Location
Central London, UK (with required travel to West Africa)

Hours
Full Time - 37.5 hours per week (flexible or part-time working considered)

Salary
£51,549 per annum

About the Role
We are seeking a Principal Conservation Scientist to lead work on ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation in West Africa. Based in the UK, this role involves travel and offers an exciting opportunity for a scientist experienced in tropical forest conservation science, ecosystem service valuation, and spatially explicit scenario modelling. You will apply your expertise to support sustainable livelihoods and tropical forest conservation in a globally important biodiversity hotspot under significant threat.

Joining the International Conservation Science team, you will collaborate closely with International Operations, social science colleagues within RSPB, BirdLife partners, and local stakeholders. Your work will contribute to the wider Conservation Science department and RSPB’s international programmes.

Initially, you will work with SCNL (BirdLife Liberia) on an EU-funded project assessing land management scenarios in the Greater Gola Landscape community lands. You will develop spatially explicit scenario models to evaluate economic benefits, costs, and trade-offs with biodiversity, empowering communities to make informed decisions on policy initiatives such as REDD+. Your evidence will support sustainable financing and impact measurement of forest conservation schemes.

You will identify knowledge gaps in forest and land use research for Liberia and design targeted research to ensure RSPB’s actions are evidence-based. This is a fixed-term two-year post with strong potential for extension, contingent on securing external funding for West African forest conservation research.

If extended, you will support RSPB’s broader tropical forest and woodland conservation work in West Africa, focusing on Guinean forests. You will develop and deliver a science-informed programme at the intersection of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, fostering collaboration with BirdLife International, partners, universities, governments, and funders to influence funding, policy, and management.

Experience
- PhD in a relevant subject or equivalent experience.
- Proven strategic leadership in tropical forest conservation, including ecosystem service evaluation.
- Demonstrable success in raising external funding for applied conservation science projects involving multiple partners.
- Extensive knowledge of West African/tropical forest species ecology and ecosystem service valuation.
- Experience designing robust scientific projects with appropriate forecasting.
- Skilled in communicating complex scientific concepts clearly to diverse non-scientific audiences.
- Proficient in statistical and spatial data analysis software, including advanced coding in R or Python.
- Extensive international scientific research experience, including project leadership, budget and staff management, and peer-reviewed publications.
- Culturally sensitive with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- Experience working in conservation or science in low-income countries.

About you
- Collaborative and able to build and maintain effective relationships with international partners, governments, and funders.
- Committed to evidence-based conservation and sustainable development.
- Flexible and adaptable to working across multiple countries and cultures.
- Motivated to contribute to tropical forest conservation in a high-threat biodiversity hotspot.

Desirable Skills and Experience
- Experience training scientists on the ground, ideally in Africa or other lower-income countries.
- Experience developing multi-stakeholder projects involving partners from multiple countries.
- Research experience related to forest restoration processes and outcomes.