The Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network (TEAM, www.teamnetwork.org) is a programme of Conservation International that coordinates a network of sites in the humid tropics to collect long-term and standardized data on the status of tropical forests. Data are collected on climate (through an automatic climate station), terrestrial vertebrates (through camera-trapping) and arboreal vegetation (through 1-ha tree plots), with more protocols to be added in the future. One of these sites is the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. In this site, TEAM is implemented by Italy’s Museo Tridentino Scienze Naturali.

The Museum is recruiting a qualified biologist to act as the Site Manager of TEAM project. The job will begin at the end of July 2009. The successful candidate will be offered an attractive contract inclusive of medical expenses, leave and all benefits for one year, renewable potentially for several years. He/she will be stationed at Mang’ula (Morogoro) and conduct field work in the adjacent Mwanihana forest, within the Udzungwa Mountains National Park (www.udzungwa.org). The project will make logistical base at the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre (www.udzungwacentre.org), which is a facility of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park.

Job summary
The Site Manager will be responsible for the on-the-ground management of the TEAM activities and will report to Dr. Francesco Rovero, Trento Museum’s Institutional Representative for TEAM. The Site Manager must be a biologist or ecologist, with an advanced degree with experience successfully managing a field research project. The person must have excellent organizational skills and be able to coordinate all project logistics. The Site Manager is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the TEAM Standard Biodiversity Monitoring Protocols. This is a field position, and s/he must spend a minimum of three weeks each month in the field overseeing activities. This person must guarantee the success of the site by enforcing high standards of data quality and handling. Job duties may be broadly classified into protocol implementation, data management, establishing the sampling area, and fund management.

Specific requirements:
1) East-African citizenship.
2) M.Sc. in zoology/wildlife conservation/ecology (Ph.D. preferred) or a closely related field and a minimum of three years experience managing a successful field project in a tropical forest ecosystem.
3) Fluency in oral and written English and Swahili.
4) Driving licence will be an advantage.
5) Capable and fit to conduct fieldwork in steep terrain and spend several days camping in the forest.

Key Responsibilities:
- To ensure that all field staff understand and comply with all of the monitoring protocols.
- To manage a team of at least 5 people, including schedule protocol sampling and travel to the field for all TEAM personnel and visitors while ensuring an efficient use of resources.
- To ensure that data are entered into the excel data templates and uploaded to TEAM portal as close as technically possible to the time of data collection.
- To ensure that data are quality-controlled, by implementing data calibration procedures, as outlined in the protocols, to ensure consistency of data collection from the technicians.
- To compile and maintain complete equipment inventory, including information regarding where the equipment is stored and who has access to the equipment.
- To arrange all logistics for any workshops or meetings held at the field station.
- To ensure that the field personnel have a broad understanding of TEAM and the importance of their site within the TEAM network.
- To keep all accounts related to the project and prepare financial reports.

Application
Please send an application letter explaining why you feel qualified for the job together with a CV inclusive of contact details of 2 referees. Please DO NOT send certificates or other attachments at this stage.

Application must be sent by Tuesday 30th of June to the following e-mail: francesco.rovero@mtsn.tn.it or francesco_rovero@yahoo.it. Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted for an interview to be held in Dar es Salaam, or Arusha, around mid-July.