Project Leader/ Senior Scientist

Key Responsibilities:

WorldFish, Bangladesh and South Asia is hiring an Intermediate Results (IR) 3 Scientist for a 5-year, $15 million dollar project funded by USAID called 'ECOFISH' in order to meet its vision: "Be the research partner of choice, delivering high impact, transformative and equitable fisheries and aquaculture solutions to reduce poverty and malnutrition in Bangladesh and South Asia". The key objective of the ECOFISH project is to improve the resilience of estuarine ecosystem and livelihoods of communities reliant on the Hilsha fishery.

 

Fisheries and aquaculture are important for many in Bangladesh, especially the poor. The fisheries provide income, livelihoods and nutrition. In particular, Hilsha fish species is the most important national fish both in terms of both consumption and value. WorldFish and its strong research partners (BFRI among many others) are researching technologies for increased production and productivity and enhanced management of Hilsha fisheries in order to increase the supply and access of Hilsha both under domestication and encatchment.

 

The Project Leader/ Senior Scientist will be hired to deliver to the USAID ECOFISH project. As the leader of the project the successful candidate will be charged with improving the resilience of the estuarine ecosystem and the livelihoods of communities reliant on the Hilsha fishery in Bangladesh. They will directly supervise three sub-leaders in seeking to improve science-based fisheries management decision-making; strengthen fisheries adaptive co-management, and enhance socio-ecological and economic resilience of target communities, respectively. Collaborating closely with WorldFish staff on other research projects and integrating research findings is vital for the success of the ECOFISH project.

 

Under the direct supervision of Country Director of WorldFish Bangladesh and Discipline Director NRM, HQ, WorldFish Malaysia this position will be required to supervise and provide support to staff assigned to the ECOFISH project as follows:

 

As the leader of the project the successful candidate will coordinate a body of research with three IR Scientists and will be charged with improving the resilience of the estuarine ecosystem and the livelihoods of communities reliant on the Hilsha fishery in Bangladesh. They will directly supervise three sub-leaders in seeking to improve science-based fisheries management decision-making; strengthen fisheries adaptive co-management, and enhance socio-ecological and economic resilience of target communities, respectively. Collaborating closely with WorldFish staff on other research projects and integrating research findings is vital for the success of the ECOFISH project with delivering the followings:

 

• Improved application of science and community engagement into resource and conservation planning and decision making;
• Strengthened community-based monitoring of target fisheries and technologies           
• Improved payment for ecosystem services scheme;

• Technical assistance to strengthened enforcement;
• Strengthened co-management of habitat in marine and riverine zones;
• Increased stakeholder engagement to enhance conflict mitigation and protect common-pool resources.
• Access to finance (A2F) for technology uptake, targeting poor women;
• Livelihood diversification for poor and vulnerable households, and increased equality in the value chain;
• Strengthened collective action and accountability in support of resilient livelihoods;

 

Key responsibilities:

 

• Provide overall technical leadership to develop and coordinate three streams of research that collectively improves the resilience of estuarine ecosystem and livelihoods of communities reliant on the Hilsha fishery in Bangladesh.
• Oversee and be responsible for financial and administrative aspects of the project including managing subcontracts with local service providers and managing the project budget whilst ensuring compliance with established WorldFish accounting principles and CGIAR regulations.
• Monitoring program indicators, evaluate program results and making recommendations for improvement in program implementation.
• Analysing project impacts and challenges to adaptively manage the project to meet or exceed results, and importantly ensuring women and marginalized groups are beneficiaries of the project.
• Preparing annual work plans and progress reports, and monitor the implementation of these plans. Synthesising learning and producing quality scientific documents as required by the funding agency, for internal WorldFish requirements and broader national and international science and development communities.
• Interacting directly and on a regular basis with USAID, WorldFish HQ office and other stakeholders
• Participating in regular field visits to the project areas to assure project progress towards activity objectives and goals.
• Advance understanding of the impact and roles of fisheries management in achieving CGIAR intermediate development outcomes and sustainably meeting food, nutrition and poverty reduction.

 

Some of the key activities this person would supervise include:

 

• Overseeing a Stakeholders Workshop and an Inception Workshop;
• Begin the Branding and carry throughout in collaboration with USAID and DoF
• Conduction a Requirement Analysis/ Need Assessment;
• Empowerment of Implementing Partners to begin their work;
• Hiring of field staff or empowering field partners;
• Reconnaissance field visit in six sites of 3 regions explicitly Cox's Bazar, Potuakhali and Sundarbans Zone and determine action sites;
• Close collaboration with relevant staff from the Government of Bangladesh, international and national;
• NGOs in scaling up and scaling out conservation interventions
• Close collaboration with the relevant institutions of the Government of Bangladesh in developing and implementing policies and strategies for the promotion of Hilsha;
• Represent WorldFish Bangladesh in relevant national and international forum in Hilsha conservation and coastal water management.

 

Skill Requirements:

Essential

• Ph.D. in Fisheries and/or Aquaculture, preferably with research on coastal fisheries management and/or Hilsha fish species covering areas such as ecology, policy, economics, or resource assessment;
• Up to 10 years of experience in a developing country context conducting research on community-based fisheries and/or aquaculture management a with a focus on enhancing resilience;
• Up to 5 years' experience in project programming, implementation, and supervision, training and capacity building in direct reports;
• Experience in stakeholder participation and community engagement, with a specific understanding of the role of social norms/cultural beliefs in fisheries management in producing gender-equitable outcomes;
• Experience of interacting with national, regional and international R and D practitioners and policy makers;
• Excellent proficiency of spoken and written English with strong research and writing skills.

 

Desired

• Knowledge of ecosystem services analysis and mechanisms for Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES); adaptive co-management; micro finance; conservation planning.
• Excellent skills in written and oral English, and a track record of publishing and presenting results and future plans;
• Proven ability to successfully lead a multi-disciplinary team and partners at all levels from senior international organisations and national government, to field staff.
• Preferred Bangladeshi national, although an expat with similar experiences would be entertained.

 

Core Competencies:

• Planning competencies: familiar with the use Theory of Change (ToC) for planning, prioritizing, monitoring and evaluation of Research in Development (RinD) initiatives; able to relate individual and organizational activities/outputs to the IRs and the broader Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs) and System-Level Outcomes (SLOs) of the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems.
• Analytical competencies: able to analyse the context of a given development challenge (problem or opportunity) "situation analysis"; able to reconcile the knowledge of different stakeholders and science; competent in systems thinking and have a knowledge of how to apply systems research methodologies.
• Process competencies: able to facilitate a multi-stakeholder group to a common objective and mutual agenda of complementary activities.
• Learning/ PAR competencies: able to use/embed participatory action research and rural appraisal tools, creating a learning culture; able to understand and manage change processes and deal with resistance; able to work in an interdisciplinary team.

 

Positions are open at Dhaka based for Bangladeshi national (NRS) and International (IRS) candidates to apply.  Subject to applicant status, salary and benefits will be in compliance with WorldFish NRS or IRS remuneration policies. WorldFish offers a competitive remuneration package, a non-discriminatory policy and provides an innovative work environment. Interested applicants are invited to submit your application through Bdjobs online latest by 30 June 2014. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.