Technical InnovatorLocation: Wellington or Lincoln (Christchurch)
Manager's title: Technical Development Manager
Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) Zero Invasive Predators Ltd (ZIP) is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2015 by the NEXT Foundation and the Department of Conservation. Our mission is to rapidly develop and implement technology and techniques to enable permanent elimination of key threats to native taonga.
ZIP is now responsible for eliminating predators and other invasive pest species within three landscape scale projects: Predator Free South Westland, Te Manahuna Aoraki Project (TMAP), and Predator Free Rakiura.
https://zip.org.nz
Location This role could be based in Wellington, or Lincoln as part of our Science & Technical Team. You will have the opportunity to work across ZIP's work sites in Wellington, Lincoln, Twizel, South Westland and Rakiura. Understanding the challenges on the ground helps us to rapidly develop and adapt solutions that have the best chance of success.
Candidate You'll have a strong grounding in predator ecology or behaviour, through post-graduate qualifications or equivalent experience, with the ability to translate that knowledge into management interventions. It would be an advantage to know a lot about rats!
You will thrive on analysing data, technically leading projects, and thinking outside the box to help develop new ways to restore te taiao.
You will be an excellent verbal and written communicator, able to build effective working relationships across different teams, roles and locations, and harness the collective thinking power of the group.
Your drive to find a way through, balanced by a resilience and agility to rapidly change tack and pursue a new idea, will set you up for success within our highly motivated and committed team.
ContextAt ZIP, our mission is to protect native taonga and restore te taiao (nature) by removing invasive predators across mainland Aotearoa. In this role you will be part of the Science & Technical tima who rapidly develops techniques and tools in order to completely remove possums, rats, stoats, and other invasive species from large areas, and to protect such areas from predators re-establishing. ZIP is working to adapt and refine our elimination approaches to completely remove predators within the context of three landscape scale projects: Predator Free South Westland project, Te Manahuna Aoraki Project and Predator Free Rakiura.
PurposeThe purpose of this role is to help solve the scientific and technical challenges that arise as we continue to refine our elimination approach across different landscapes. Success in this role will lead to socially-acceptable tools and techniques that achieve and maintain predator freedom across the mainland so that people and te taiao can thrive.
TasksDesigning and/or refining ZIP's approaches for achieving predator freedom. This may include taking responsibility for one or more projects such as:achieving ground-based predator elimination across diverse landscapes, including backcountry, rural, town, and private land. minimising and/or responding to predator reinvasion across natural barriers used to protect predator-free sites. Develop and foster effective working relationships across the ZIP tima and external peers.Analyse complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights in order to interpret data and make informed recommendations to the wider tima.Compiling and summarising data into reports on ZIP's work for external partnersGenerate visual reports and present findings to the team and the wider scientific community.Build the scientific credibility of ZIP's work within the conservation community, through scientific papers, technical reports, and presentations. Maintain currency within relevant scientific and technical area(s).Other tasks that would suit your unique personal knowledge, skills, and ability to grow. Key RequirementsDemonstrated expertise in ecology and conservation, through post-graduate qualifications or equivalent experience – knowledge of invasive species ecology is beneficial. Ideally this candidate will also have experience in predator control or eradication.Strong analytical yet open mind, able to interrogate data in different ways to inform evidence-based management decisions. Experience with QGIS and R is a plus.Able to technically lead projects, i.e. to:drive a sense of urgency in the work and ensure timelines are metcontinue looking for new solutions, and have the agility to pivot to the next best idea(s).work collaboratively to navigate complex challenges which may require significant changes to the work programme at short notice. 4. Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with other team members both in person and with remote team members sensitivity to the context/background of the audience or associated individuals and groups5. Personal qualities that include:
confidence to share provisional analysis with a wider audience in order to test each other's logic and rapidly adapt as new evidence unfolds. ability to understand the 'big picture', and hold your individual work programme within that context.respond to critical feedback in a curious and reflective manner, and provide feedback in a constructive way.knowledge of or willingness to learn and incorporate Te Ao Maori into their mahi.willing and able to occasionally work outside normal office hours. able to regularly work at the ZIP Wellington and Christchurch/Lincoln offices, and field sites (South Westland, Te Manahuna Aoraki, and Rakiura), in order to become embedded in the mahi and foster effective relationships with the wider ZIP whanaukeen to develop your capabilities for the role, and to learn and undertake a wide and expanding range of tasks. ZIP CulturePeople – our team, conservation partners and other stakeholders – are always our number one priority, without exception. We are caring, connected, empowered and innovative. Within this context, some of the values and principles we follow include:
Keep people safeDeliver rapid prototypes and experimentCommunicate openlyCreate accessible solutions that work wellInvest strategicallyStrive for continuous improvement Please apply online, or send a cover letter and CV to [email protected], quoting 'Technical Innovator' in the subject header. We will be accepting applications until midday on Monday 25th of November 2024, or until a suitable candidate is found.
For more information, please email your questions to [email protected], providing your name and a contact phone number.