ThaiNGO

Job Details

This role requires a candidate willing to travel to and work in villages surrounding Kuiburi National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. This job will focus on our efforts to mitigate human-elephant conflict. You will work as a research assistant with scientists involved in this project and the project coordinator for the implementation and success of our agricultural work with local farmers and community members. Candidates with skills and interests in the social and/or ecological sciences, community outreach, sustainable and fair trade agriculture, livelihood development, and conservation are strongly encouraged to apply. Knowledge of crops, Asian elephants, and the challenges of human-wildlife conflicts can be developed on the job. The person filling this position needs to be on-site in Ban Ruam Thai (Kuibuir National Park) at least two weeks out of every month but can work remotely for the remainder of each month with flexible hours.

Job Duties and Activities

1. Assist with planning, setup, and execution of ecological field data collection
   1. Work in crop fields setting up and monitoring cameras to observe elephants
   2. Assist researchers with direct elephant observations at night along with local farmers
   3. Track elephant activity, damage, and movement during the day in agricultural fields
   4. Collect GPS and spatial data on farms with researchers and project staff
2. Assist with planning, setup, and administration of social science data collection methods
   1. Conduct semi-structured interviews in Thai with local community members
   2. Conduct and enumerate surveys with local community members in Thai
   3. Assist researchers with translation and interpretation (Thai↔English)
   4. Assist with the setup and facilitation of community workshops and focus groups
   5. Support official letter writing, high-level communications, and permit acquisition
3. Assist and support the alternative cropping project
   1. Build and maintain relationships with local farmers and community members
   2. Support with study participant recruitment and training efforts
   3. Work with researchers to develop enumeration app, train participants, and monitor results and data collection
   4. Attend regular meetings with project and research staff, community members, officials, and other key stakeholders
   5. Prepare and present research updates to local leaders and protected area management.
   6. Work with researchers and project staff to plant alternative crops with participating farmers and collect data over an initial one-year period

Required Qualifications

1. Undergraduate or Graduate University Degree in a related field?
   1. Preference will be given to those with research and field work experience
2. Excellent written and spoken proficiency in both Thai and English
   1. Translation, interpretation and transcription skills necessary
   2. Technical and academic writing preferred
   3. Experience with survey administration and interviewing strongly preferred
3. Ability to work and live in challenging environments - rural, outdoors, and basic accommodations
   1. Comfortable working outdoors, in the heat for long periods of time
4. Demonstrated project and workplace management/coordination skills, including – 
   1. The ability to work independently and maintain accountability for your time
   2. Implement complex project logistics and work well on a team
   3. Work professionally via email, microsoft word, excel, and powerpoint
   4. Interact with local community members and stakeholders in a respectful, friendly, and collaborative nature
   5. Ability to achieve immediate goals within a given timeframe while continuing long-term aims and milestones
5. Strong communication skills and professionalism

1. Willingness to meet and build relationships with new people and groups
2. Public speaking skills are preferred but can be developed on the job
3. Ability to communicate directly and confidently with high-level authorities

Desired Skills

• Survey Administration and interviewing
• Workshop Planning and Facilitation
• Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection, Organization, and Analysis
• Camera Trapping and Animal Behavior Observation
• Agriculture, Botany, Soil and Crop Sciences
• Livelihood Project Planning and Management
• GIS, LANDSAT, or Spatial Data Collection and Mapping
• Grant writing and fundraising

Compensation

• Negotiable monthly NGO salary based on experience and qualifications
• Desk and office space provided in Ban Ruam Thai
• Basic but comfortable housing provided in Ban Ruam Thai

To Apply –

Please send a one page cover letter and your current CV, including two references to:

Tyler Nuckols, Email: tyler.nuckols@colorado.edu, and CC support@bteh.org

More information:  www.bring-the-elephant-home.org

Bring The Elephant Home is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity, inclusion, and equality. We celebrate the range of diversity, culture, and unique differences within our organization and network. We embrace inclusiveness by encouraging everyone to share their ideas, opinions, and knowledge, and we welcome diversity at all levels. Furthermore, we believe that inclusion enables out-of-the-box solutions, makes sustainable growth possible, increases resilience, and is essential to creating a just and more sustainable world. Bring The Elephant Home is officially registered as a non-profit organization in Thailand.