Job Description
African Parks Network, dedicated to ecological sustainability across Africa, operates the Biodiversity and Science Support (BSS) unit to enhance conservation efforts in AP-managed parks and incubation partners. The BSS unit focuses on improving ecological understanding, strategic conservation planning, technical guidance, critical decision support, and capacity development.
Currently, there is a substantial backlog in ecological data analysis, consolidation, quality assurance, and institutional standardization across monitoring themes and platforms within the AP portfolio. To address this, African Parks is recruiting ten (10) Data Management & Analysis (DMA) interns to assist in ecological data backlog recovery and to establish standardized, repeatable data workflows across parks and incubation projects.
Key Responsibilities
- Report to the Head of BSS and collaborate closely with the Data Analysis & Intern Coordinator (DAIC), Science Interface Manager (SIM), Business Intelligence Unit, and park-based teams.
- Work within assigned thematic streams based on skills, experience, and interest to support data consolidation and standardization.
- Identify and consolidate existing ecological datasets across parks.
- Support standardized intake and onboarding of data into AP monitoring systems.
- Implement data quality assurance and control, including documentation and provenance recording.
- Prepare analysis-ready datasets and automate summary output generation using pre-defined R/Python scripts and BI templates.
- Run and adapt existing standardized analytical workflows, document issues, and escalate challenges when necessary.
Thematic Streams (10 Internship Positions)
Applicants must indicate their top three theme preferences and outline relevant experience or skills for each choice. The available themes include:
- Observations & Occurrence Records: Data consolidation, metadata management, and export readiness aligned with GBIF/Darwin Core standards.
- Distance Sampling & Transect Monitoring: Collation and quality control of transect datasets and effort metadata for routine analyses.
- Aerial Survey Data: Harmonization and consolidation of aerial survey datasets with standardized outputs.
- Camera Trap Data: Support platform onboarding, data consolidation, annotation coordination, and quality control, including VNU-linked workflows.
- Telemetry / Collar & Tracking Data: Standardize tracking datasets and quality control for movement reporting.
- Fire Data & Derived Metrics: Compile and standardize fire records and remote sensing data for routine metric support.
- Vegetation, Habitat & Invasive Species: Harmonize habitat layers, plot data, and invasive species tracking structures.
- Connectivity & Landscape Change Inputs: Compile baseline spatial layers and change annotations for connectivity modeling.
- Translocations, Reintroductions & Population Augmentations: Consolidate translocation records and monitoring data for outcome evaluation.
- Species of Special Concern (SoSC) Status & Evidence Base: Structure and consolidate data to support standardized portfolio review and decision-making.
Additional focus areas may be allocated depending on portfolio priorities and candidate fit, including genetic datasets, human–wildlife conflict, law enforcement integration, and research impact consolidation.