Job description

Marine Megafauna Specialist

Our client is a leading environmental consultancy in Saudi Arabia. Dedicated to supporting Vison 2030... they provide specialist environmental input and services to the Kingdom's major developers to help identify the most environmentally sensitive and sustainable options and inform development decisions.

The Role
The Marine Megafauna Specialist position will be largely centered on undertaking field work and reporting Marine Environmental Baseline Surveys (MEBS), marine megafauna monitoring including marine mammals and sea turtles or similar projects. A significant proportion of the role will be field based, potentially in remote areas, although office-based work will also be required for report writing, data analysis, project planning, field work coordination and supervision and scientific publication drafting. Office based work may include logistics, equipment preparation, data management / analysis and report writing, etc., as well as supporting the development of conservation or Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and other technical documents.

Tasks may be varied tasks, depending on Project scope and specific requirements. The Marine Team PM may manage projects in their entirety, deliver the marine megafauna components of multidisciplinary Projects, work as part of a team run by another PM or (for longer duration projects) work on rotation with other PMs. However, they will often operate in the field independently and be responsible for survey arrangements and achieving project objectives on schedule and in budget, with a focus on excellence. Survey teams will generally comprise small groups of specialists and / or field technicians working from small day vessels, although some surveys may be conducted from larger survey vessels or potentially over an extended period. Coral relocation or reef rehabilitation projects may require working as part of a larger team.

The ideal candidate should have project management capabilities, be experienced in leading marine field teams and be competent in standard marine field sampling and survey techniques. It is mandatory to have proved experience in marine turtle surveys including satellite tagging. They may be looking to further develop their field and reporting competencies through self-study and through available formal and informal training opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Planning, conducting and leading marine fieldwork following established scientific methodologies;

• Data management, analysis and interpretation;

• Writing Marine Megafauna Ecology Baseline or Conservation reports and other technical documentation;

• Subject Expert Matter specialist advisory and technical inputs across projects;

• Good communication with team members, management, the client and relevant authorities;

• Project management, including budgets and schedules, survey personnel coordination, sub-consultants and suppliers.

Profile and Requirements

• Minimum BSc in Marine Ecology or a related subject;

• PhD in Marine Ecology or relevant marine megafauna speciality is desirable and advantageous;

• Minimum five years of relevant experience, including leading marine field surveys;

• Experienced scientific diver is advantageous;

• Excellent report writing skills in English;

• Project management skills, including schedule, staff resource and budget management;

• Experience of the following would be an advantage:

• Taxonomic classification of Red Sea species (marine megafauna including mammals and turtles);

• Turtle conservations, population and reproduction studies

• Dugong surveys experience;

• Critical habitat assessment;

• Photogrammetry, eDNA analysis or other specialist survey techniques;

• Previous work in consultancy;

• Development of ESIAs to IFC standards;

• Previous work in the Middle East;

• Ability to speak and write Arabic is advantageous.