Marine and Freshwater Intern (Part-Time / 6 Months Fixed-Term Contract)

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), a charity founded in 1826, is a world-renowned centre of excellence for conservation science and applied conservation. ZSL’s mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. This is realised by carrying out field conservation and research in over 50 countries across the globe and through education and awareness-raising at our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, inspiring people to take conservation action.

There has been increasing concern relating to the anguillid eels; their complex life history means they are exposed to a wide range of threats and can be challenging to manage and conserve. The IUCN Red List assessments provide an excellent template for prioritising the conservation of these species and ensuring a summary of existing data and science is available for managers, policy-makers and researchers.

Role Profile

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is looking for an intern, based at ZSL's offices in Regents Park, to provide support for the IUCN Anguillid Eel Specialist Group (AESG). The aim of the AESG is to promote and facilitate the conservation of Anguillid eel species globally, and the key role of this post would be to support this by collating available data and drafting assessments for a Red List workshop focussed on these species. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with a range of stakeholders from academia, policy and industry, and be a named author on these well-regarded assessments.

This six-month long internship will include compilation and analysis of different datasets in order to apply the Red List categories and criteria during a week-long workshop attended by members of the AESG. Draft assessments will be produced after the workshop and go through a process of external review which will be managed by the successful candidate. Assessments will be revised in light of this feedback before submission to IUCN for publication.

Candidates should be self-motivated and some skills in data management and analyses, as well as excellent communication skills, as they will be tasked with writing assessments and translating findings into varied outputs. Knowledge of Red List assessments, anguillid eels and/or fish biology would be valuable. Experience of GIS would also be of use.

Additional tasks include; supporting the logistics and administration of the Red List workshop, helping staff with the literature database established for these species by the AESG, assisting with the external communications relating to the assessments and associated process, and providing general support to the AESG.

In this role, the successful candidate will benefit from:

• Gaining unique experience interning within a globally respected conservation organisation as part of a major project that only occurs every 5-10 years,
• working with multiple cross-sectoral external stakeholders (including contact with a broad range of national / international stakeholders and leaders in the field of aquatic biology and conservation).
• Experience of the process of converting science to meaningful management and policy advice through working with academia, NGOs and government stakeholders.
• Training and support from the Marine and Freshwater Conservation team
• Interaction with staff across ZSL, particularly from the Conservation Programmes department, with opportunities to engage more widely with members of the local conservation community
• Regular opportunities to attend scientific talks by professional researchers and practitioners in science and conservation
• Access to ZSL facilities including the Library and both zoo sites (ZSL London and ZSL Whipsnade) for the duration of the internship

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Co-ordinating the collation of data on the population status of Anguillid species.
• Liaising with Anguillid eel stakeholders in the fields of science, conservation, industry and government to gather additional information on threats and conservation measures in place for these species.
• Drafting Red List assessments based on collated information, consistency checking of assessments to meet the required standards for publication on the IUCN Red List, and production of species range maps following the IUCN guidelines for freshwater fishes.
• Supporting the organisation of a workshop to assess Anguillid eel species for inclusion in the IUCN Red List.
• Supporting the IUCN AESG in the general running of the group.

Person Specification

• A university background in aquatic biology/conservation sciences (or equivalent)
• Strong attention to detail
• Good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Experience in data management
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent written communication skills
• Strong IT skills
• Experience in using GIS software is desirable
• Self-motivated, and particularly good at problem solving
• Knowledge of and interest in aquatic conservation issues

Please note: The internship will be six months long, ideally starting 1st October 2018. The role is part time (maximum four days per week) and is based at ZSL’s Conservation Programmes department in Regent’s Park. Please note that this is a paid internship, set at the national minimum wage of £7.83 per hours.

To Apply

Applicants will need to upload their CV and a short covering letter (detailing relevant experience and skills, stating why they want the position, and including availability) and can do this by clicking the "Apply for this job online" button.