Job Opportunity for Project Assistant at Wildlife Conservation Society India in Bengaluru

Job Title: Project Assistant – Area-based Management & Coral Reef Workstream 

Open Positions: 1 

Work Experience: 0-3 years 

Reports to: Workstream Lead – Area-based Management & Policy 

Duration: 1 Year- Fixed Term employment 

Location: Bengaluru (with travel to field sites as necessary) 

About the Organization: The Wildlife Conservation Society—India (WCS-India) is a non-profit organization incorporated under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 to pursue training and conservation activities for the protection of India’s wildlife and wild habitats. Its core strength is a long track record of on-ground conservation informed by science, training, education and contribution to pro-wildlife policy issues across the globe. We work in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations to deal with conservation challenges such as human-wildlife interaction, combating wildlife trafficking, conservation of marine ecosystems and species, conservation of endangered species, livelihood development of local communities, and so on. Committed to wildlife conservation and the ecological worldview that recognizes the inextricable link between human welfare and the protection of wildlife and wild spaces, WCS-India endeavors to inspire positive attitudes in people towards wildlife. WCS-India is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. The WCS-India Marine Program aims to conserve the unique diversity of India’s coastal habitats and seas by working with communities and partner organizations to overcome these challenges through a multidisciplinary approach. The program’s efforts are focused on five broad work streams: (1) strengthening the Marine Protected Area (MPA) / other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM) network of India (2) reducing marine megafauna bycatch (3) curbing the decline of sharks and rays (4) incorporating sustainability into marine centric tourism and supporting sustainable fisheries and (5) generating awareness on India’s marine biodiversity. 

About the Project: Under Area- Based Management project MPA & Coral Conservation, we focus on a habitat approach towards conservation, which in turn, ensures and involves various stakeholders including coastal communities. The aim of the MPA component project is to identify coastal and marine biodiversity hotspots and facilitate efforts toward according these sites’ protection, as MPAs/OECMS and by strengthening the capacity of the stakeholders using a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach. We also work towards improving the management of existing MPAs or supporting management efforts by developing the capacity of relevant actors at the site. 

Job Description: The primary responsibilities of the Project Assistant are: 

• Conducting research and developing content for the potential Area-based Management sites (MPA/OECM). 
• Supporting the program in drafting communication with Govt. and Non-governmental counterparts.  
• Assist in the preparation of technical reports, and popular articles pertaining to the program.  
• Support the project team in organising and facilitating workshops. 
• Keep track of policy developments in the marine sustainability field, and disseminate this information to members of the program. 
• Assist in the preparation of annual work plans, budgets and reports as required. 
• Collaborate with members of the marine program and where necessary with other programs within WCS-India on research ideas, ancillary projects, and activities such as fundraising. 
• Contribute to assigned outreach activities of the marine program. 

Eligibility Criteria: 

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, media studies, or the social sciences including law. 
• Background in conservation and/or policy with a passion for marine conservation 
• Experience in communications, knowledge processes, and advocacy 
• Prior working experience is desirable but not essential 
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English 
• Proficiency in academic and non-academic writing, editing, and proofreading skills. 
• Demonstrated experience in using key communications tools. 

If interested, kindly get in touch with us at careers@wcsindia.org with the subject line “Application: Project Assistant – Area-based Management & Coral Reef Workstream”, your CV, a writing sample/communications portfolio, and contact details of three references by 15th June 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.