Project Coordinator, Wildlife Cybercrime
Project Coordinator, Wildlife Cybercrime
Location: dubai
Hours: part-time (.75 FTE)
This is a fixed term contract position contingent upon receipt of a grant award. Position approved through July 2025 with likely extension to July 2026
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is filling the position of Project Coordinator, Wildlife Cybercrime upon the condition of securing a grant as part of the EU Foreign Policy Instrument-Funded ECO-SOLVE program led by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) to lead the IFAW partner hub in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The project is led by IFAW, and its overall purpose is to assist the operations of the Global Monitoring System (GMS) within the global ECO-SOLVE program to disrupt and curb wildlife cyber-enabled crime and wildlife crime.
To ensure the achievement of the ECO-SOLVE MENA project outputs and outcomes, the overall objectives of the Wildlife Cybercrime Project Coordinator will be to lead and coordinate the following work streams: 1) Online Investigation work to deliver intelligence packages to law enforcement across the MENA region (and when relevant to other hubs); 2) Online Monitoring to feed the GMS and regional trends reports; 3) Building the capacity of law enforcement agencies within the MENA region and potentially cross-regionally together with partner hubs.
Reporting to IFAW’s MENA - Regional Office Director and Wildlife Crime Program Manager, this position will work closely with the MENA and Wildlife Crime Program teams as well as with IFAW’s contractors and partners, such as GI-TOC, the Wildlife Trust of India, and Langland Conservation, to ensure the highest standard in the implementation of the project, including also the financial, monitoring aspects, and communications components of project activities.
The role is for a fixed term for the duration of the project (i.e., one year with a conditional second year to be confirmed), commencing on August 1, 2024. This position will ideally be based in the MENA office, or remotely from the MENA region, with the requirement that candidates are located and legally authorized to work in countries where IFAW has official representation.
Role and Responsibilities
- Lead the online monitoring-related activities. This includes conducting regular online monitoring to identify illegal content online on trading and dealing with a specific set of priority species (e.g., big cats, great apes, birds of prey, parrots) on targeted online platforms (e.g., Instagram, Snapchat), compiling the information in an organized database and conducting relevant trends and patterns analyses, and reporting on a monthly basis this information to the Global Monitoring System (GMS).
- Coordinate the online investigation-related activities together with the online investigator position based in India under the Wildlife Trust of India and with Langland Conservation, to foster the creation of intelligence packages of suspected criminals involved in wildlife cyber-enabled crime, and appropriately share – in coordination with the IFAW team – the intelligence reports with law enforcement. This also includes keeping track of the intelligence packages created and shared in a database that can then be reported to the GMS.
- Deliver/Support the delivery of capacity-building training to law enforcement officers to increase their skill set in addressing wildlife cyber-enabled crime.
- Develop and manage relationships with funder and hub partners, including collaboratively working on work with the other hubs of the GMS.
- Support IFAW Communications colleagues in the creation of content that can be used to advance IFAW’s mission and vision in the MENA region and globally.
- Ensure activities are successful at delivering impact and meeting objectives within the project budget by developing and implementing effective monitoring and evaluation tools; compile and ensure timely submission of project updates, data, and reports.
- Embody the values, mission, and vision of IFAW at all times.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field preferred (e.g. criminology, conservation, environmental studies) or equivalent work experience
- English and Arabic language proficiency is required. Any additional language is a plus.
- At least 5 years of project management experience in the field of wildlife conservation and/or tackling organized crime. Experience working as a law enforcer or with law enforcement agencies and handling sensitive or confidential information is desired. Experience in delivering training to law enforcement is a plus.
- Possess good knowledge of what wildlife crime entails and who the key actors are that aim to combat wildlife crime is highly desired. Specific expertise in wildlife cyber-enabled crime is desired. Strong knowledge of species identification and CITES are a plus.
- Proven experience in online research, specifically in handling complex data collection and analysis, is required. Experience working in data science, computer science, or/and OSINT is desired. Experience in online investigation and SOCMINT is a plus.
- Strong critical thinking skills, ability to problem solving, and resourcefulness. Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment, prioritize tasks, and work well under pressure. Proven ability to communicate constructively with partners and funders and fulfill their reporting requirements.
- Possibility to travel but not more than one travel per year.
- Excellent computer skills, including MS Office and using social media, are required.
- Culturally sensitive, proven track record of working with diverse, multi-cultural teams. Effective communication skills, including listening skills.
At IFAW, we aim to create and foster a workforce that reflects and contributes to the diverse, global community in which we work to improve the lives of both animals and people. We are dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, so we actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 12 July 2024
To apply, please submit CV and letter of interest to Skhan@ifaw.org.