Primate Scientist

Position Description:

OuTrop is looking for a new Primate Scientist to help oversee its Orangutan, Gibbon and Red Langur research projects in the Sabangau research station in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. The successful candidate will work together with the Project Directors and local primate project Coordinators to help maintain and improve the scientific integrity, relevance and impact of our primate research. This will include ensuring the quality of data collected by yourself and our Coordinators and other personnel; collecting, analysing and reporting upon data as required; and training, supervising and generally supporting Coordinators, plus local and international Research Assistants, Interns, visiting students and/or volunteers working on our primate projects. The position involves both field and office duties, with the balance between these dependent upon the needs of the project at the time.

We are looking for a post-graduate primatologist, with a scientific mind and aptitude, excellent coordination and management skills, primate field research experience and experience of training (local) people in this, and a dedication to wildlife conservation. The candidate needs to be flexible, patient, amicable (good social skills), well organized, a good communicator, and physically and mentally fit. Applicants must also have the ability to cope well under stress and to readily master new skills.

Duties include:

• Maintaining and improving the scientific integrity, relevance and impact of OuTrop’s primate research. This includes keeping abreast of current developments in the field.
• Ensuring that field data are collected according to protocol and are of high quality, that field data are entered correctly into electronic databases, and that the integrity of all data collected by yourself and all others on the primate projects is maintained and improved. This includes providing field training and supervision to local Coordinators and other staff, plus local and international interns and students working on the Project.
• Training and supervising local primate project Coordinators, plus local and international Assistants, Interns, visiting students and/or volunteers working on the primate projects, providing pastoral care and support where necessary.
• Assisting in defining primate research objectives and working together with the Directors, Coordinators and other relevant personnel to ensure that these objectives are achieved. This includes planning, designing and coordinating both novel and ongoing research.
• Assisting with the analysis and reporting of data, and production of outputs, as required and directed (this may present opportunity for authorship or co-authorship on reports and/or publications).
• Providing at minimum monthly updates on progress and developments in the primate projects to the Project Directors, in the form of written reports and verbal/email communications.
• Providing short information and stories, etc., to OuTrop’s Communications Team to help disseminate relevant information to the non-academic community.

Qualifications/Experience:

• Post-graduate degree in primatology or related discipline
• Experience in tropical primate field research projects (min. 1 year preferred)
• Staff management, coordination and training experience
• Excellent computing skills (including Access, Excel, Word, etc)
• Excellent spoken and written English
• Proven record of research outputs preferred
• Previous experience of working in Indonesia and competence in the Indonesian language strongly preferred

Salary/funding:

• A monthly fee of GBP 500 will be provided in support of this position, commensurate with experience/to be negotiated.

Support provided:

• Accommodation in the Research camp in Sabangau and OuTrop Office/House in Palangka Raya, with all associated facilities.
• One set of international flights up to GBP 700 and one set of domestic flights from Jakarta to Palangka Raya will be reimbursed for each 12 month contract period.
• All visa-related costs will be covered by the Project
• Travel insurance up to GBP 25/month will be covered by the Project.

Term of Appointment:

1 year (extendable upon agreement by both parties)

Application Deadline:

19th July 2015 or until the position is filled (references can be received up to 26th July 2015).

Interviews will be conducted in August 2015, with short-listed candidates notified of exact dates in due course. The post is anticipated to begin in October 2015, permits/visas permitting.

Comments:

Please send a covering letter in English detailing why you believe you are suitable for the position and where you learnt about this vacancy, plus an up-to-date CV and two reference letters (letters may be in Bahasa Indonesia) to OuTrop’s Director of Gibbon and Felid Research, Dr Susan Cheyne: scheyne@outrop.com with the position title as the subject heading.

Website:
http://www.outrop.com/
http://www.outrop.blogspot.com/