Field Officer – Marine and Coastal Habitats

Vacancy #:                 5956
Unit:                           Vietnam Programme Coordination
Organisation:             International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:                    Vietnam Country Office, Hanoi, Viet Nam
                                  Based in Rach Gia (Kien Giang) with frequent travel to project field sites (Phu Quoc, Hai Tac, Ba Lua, Nam Du).
Reporting to:              Project Manager, Mekong Delta Coastal Project
Work percentage:      100%
Grade:                        P1
Expected start date:  01 May 2022
Type of contract:       Fixed-term (12 months with possibility of renewal)
Closing date:             15 April 2022

BACKGROUND

The Mekong Delta and its islands are home to 70% of Vietnam’s mangroves and 90% of its seagrass beds. Fed by the sediment and nutrients from the Mekong River, these habitats support Vietnam’s richest fish grounds. However, while several interventions have been undertaken over the past two decades to address the myriad threats to biodiversity in the Mekong Delta and its islands, these have proven insufficient in suitably protecting key marine and coastal habitats and the species that depend on them. Over the last 10-15 years, seagrass beds and coral reefs in Phu Quoc, Nam Du, Ba Lua and Hai Tac (Kien Giang) have declined by up to 50% due to the exponential growth in tourism, the largely unregulated development of beach resorts, dredging for shipping, and destructive (and often illegal) fishing.

Sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is implementing the project: "The Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation (MDC)", with the goal of minimizing threats to marine biodiversity, fishery resources and enhancing resilience to climate change in the coastal areas of the Mekong Delta. The project will work with authorities, businesses, the NP Management Board and the fishing community to test financial opportunities and develop new policies. The project will be implemented in the most affected and vulnerable areas of Phu Quoc, Hai Tac archipelago, Ba Lua archipelago, Nam Du archipelago, Hon Dat (Kien Giang).

This is a local recruitment. Only Vietnamese nationals, individuals with residence status or the appropriate employment visa for Vientam are eligible to apply. The remuneration and benefits package for this position is established with reference to the local labour market and in line with the IUCN conditions of service for Vietnam.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Working under the overall direction of the Project Manager, the Field Officer (Marine and Coastal Habitats) will work to support the implementation of 3 out of 4 Components of the 3-year project ‘Mekong Delta Coastal Project’. Component 1 intervenes in Phu Quoc MPA. Component 2 intervenes on the three island clusters in the West Sea. Component 4 will complete a series of special or cross-cutting studies to strengthen the analytical basis for the other three components. The Field Officer (Marine and Coastal Habitats) will coordinate with the Field Officer (Mangrove Habitats) to support implementation of Component 3 which will test solutions to the coastal squeeze and mangrove conservation. The duties of the Field Officer (Marine and Coastal Habitats) will include but not limited to:

• Support the Project Manager (PM) to carry out activities in collecting existing data on biodiversity, ecosystems, rare species, exploitation of aquatic resources and legal documents, policies and plans in the area of Hai Tac archipelago (Ha Tien), Ba Lua archipelago (Kien Luong), Nam Du (Kien Hai) and Phu Quoc;
• Support the PM to organize conferences, seminars and workshops;
• Assist the PM to coordinate project activities with local government and stakeholder groups;
• Prepare monthly activity progress reports;
• Conduct regular monitoring visits and surveys to collect data for the project monitoring, evaluation and learning plan;
• Support project consultants to carry out field surveys related to Components 1, 2 and 4:
  
  • assess the current status of marine ecosystems, biodiversity, fishery resources and management status of the marine protected area;
  • carry out field surveys in coral reef and seagrass ecosystems;
  • mapping of marine ecosystems and biodiversity;
  • interviews with stakeholders.
• Support the PM in the development of documents for establishing conservation zones and/or fishery protection zones in the three areas mentioned above;
• Other related duties as assigned by the PM.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor degree majoring in Biology, Fisheries or related discipline;
• At least 5 years of working experience in conserving of marine biodiversity, seagrass and coral ecosystems;
• Have knowledge about marine conservation, marine ecosystems and marine protected area;
• Experience with working with local state management agencies in the Mekong Delta. Kien Giang experience will be an advantage;
• Excellent communication skills and working experience with external partners and local communities;
• Experience with interview survey methods to collect data and information;
• Proficient in using office software (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point);
• Fluent in spoken and written English.

APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 10,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN