Director of Research and Conservation Needed at Mara Elephant Project

About the job

Position: Director of Research and Conservation
Location: Mara Headquarters in Masai Mara
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports: Deputy Director, Research Team

About Us

The Mara Elephant Project (MEP) works in Kenya’s Maasai Mara to protect elephants and their habitats within the Greater Mara Ecosystem, a vital extension of the Serengeti. Famous for its massive wildebeest and zebra migration, this area hosts 40% of Africa’s large mammals on just 0.1% of its land. Once, people and wildlife coexisted here easily, but growing human demands—more livestock and farms—have squeezed wild spaces, made habitat loss and conflicted the top threats, surpassing the poaching crisis of 2012 when 96 elephants were killed. For over a decade, MEP’s rangers and researchers have been fighting back with smart tech and new ideas.

Job Summary

The Director of Research and Conservation at MEP leads cutting-edge research and conservation efforts to tackle elephant challenges. This role drives data-backed, community-led strategies to protect elephants and their habitats in the Maasai Mara long-term. You’d provide vision, science expertise, and leadership, working with the Research Advisory Council to boost MEP’s mission and solidify its status as a conservation leader through impactful research and strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Guide conservation planning and set research priorities.
• Oversee data collection and analysis on human impacts and wildlife behavior.
• Build and maintain key partnerships for collaboration.
• Share knowledge, build skills, and track success with partners.
• Create a research strategy aligned with MEP’s goals.
• Use the RAC’s expertise to enhance research and brief the Board.
• Develop new scientific tools for the Greater Mara Monitoring Framework.
• Tie science into field programs for real impact.
• Lead a team to strengthen conservation work.
• Manage Earth Ranger and digital data tools for monitoring wildlife and land.
• Share research at conferences and push community-led conservation.
• Handle financial planning and fundraising for programs.
• Grow and train a motivated research team.

Qualification and Experience

• PhD in Environmental Science, Ecology, Biology, or a related field.
• 10 years managing research, skilled in data tools like Python or R.
• Proven success leading complex projects, teams, and stakeholders.
• Experience supervising and motivating staff.
• Expertise in biodiversity data systems and analysis.
• Success working with diverse, multicultural teams on conservation issues.
• Knowledge of data analysis, machine learning, and modeling.
• Experience collaborating across cultures, especially in the Mara.

Desired Competencies

• Strong stakeholder management and people skills.
• Diplomatic, with great negotiation abilities.
• Excellent leadership and decision-making skills.
• Creative communicator with high ethical standards.
• Passionate about wildlife and community work.
• Skilled at building diverse relationships.
• Fundraising know-how for securing donors.
• Bonus: Familiarity with African field conditions.

If you’re qualified and excited, send your CV and cover letter to humanresources@maraelephantproject.org. Applications are open through February and March 2025.