Job Description
African Parks (AP) is dedicated to ecological sustainability across Africa and operates a Biodiversity and Science Support (BSS) unit to enhance ecological understanding, strategic conservation planning, technical guidance, decision support, and capacity development for AP-managed parks and incubation partners.
Currently, there is a significant backlog in ecological data analysis, consolidation, quality assurance, and institutional standardization across monitoring themes and platforms within the AP portfolio. To address this challenge, African Parks is recruiting ten (10) Data Management & Analysis (DMA) interns to support ecological data backlog recovery and standardize data workflows across parks and incubator projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Report to the Head of BSS and work under the guidance of the Data Analysis & Intern Coordinator (DAIC) and Science Interface Manager (SIM).
- Collaborate with the Business Intelligence (BI) Unit and park-based teams to identify and consolidate existing ecological datasets.
- Support standardized data intake and onboarding into AP monitoring systems.
- Implement data quality assurance and control, including documentation and provenance record practices.
- Prepare analysis-ready datasets and automated tools for basic summary outputs using pre-defined workflows, such as R/Python scripts or BI templates.
- Run and adapt standard analytical workflows while documenting and escalating issues as required.
Thematic Streams and Internship Opportunities
Applicants must select their top three theme preferences and describe relevant skills and experience for each. The ten internship thematic streams include:
- Observations & Occurrence Records: Consolidation of occurrence datasets, metadata, taxonomies, and export readiness for GBIF/Darwin Core structures.
- Distance Sampling & Transect Monitoring: Collation and quality control of transect data, detectability metadata, and preparation of standardized analysis-ready datasets.
- Aerial Survey Data: Harmonization of aerial survey datasets with standardized structures and comparable summary outputs.
- Camera Trap Data: Consolidation and platform onboarding support with annotation coordination and data quality control of camera-trap outputs.
- Telemetry / Collar & Tracking Data: Standardization and quality control of tracking data for portfolio-level movement and effort reporting.
- Fire Data & Derived Metrics: Compilation and standardization of fire data and support for routine fire metrics.
- Vegetation, Habitat & Invasive Species: Harmonization of habitat layers, plot data, and invasive species tracking with standardized spatial products.
- Connectivity & Landscape Change Inputs: Assembly and quality control of baseline layers and annotations for connectivity modeling and corridor prioritization.
- Translocations, Reintroductions & Population Augmentations: Consolidation of translocation records and monitoring data with standardized outcome metrics.
- Species of Special Concern (SoSC) Status & Evidence Base: Structured consolidation of SoSC status data and supporting evidence for portfolio review and decision support.
Additional focus areas may be assigned depending on portfolio priorities and candidate fit, including genetic datasets, human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade linkages, law enforcement effort integration, and research impact evidence consolidation.