TRAFFIC is the leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

TRAFFIC International is a charity and limited company registered in the UK. TRAFFIC’s head office, based in Cambridge UK, provides worldwide leadership, coordination, cross-regional and corporate functions. TRAFFIC’s local engagement is managed through programme offices operating under the auspices of the UK charity, with staff based in a hub office and at other strategic locations where necessary. Programme offices operate within a geographic area of responsibility focused on one or multiple countries where TRAFFIC aims to help deliver priority programme outcomes.

Project background:
The trade in illegal timber in and through Southern Africa and the wider SADC region is cause for concern due to its negative impact on forest resources and regional economies. The Angolan, South African and Zambian governments wish to tackle this problem by implementing a program of law enforcement training, timber identification skills and technology development and implementation, to improve the detection capabilities and investigation of illegal timber trade. The knowledge base, training program and networks of investigators developed during this project will provide a strong and lasting foundation, supporting action against the illegal timber trade within Angola, South Africa, and Zambia The national timber operational guidelines adopted by participating Southern African countries will be sustained via regular communications and information sharing through the established SADC-TWIX platform.

Characteristic duties:
The successful candidate will carry out technical project work and provide administrative support to the project. The Project Support Officer will work closely with the Project Manager and other TRAFFIC staff to ensure that the project team operates effectively on time and according to the donor’s requirements. The Project Support Officer is a key contact point for project implementation and reporting

Specific Duties:
• Assisting with technical and quality control for work, including reviewing text, budgets, reports.
• Tracking progress in development of the design and delivery of the project.
• Support the Project Manager in liaising with the TRAFFIC Finance and Administration team on budget and contract coordination, project workplans, and relevant internal project management tools and contributing as requested.
• Undertake training on information management to enable systematic input of data.
• Engaging with and supporting project consultants and partners including TRACE, SANBI, DFFE, and the University of Johannesburg on the development of the Xylarium, the collection of timber samples for DNA analysis, and other duties as required.
• Assist with the review of existing timber identification tools.
• Entering data into the TRAFFIC WITIS trade database, if required.
• Attending to project meetings and events as requested.
• Convening,?facilitating?and reporting back on calls, meetings and workshops as required.
• Coordinating with the project team on day-to-day project administration.
• Ensuring deadlines are tracked by establishing a monitoring system and alerts for the project team.
• Supporting project monitoring and evaluation.
• Provide support as required by TRAFFIC’s Finance and Administration team during external audits.
• Compiling, reviewing and editing of project reports and annual workplans, and overseeing timely submission to the donor.
• Supporting the development of communications materials relevant to the project.
• Provision of information on the project as and when required from other TRAFFIC staff.
• Any other duties relevant to the role.