to build capacity to provide veterinary services to cheetah and other wildlife.
• Data collection on cheetah and other carnivores as well as herbivores using non-invasive techniques (e.g., camera traps, scat) and modern data recording tools, and possibly social science surveys on human-wildlife interactions;

All activities will be closely coordinated with the SRS authorities as well as the federal Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority. Activities will take place in remote rural areas and will involve interacting closely with local communities.

Responsibilities:

• Overall field-level responsibility for planning, coordinating and implementing project activities in the SRS, including but not limited to:
  o anti wildlife crime strategies implementation
  o anti human-wildlife conflict strategies implementation
  o ecological data collection pertaining to research and monitoring of
  carnivore and ungulate populations, with a focus on cheetah but also broader wildlife communities. Data collection methods will involve camera trapping, scat collection, spoor identification, vegetation and environmental recording;
• Organize logistics for on-site fieldwork including schedules, field teams, vehicles, and other equipment;
• Coordinate the work of field ecologists, consultants, technicians, and volunteers employed on the project;
• Serve as principal field liaison with Ethiopian veterinary organizations for implementation of project activities and collaborative work;
• Manage working relationships with federal and regional government staff, implementation partners, rural communities, and other stakeholders to facilitate project activities;
• Meet project timelines for completion of activities and deadlines for submission of reports and other outputs;
• Track expenses related to project activities and deliverables and maintain a record for accounting and auditing;
• Work with field teams to curate, enter, organize, and manage collected data;
• Prepare regular reporting on project progress and contribute to project monitoring and evaluation;
• Produce regular entries about the project for CCF’s newsletters and social media;
• Be a point person for coordination between CCF Somaliland, CCF Namibia, CCF HQ and management team, and CCF’s work in Ethiopia;
• Liaise with partner organizations in Ethiopia, including but not limited to the Halo Trust, Candlelight, relevant UN agencies, universities, etc.;
• Other project-related duties as assigned.

Personal and Professional Qualifications

• A Horn of Africa national with the ability to live and work in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia (SRS), preferably in Jijiga, the regional capital;
• Fluent in Somali and Amharic with working fluency in spoken and written English;
• Social and cultural knowledge of the region that facilitates relationship building with government officials and communities;
• Highly motivated and organized, with a strong work ethic, and excellent teamwork, communication/writing, organizational, project management, advocacy, government relations, and people skills;
• Ability to work independently with only remote oversight by out of country managerial team; with leadership and strategic skills to propel CCF’s work in the SRS forward;
• Hold a university degree in ecology, conservation, zoology, biological sciences, natural resource management, veterinary medicine, or other relevant discipline
• Demonstrate a record of successful field experience in rural or remote settings, including work with rural and pastoral communities, and an understanding of the logistics and performance of ecological surveys in rural areas;
• Experience working with carnivores and/or ungulates, preferably in relation to non-invasive surveys and human-wildlife conflict resolution is highly desirable;
• Experience with wildlife law enforcement or anti-wildlife trafficking programs preferred;
• Good physical condition, since fieldwork may require hiking long distances in rugged terrain;
• Demonstrated experience with management and organization of large datasets and thorough familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, database programs, and video conferencing;
• Experience using GIS spatial software and relational databases preferred;
• Valid driving license and suitable driving experience (4x4) preferred.