Officer Research and Conservation
(Wildlife)

Terms of References

Officer Research and Conservation (Wildlife)

Reports to                                  :                  Sr. Manager Research & Conservation

Project / Programme               :                  Conservation Islamabad (Artificial Nest Box Project)

Grade             :               C-3/ Officer Research and Conservation (Wildlife)

Location                                     :                  Islamabad

Contract                                     :                  Short-Term (12-Months)

Work Week                                :                  5 (Monday to Friday) Days

Work Hours                                :                  8:30am To 5:15pm (40 Hrs/Week)

Duties & Responsibilities

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review on cavity and hole nesting bird species in Islamabad. This will include their habitat preferences, breeding seasons, and known threats;

• Collaborate with the Stakeholders to identify suitable locations for nest box installation within Islamabad, including urban, suburban, and forested areas. Prioritize locations with minimal human disturbance;

• Develop a standardized data collection protocol for monitoring nest box occupancy and breeding success. This will include recording species identification, number of eggs/chicks, fledgling success, and any observations of predation or disturbance;

• Coordinate with local universities or research institutions to establish a collaborative research program utilizing the nest boxes. This could involve student projects on bird behavior, population ecology, or the effectiveness of artificial nest boxes;

• Oversee the procurement of materials and construction of high-quality artificial nest boxes to accommodate various bird species;
• Lead the installation of nest boxes at identified locations, ensuring proper placement and stability and document the installation process with photographs and GPS coordinates;
• Conduct bi-weekly monitoring visits to all nest boxes throughout the breeding season, this will involve recording occupancy data, observing breeding success, and checking for any damage or threats to the nest boxes;
• Analyze collected data on nest box occupancy, breeding success, and bird species utilization;
• Prepare reports summarizing the findings and highlighting any significant trends;
• Develop educational materials about the project, including the importance of cavity nesting birds and the threats they face due to climate change.
• Prepare a final project report summarizing all project activities, achievements, challenges encountered, and recommendations for future nest box projects;
• Collaborate with the communications team at WWF-Pakistan to develop press releases, social media content, or educational videos to raise public awareness about the project and its contribution to bird conservation in Islamabad;Assist & work with the WWF-Pakistan GIS team to develop and utilize geospatial data for the project;
• Support in developing proposals/concept notes on wildlife and natural resource management related themes in Pakistan;
• Support in preparing official letters, research reports, briefing notes, policy papers, presentations and other such related materials as required;
• Support in the implementation of other wildlife related and Protected Areas Management projects;
• Carry out any other assignments that may be assigned by the supervisor and the senior management;

Qualification and Experiences

• At least Post graduate degree in natural sciences, wildlife management, zoology; conservation biology, environmental sciences, forestry or a closely related field;