Forest & Biodiversity Monitoring Coordinator (FBMC) Job In Zambia

BioCarbon Partners (BCP) is a dynamic African-registered and headquartered REDD+ project development and management company. The organisation is currently recruiting a Forest & Biodiversity Monitoring Coordinator to support the BCP carbon accounting department and land management activities. The candidate will be required to work independently in remote areas and supervise community based forest inventory teams. 

• Qualifications: Btech Nature Conservation, BSc or BSc Honours – Botany, Ecology, Forestry or Conservation Biology
• Practical vegetation ecology or indigenous forestry science experience – field based sampling, data collection, analysis
• Knowledge of Zambian Flora
• Practical soil science and soil surveying
• Biostatistical analyses working knowledge
• GIS basics
• Good knowledge of MS Office suite or similar software
• Driver’s Licence with off-road driving skills
• Team Player
• Ability to train novice teams in forest carbon monitoring.
• Managerial experience essential, management of forest monitoring teams across the project area.
• Ability to work in remote areas for long periods of time
• Excellent communication skills, local language knowledge will be an added advantage.
• Undertaking REDD+ project viability assessments.
• Oversee biodiversity monitoring including assisting in developing of monitoring strategies and protocols, data collection using smart phones, data cleaning, analysis and dissemination.
• Provide inputs into rangeland and forest management including burning practices, game stocking and counting.
• Report writing and input into management plans

The position advertised is for a Forest & Biodiversity Monitoring Coordinator to join the Carbon Accounting department of BioCarbon Partners. The successful candidate will be required to supervise community based forest monitoring teams who will be quantifying carbon stocks across several different parts of Lusaka, Eastern and Muchinga Provinces in Zambia as part of a large scale REDD+ project aiming to conserve 700 000ha of Zambian woodlands. The candidate can expect to spend a substantial amount of time in remote wilderness areas with only basic facilities. The candidate will be based at a central location, initially in Lusaka Province and then most likely Eastern Province, Zambia.

The candidate will require good communication skills in order to coordinate activities with other managers and ensure constructive inputs into land management activities.

The candidate will manage and support forest monitoring teams and ensure a flow of quality data from the field and ensure compliance with international REDD+ standards, particularly the Verified Carbon Standard.

• Practical experience of vegetation assessment and monitoring techniques
• Training of forest monitoring teams in forest carbon stock assessments
• Ability to supervise forest monitoring teams.
• Driver’s license and ability to drive 4×4 vehicles off-road.
• Excellent analytical skills including advanced use of MS Excel and other spreadsheet software
• Knowledge of biostatistical analysis.
• Other PC skills to include Microsoft Office Suite products as well as various Google Apps and the use of Android smart phones.
• Good report writing skills
• Ability to operate smart phones to collect geo-spatial and forest data.
• Ability to interact with people from different cultures.
• Knowledge and practical experience of rangeland and forest management
• Logistics including fleet management, work planning and equipment sourcing.

Recommended Competencies:

• Development and application of allometric equations
• Knowledge of soil science and soil carbon quantification.
• Knowledge and proficiency in the use of the Open Data Kit.
• Basic GIS software knowledge, particularly QGIS
• Knowledge of REDD and REDD+ processes as they pertain to the Verified Carbon Standard and the UNFCCC.
• Database development

BTech Nature Conservation, BSc or BSc Honours or Botany, Ecology, Forestry or Conservation Biology degree from an accredited institution with a minimum of two years of experience of field based vegetation/forest assessment.

A competitive salary package will be offered. 

Interested candidates, please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter explaining how they match these requirements by email to [email protected] with Forest & Biodiversity Monitoring Coordinator in the subject line.