The 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears (Polar Bear Agreement/PBA) is a cooperation agreement among the five Polar Bear Range States: Canada, Greenland (representing the Kingdom of Denmark), Norway, Russia and the United States.

In 2015, the parties to the PBA adopted a Circumpolar Action Plan (CAP), which contains a shared conservation strategy for polar bears and their habitats for the period 2015-2025. 

The Secretariat of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), Arctic Council biodiversity Working Group provides administrative support to the PBA and is seeking to hire a Project Officer to support this administration. CAFF has a mandate to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity. The CAFF Secretariat, coordinates and administers the activities of the CAFF Working Group. The Secretariat is located in Akureyri, Iceland.

Responsibilities:

The Project Officer will provide support to the PBA Heads of Delegation (HOD) and its Working Groups (WG) regarding:

• PBA deliverables and implementation of the CAP and activities under the CAP 2-year implementation plans.
• Track and coordinate relevant processes, procedures and activities adopted by the PBA HoDs to ensure they are addressed and carried out.
• Contribute within technical implementation of CAP actions according to needs of the WGs or lead countries, as directed by the HoDs.
• Support drafting, coordinating and compiling progress reports as required for the PBA HoDs or relevant WGs.

The Project Officer shall not externally represent the PBA or its member states as a spokesperson or in a decision-making setting but may act externally on behalf of the PBA in a technical function as approved by the PBA.

Qualifications:

The following specifies the qualifications, experience and expertise required:

• General Qualifications
  -Ability to communicate proficiently in English (oral and written).
  -Proficiency in other languages spoken in the Range States are beneficial, but not mandatory.
  -Ability to work collaboratively with others in a cross-cultural environment.
  -Experience and ability to host meetings, manage documentation, develop information flow and coordination of a team.
  -Experience in writing scientific summaries and reports.
  -Ability to travel to relevant meeting at international locations.
• Professional Experience
  -Advanced degree in relevant field including conservation, biology, communications, international relations, governance, etc.
  -Recent experience working with coordination of a cross cultural team.
  -Knowledge of the Arctic as it pertains to conservation, international relations and other fields of relevance to conservation.

Timeframe of commitment: A 2-year period with a 6-month probationary period.  There is a preference for the Project Officer to be located at the CAFF Secretariat Office in Akureyri, Iceland, however, an appropriate satellite location within one of the Polar Bear Range States may also be considered. Support for relocation costs to Iceland will be provided.

Pay: Compensation for this position is in line with Icelandic regulations for salaries for such positions.

Deadline for submission 11 December by 24:00 GMT. 

For more information and how to apply, click here.

Story by the PBA