Hiring Organization:
Max-Planck-Institute for Evol. Anthropology

Date Posted:
2019-07-10

Position Description:
The LuiKotale Bonobo Project (LKBP) searches for a Camp & Research Administrator (CRA) for an ongoing long-term project on bonobo socio-ecology at LuiKotale, Democratic Republic of Congo. The CRA has two major fields of responsibility: (1) Camp management including administration, logistics, maintenance of infrastructure and communication. (2) Supervision of field research including coordination of working schedules of research teams, management of long-term data, and organization of collecting, storing and transporting biological samples. The CRA is in charge of financial accounting, organizing supplies, and communication with the research team and with local assistants. The CRA will stay at the LuiKotal camp but will also support administration of a smaller satellite camp (Ekongo). CRA represent the project to regional administrators, wildlife authorities, and village leaders. Information about the field site and research activities at LuiKotale is available at www.eva.mpg.de/primat

The Luikotale research site is located in a very remote area that can only be accessed by taking a small charter plane from Kinshasa and then hiking 25 km through the forest. There is no running water, phone coverage or internet access, and no electricity apart from the limited power supplied by a solar panel array. Daily communication is limited to short emails that are sent via short wave radio. Satellite phones are available in the event of an emergency. Assistants are housed in sheltered tents and mostly eat simple, local foods (e.g., beans, manioc and rice). 

Successful candidates will be trained by the current CRA in the field and receive specific instructions from the project directors.

Qualifications/Experience:
Field conditions are physically and mentally challenging. Work hours can be very long and assistants are sometimes exposed to severe weather and tropical diseases. In addition, team members live in close proximity to one another and have to continually adjust to changes in the team composition. Please apply ONLY if you have field experience! Given the importance of communication for the work of the CRA, language skills in French (oral and in writing) and English are essential.

Other critical requirements are: (1) a strong sense of responsibility and a well developed capacity for team work, (2) above average physical fitness, (3) resistance to social/psychological stress, and (4) practical and technical skills to maintain the technical infrastructure (e.g. solar power generator, sat-phone, sw-radio) and to organize/supervise construction work (e.g. make-shift buildings in camp). Candidates will need to have tolerance, social skills, and a sense of leadership. They must be able to achieve tasks by improvisation, using the limited sources that are available and must have the capacity to live and work with an international team. Candidates with medical training will be preferred. Please note that the LKBP adheres strictly to gender equality and will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment.

Salary/funding:
700 Euro per month

Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
- food is mostly from local markets and supplemented with some western food items
- lodging (in tents) at the field site
- one domestic flight from Kinshasa to the field and back
- contribution of up to 800 EUR to an international return flight*
- expenses for visa* 

* reimbursement ONLY AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A 12 MONTHS TERM OF APPOINTMENT

NOTE THAT EXPENSES DURING THE STAY IN KINSHASA ON THE WAY IN AND OUT OF DRC, AS WELL AS THE COSTS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER INSURANCES ARE NOT COVERED BY THE PROJECT

Term of Appointment:
12 months starting in November/December 2019

Application Deadline:
none

Comments:
Applications include an updated CV, a letter of motivation that shows how the candidate meets the qualifications outlined above, references of three people (or their contact information). Applications should be send to Dr. Gottfried Hohmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and to Barbara Fruth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Information about the research and conservation activities at LuiKotale are available at
http://www.neuro.bio.lmu.de/research_groups/res-fruth_b/index.html; 
https://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/research-groups/bonobos/luikotale-study-site.html
https://www.bonobo-alive.org/index.html

Contact Information:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Deutscher Platz 6
Leipzig 04103
Germany

Telephone Number:
++49 341 3550 208

Website:
http://www.eva.mpg.de

E-mail Address:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.