In 1969, Lao PDR's Ministry of Foreign Affairs became a state member of IUCN and in 1992 the IUCN Lao PDR Country Office was established in Vientiane. The IUCN Lao PDR Country Program assists biodiversity conservation through a range of policy support and field projects. The Species and Protected Area (SPA) Programme, one of Programmes under IUCN Lao PDR Country Office, focus on the balance between rural livelihood improvement and natural resource management. The Programme provides communities with education and solutions to these issues, ensuring both wildlife and protected areas are conserved, while villagers are prepared for any adverse impacts of natural resource modification and climate change.

Under SPA Programme, IUCN Lao PDR, is currently implementing Management planning and capacity building activities at two protected areas in Khammouane province: Phou Hin Poun (PHP) National Protected Area and Hin Nam No (HNN) National Park. The former is supported by Arcus Foundation, which stands for the conservation of apes including gibbons. The goal is to protect and secure a globally significant site for Southern white cheeked gibbon in Lao PDR. In HNN NP, the main goal is to achieve the designation of UNESCO World Heritage Park, with IUCN being the technical partner of GIZ to build the capacity of the park staff to improve the effectiveness of the park management in order to achieve that status. Moreover, IUCN Lao PDR is implementing the IUCN Green List assessment to Nakai Nam Theun and Hin Nam No National Parks, including the formation of Expert Assessment Group for Green List (EAGL).

This is a local recruitment, only Laos nationals. The remuneration and benefits package for this position is established with reference to the local labour market and in line with the IUCN Policies.

Based in the Country Program Office in Vientiane, with frequent travel to the provinces, the Technical Officer is responsible for coordinating and implementing field activities under the SPA programme.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

The position’s general set of responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Support the SPA Programme Coordinator and work closely with the Senior Technical Officer to coordinate field activities of SPA projects.
• Help facilitate capacity building of protected area staff on SMART and biodiversity/threats data management.
• Deliver technical training/support to project partners and relevant stakeholders, including training on SMART database management, law enforcement patrolling and monitoring, biodiversity monitoring survey techniques using trail cameras and acoustic sensor devices, environmental awareness teacher training workshops.
• Monitoring and reporting on implementation of project field activities (personal monthly work plans and reports, field visit reports including expense reports, etc.).
• Facilitate and assist visits by government officials and consultants, meetings and program activities including translating, interpreting, where necessary.
• Organize and facilitate meetings with local project partners and stakeholders.
• Regularly communicating with partners to identify project support needs and opportunities, monitor project field activities and report project progress.
• Translate documents from English to Lao and vice versa, and provide interpretation as required.
• Conduct other activities including joint delivery of outputs with other project staff as required to meet the project objectives.

2. Technically contribute and support SPA Programme Coordinator
• Work closely with SPA Programme Coordinator and Senior Technical Officer to ensure quality in projects deliverables and to meet projects deadline
• Resolve issues and problems as they arise and seek support from higher management and team as necessary
• Follow formal procedures within IUCN and to meet government requirements to implement field activities
• Ensure that lessons learned are documented and internalized in the current and future work of IUCN Lao PDR.

3. Institutional tasks
• Ensure that project office and field operations are conducted to a high level of health, safety, integrity, environmental good practice and cultural sensitivity. This includes ensuring that field medical kits are in good order and taken out on every field trip
• Manage project funds for field operations and taking responsibility for expenditures of project funds and reporting field expenditure.
• Ensure that IUCN policies and guidelines are followed within the implementation of project activities.
• Represent IUCN Lao PDR in external and internal meetings at national, provincial and district levels as needed.

4. Other duties
Undertake any other tasks as may be assigned by, and mutually agreed with the line manager.