Biomonitoring Officer

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international nonprofit conservation organization working in more than 60 countries. WCS uses science, field conservation, education and partnerships to protect wildlife and wild places.

WCS has worked in Nigeria since 2001. Its Nigeria programme supports the protection and management of important wildlife landscapes in Cross River and Bauchi states, including Yankari Game Reserve.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Biomonitoring Officer will support the Biomonitoring Coordinator to implement biodiversity-monitoring systems for priority species and habitats in the Yankari landscape. The role involves field surveys, ecological-data management, reporting, stakeholder engagement and strengthening local monitoring capacity.

The position reports to the Biomonitoring Coordinator.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

BIODIVERSITY MONITORING

• Support monitoring systems for priority species, including elephants and primates, and important habitats.
• Conduct field surveys using transects, camera traps and patrol-based monitoring methods.
• Collect information supporting wildlife-population and habitat assessments.

RESEARCH, DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS

• Collect ecological information using SMART and other field-survey tools.
• Ensure accurate data entry, validation and submission to central databases.
• Maintain monitoring records and datasets and support their integration with GIS systems.

REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION

• Contribute to monitoring reports, field updates and data summaries.
• Document field observations, threats such as poaching and encroachment and emerging trends.
• Compile data for donor and partner reporting.

FIELD OPERATIONS AND CAPACITY SUPPORT

• Help train rangers and community members in basic monitoring techniques.
• Support planning and implementation of patrols and monitoring activities.
• Assist coordination of field-monitoring operations.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Wildlife Management, Environmental Science or a related field.
• A master’s degree is an advantage.
• Between two and three years of biodiversity-monitoring or conservation-fieldwork experience.
• Practical experience with field methods such as transects, camera traps and GPS.
• Familiarity with SMART or a comparable monitoring system is desirable.
• Experience working in protected areas or rural field settings is preferred.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Ecological monitoring and field-data collection.
• Accurate data recording, validation and reporting.
• Basic data management and problem-solving.
• Report writing and communication.
• Ability to work in remote and physically demanding environments.
• Teamwork with rangers, communities and technical staff.
• Willingness to learn and adopt new monitoring tools and technologies.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Willingness to travel regularly within Nigeria.
• Commitment to wildlife conservation.

CONTRACT DETAILS

• Employment type: Full-time.
• Contract type: Fixed-term.
• Duration: Thirteen months, renewable subject to funding.
• Duty station: Yankari, Bauchi State.
• Reports to: Biomonitoring Coordinator.
• Eligibility: Nigerian nationals only.
• Salary: Not specified.
• Benefits: Competitive compensation and benefits; exact provisions are not specified.
• Number of positions: Not specified.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

SAFEGUARDING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

WCS is an equal-opportunity employer committed to an inclusive and diverse workforce. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. WCS does not request payment from applicants.

Role-specific safeguarding and background-check requirements: Not specified.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

This is an email application. No online application link is required.

Applicants must combine their cover letter and résumé into one PDF document and email it to nigeriajobs@wcs.org.

The email subject must be written in capital letters as:

BIOMONITORING OFFICER, YANKARI

Applications close on 26 August 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for assessment.