Science and Research Officer

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to the conservation of nature. We actively monitor and investigate wildlife trade and provide information to diverse audiences worldwide as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is an international network, organised into six regional programmes.

TRAFFIC is implementing a four-year project ‘Reducing trade threats to Africa’s wild species and ecosystems (RETTA) through strengthened knowledge and action in Africa and beyond’. The project’s purpose is to strengthen actions to conserve and protect wildlife populations, areas of high biodiversity, and communities in Africa threatened by illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, with a particular focus on trade to Asia. The project is organised around five inter-related work streams:

• Increasing the quality, breadth, depth and timeliness of information – i.e. the knowledge base – on markets for, and illegal and unsustainable trade in, wildlife and wildlife products from Africa;
• Improving the targeting, design and effectiveness of actions to reduce illegal and unsustainable trade in African wildlife using analyses and outputs bringing together data from this project with information from other sources;
• Supporting innovation and scaling up of successful approaches to identifying and reducing illegal and unsustainable trade;
• Encouraging greater information sharing and collaboration to implement actions to reduce illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade;
• Ensuring effective, adaptive management of the programme of work supported through funds from Arcadia and strict adherence to all financial management and reporting procedures

This position is responsible for undertaking relevant research on wildlife trade, within the Central Africa and East/Southern Africa regions. The executant will identify actions designed to reduce illegal or unsustainable trade within Africa and between Africa, Asia, other regions and major international wildlife markets. Ensuring the effective delivery of the project in both Central Africa and East/Southern Africa in close collaboration with the overall RETTA project leader and Regional Directors. Work will require applying an insight-led, results-oriented and collaborative approach.

Specific Duties

• Develop and undertake research on wildlife trade in the CAF and E/SA region including through market surveys including internet surveys and fieldwork, report and literature reviews, interviews and other information sources;
• Ensuring the successful implementation of the project in CAF and E/SA regions, working closely with the project leader and the regional directors for East/Southern and Central Africa;
• Collaborating and maintaining strong internal relationships with TRAFFIC regional teams in Africa and globally, ensuring all actions are synergistic, complementary and demonstrate value for money;
• Ensuring the technical quality and timely delivery of planned activities;
• Ensuring adherence to TRAFFIC’s research and data management protocols;
• Ensuring data collected through this project are entered into the TRAFFIC Information System
• Compiling reports, briefing papers and other communication materials based on research in the region;
• Developing recommendations for actions to address illegal and unsustainable trade and encouraging uptake within the region;
• Tracking and measuring the impact of activities recommended by TRAFFIC;
• Developing and implementing research partnership strategies in Central and East Southern Africa to strengthen regional co-operation addressing trade of illegal wildlife arising from Africa.
• Developing and implementing advocacy strategies to strengthen regional approaches to addressing trans-continental trade of illegal wildlife between Africa and other continents, especially Asia;
• Convening, facilitating and/or chairing meetings and workshops, and consolidating relationships with potential project collaborators.
• Leading efforts to inform understanding and actions amongst government, inter-government, private sector and civil society within Central Africa and East Southern Africa to reduce wildlife trafficking
• Ensuring effective linkages to delivery of TRAFFIC’s wider programme priorities with specific reference to research and building capacity and partnerships to deliver a lasting conservation impact.
• Developing concepts and proposals to help leverage the additional funding and technical resources that will be required to ensure the successful delivery and continuation of the project as appropriate.
• Other duties as required by the ReTTA project leader.