Technical Advisor – Research and Biodiversity Monitoring

The Greater Gola Landscape, covering approximately 350,000 hectares and straddling the Sierra Leone-Liberia border, is one of the largest remaining blocks of Upper Guinea Forest. It supports exceptional biodiversity and provides critical ecosystem services, including climate regulation, water conservation and resilience for local communities.

The Gola Programme is implemented through a partnership between the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), the Gola Rainforest Conservation Leadership Group, the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), the Governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia, local communities and the RSPB.

The programme aims to conserve this globally important forest ecosystem and its exceptional biodiversity, while contributing to climate change resilience, water conservation and sustainable livelihoods and resilience for communities living in and around the landscape.

About the role and what you will be doing

The RSPB is seeking an experienced Technical Advisor – Research and Biodiversity Monitoring to provide scientific and technical leadership across biodiversity research, ecological monitoring and conservation projects within the Greater Gola Landscape.

Working closely with the Gola Rainforest Conservation (GRC-LG) Research and Monitoring Department, RSPB teams and programme partners, you will ensure that conservation activities are underpinned by robust scientific evidence and best-practice approaches. You will also play a key role in strengthening local technical capacity, supporting REDD+ monitoring, developing research partnerships and translating evidence into practical conservation action.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and support ecological research and biodiversity monitoring programmes.
• Develop and oversee robust field survey and monitoring methodologies.
• Quality-assure, analyse and interpret ecological and REDD+ data.
• Strengthen the technical capacity of GRC-LG, CSSL, SCNL and other partners through mentoring and training.
• Provide technical input to conservation planning, species recovery and protected-area management.
• Support research proposals, new project development and external partnerships.
• Undertake regular fieldwork in Gola Rainforest National Park and surrounding community lands.
• Promote the use of scientific evidence to demonstrate conservation impact and inform decision-making.

About you

You will have an MSc or PhD in ecology, conservation biology, environmental science or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience, together with significant experience in ecological research, biodiversity monitoring or applied conservation.

You will have:

• Experience designing and implementing ecological field surveys and biodiversity monitoring programmes, including selecting survey methodologies and ensuring data quality.
• Experience analysing and interpreting ecological or environmental data.
• Experience delivering ecological research, biodiversity monitoring or conservation programmes within tropical forest environments.
• Experience coordinating field teams and planning, prioritising and delivering multiple projects or workstreams to agreed objectives and timescales.
• Experience building effective partnerships and delivering training, mentoring or technical support to colleagues, partners or stakeholders.
• Experience working effectively in remote or challenging field environments and adapting plans to address operational challenges.
• Experience applying scientific evidence to conservation planning, management or decision-making and supporting the development of local technical capacity.
• Experience providing technical or scientific advice to conservation programmes, projects or partner organisations.

Experience of working in West Africa or the Upper Guinea Forest, REDD+, GIS/spatial analysis, community-based conservation, research partnerships or fundraising would be an advantage

Additional Information

This is a Fixed-Term (2 years) role for 37.5 hours per week.

The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position W/C 12th October. For further information please contact [email protected]

In order to apply you will be required to upload a CV and complete an application form where you will have the opportunity to explain how you meet the criteria above.

We recommend reading the candidate guidance notes to support you through this process and please reach out if you require any reasonable adjustment.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.