The Nature Conservancy
Saving the Last Great Places
JOB DESCRIPTION
POSITION TITLE:
JOB FAMILY:
JOB NUMBER:
FLSA STATUS:
LOCATION:
SUPERVISOR:
DATE PREPARED:
APPLIED FIRE ECOLOGIST (Latin America)
Conservation - Field
8009
Exempt
Negotiable: Preference for a location in South America.
Senior Fire Ecologist—Latin America & Caribbean, Global Fire
Initiative
July 20, 2005
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The Applied Fire Ecologist for Latin America will provide leadership in addressing the conservation threat of altered
fire regimes (too much, too little, wrong kind of fire) in Latin America for The Nature’s Conservancy’s (TNC) Global
Fire Initiative (GFI) and will be responsible for expanding GFI activities into the South American countries where
TNC has a conservation interest. This will include expanding the scope and activities of the Latin America &
Caribbean Fire Learning Network; providing fire threat assessments for TNC’s conservation regions, country
programs, ecoregional planning teams, and site-based projects; and guiding conservation projects in developing and
implementing effective fire management programs. The Applied Fire Ecologist will foster innovation and transfer
lessons learned to conservation projects, NGO partners, scientists and decision makers with the goal of developing fire
management capacity within TNC programs, partner NGO’s and government agencies. Activities include the
application of various conservation tools including fire threat assessments, fire management planning, conservation
area planning, ecological and fire regime modeling, fire management training, prescribed fire training and applications,
and community-based fire management approaches. The Applied Fire Ecologist will work collaboratively with other
conservation staff, country and conservation region leadership, partner NGO’s, landowners, universities, government
agencies and donors.
DUTIES
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Assist in the development and support of the Latin America & Caribbean Fire Learning Network (LACFLN)
including expanding Network activities into South America. The LACFLN coordinates in-country, regional
and international workshops, forums and training sessions that facilitate learning, information exchange and
technology transfer on issues dealing with fire-related threats to biodiversity in protected natural areas and
conservation zones in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Coordinate regional and site-based workshops with conservation area managers, community leaders, agency
fire technicians and ecologists, private land managers, and scientists to identify fire threats and develop
appropriate responses to those threats.
Provide technical support for ecoregional planning teams, conservation region decision makers, and
conservation project staff in identifying fire threats and the role of fire at both the ecoregional and ecosystem
level.
Identify priority conservation areas in Latin America where altered fire regimes are significant threats and
assist project staff and partners in developing model programs or demonstrations of ecologically-based
integrated fire management.
Participate in regional or country-wide working groups or tasks forces addressing fire as a threat to
conservation areas.
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Serve as the TNC representative to the FAO coordinated South American Wildland Fire Network.
Activities will require considerable international travel, at times as much as 2-3 trips per month.
Collaborate with other Global Fire Initiative staff in achieving GFI objectives worldwide.
Work with other TNC initiatives and programs to integrate the fire issues with invasive species problems,
global climate change, sustainable forestry, agriculture, and watersheds.
Other duties as assigned by supervisor.
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:
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Bachelor’s of Science degree in a natural resource, biological, conservation or related area and 5 years of
related experience. Master’s degree preferred. Experience in fire management or fire ecology required.
Additional training in fire ecology concepts and fire use (prescribed fire) will be provided.
Fluent in Spanish or Portuguese, working knowledge of the other and English.
Knowledge of current trends in fire ecology and integrated fire management.
Successful experience in developing, directing and managing multiple projects, and implementing strategic
program goals.
Management and teaching experience, including the ability to motivate, lead, set objectives, and manage
performance of a large multi-disciplinary team.
Demonstrated experience with MS Office, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING:
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Cultivate the creative ideas of others to identify potential solutions. Experiment to find creative solutions, i.e.
think outside the box.
Resolve complex issues independently within program area. Experiment to find creative solutions.
Design, implement, and direct multiple projects with program area, setting deadlines and ensuring program
accountability.
Negotiate complex high profile or sensitive agreements
DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING:
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Make sound decisions based on analysis, experience and judgment.
Act independently within broad program goals.
Decisions will affect other staff with program or project area and may have program-wide impact.
Decisions may bind the organization financially or legally.
RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT –FINANCIAL & SUPERVISORY:
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Responsibility and accountability for meeting program’s strategic goals and objectives.
Demonstrated ability to gain cooperation from individuals or groups over whom there is no direct authority in
order to accomplish program goals.
Responsible for program or project budget preparation, monitoring and reporting.
Initially, will supervise no one; pending funding may supervise a program assistant.
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS:
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Excellent communication (oral and written) in Spanish and/or Portuguese, facilitation and presentation skills;
ability to persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups including country government officials,
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community leaders, donors, board members, the general public in a wide variety of country and local cultures,
and others.
Act as a mediator to resolve conflicts between participants in community-based fire projects and multiorganizational working groups.
Work in partnership with TNC staff and other organizations in a collaborative or advisory role.
Prepare and present project proposals and reports, including negotiating with government agencies, multi- and
bi-lateral donor agencies and institutions, and private donors.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:
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Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines.
Frequent travel. Possible adverse working conditions in remote locations, long hours and possible weekend
work.
Work requires occasional physical exertion and/or muscular strain. Work involves several disagreeable
elements and/or exposure to job hazards where there is some possibility of injury.
LOCATION
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Negotiable within Latin America. Preference: South America
Please send Cover Letter & Resume to:
Ronald L. Myers
The Nature Conservancy—Global Fire Initiative
Tall Timbers Research Station
13093 Henry Beadel Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32312
rmyers@tnc.org
Deadline: The position will remain open until filled.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer