This is a local recruitment. Only Maldivian nationals, individuals with residence status are eligible to apply. The remuneration and benefits package for this position is established with reference to the local labour market and in line with the IUCN conditions of service for Maldives.

Average temperatures and sea level are projected to rise by 2ºC and more than 100 cm, respectively, over the following decades. These events have decimated a large majority of fringing coral reefs, an ecosystem that plays a fundamental role in food provision, shoreline protection, and enhanced water quality for the majority of coastal developing countries. Globally, natural resource managers are facing growing challenges from multiple and cumulative stressors that are increasing the vulnerability of ecosystems and societies that depend on their goods and services. While marine conservation and management practices have focused mostly on threat reduction (e.g. reducing overfishing and pollution), managers and agencies talk with increasing frequency about safeguarding or building resilience – i.e. supporting ecosystem processes that lower sensitivity, promote recovery and enhance adaptive capacity. One rationale for such a shift in management approach is the increasing pressures from climate change, a global driver that compromises the health of many ecosystems, and which increases the need for urgent and effective local-scale management actions.

Project REGENERATE, a government of Maldives project, implemented by IUCN and generously funded by USAID is aimed at strengthening the sustainable management of coastal resources, particularly coral reefs, thereby strengthening economic, social, and environmental resilience to the adverse effects of climate change in Maldives. This directly supports the Maldives strategy ‘Climate Change Adaptation fostered through Economic, Environment, and Social Resilience’. It seeks to develop informed citizens, civil society, social capital, and governance structures for stakeholder ownership and responsibility in managing local and national marine ecosystems and ecosystem services.

The Social Science Officer (Education) is responsible for implementation of the education component of project REGENERATE. This includes developing and implementing capacity building and outreach activities for key stakeholders (government institutions, policy makers, private sector, local communities, CSOs and students) to enhance climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource use. He/She will also work towards raising environmental awareness and ensuring community and stakeholder engagement in project activities, to promote uptake of existing knowledge and to generate new knowledge on socio-ecological connections.

Key responsibilities:


• Provide technical expertise for a timely and impactful implementation of the education component of the Project;
• Design and implement capacity building sessions, workshops, trainings and site specific awareness and outreach programmes for key stakeholders including government institutions, policy makers, private sector, local communities, CSOs and students to enhance climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource use/management;
• Engage local communities, private sector, CSOs and local government to support ecosystem based adaptation and sustainable resource use/management;
• Produce high quality knowledge products such as newsletters, articles and infographics to enhance visibility of all project activities, increase outreach and environmental awareness;
• Assist in designing and conducting social assessments to understand resource use and conservation targets;
• Assist in analysing and reporting social data;
• Support the project team in organising relevant project meetings, workshops, and other related events;
• Assist the Project team in advocating Project aims, initiatives, and ensure visibility;
• Maintain effective relationship with the government institutions, donors, civil society organisations, other project stakeholders, and represent IUCN Maldives at events for project information dissemination purposes;
• Research and support formulation of new project concepts and proposals to leverage additional funding;
• Contribute to the preparation of the annual workplan, including strategic and/or innovative initiatives to be undertaken/explored, and provide inputs in ensuring mainstreaming and complimenting existing national priorities, international commitments and targets;
• Support preparation of technical reports; recommending appropriate measures for enhancement of project efficiency and alignment of Project activities with national priorities, international commitments and targets;
• Support the Chief Technical Officer in the day to day implementation of social science and education components of the project and ensure conformity to expected results, outputs, objectives and work plans;
• Contribute to the Project’s financial planning and budgeting process;
• Identify the needs and prepare TORs for specific technical inputs (consultants);
• Provide technical assistance to consultants and specialists of the Project;
• Monitor and ensure timely and quality outputs of experts and specialists needed by the Project and ensure timely review of outputs of consultants;
• Perform other managerial functions as may be assigned by the CTO relevant to the Project.