Position Summary / Objective

Under the supervision of the Oceania Regional Director with guidance from the Animal Rescue Deputy Vice President, contribute to the implementation and monitoring of the integrated IFAW Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation and Recovery Australia project in accordance with the global strategic plan. Primary wildlife rescue activities include disaster preparedness and response, oversight and project management of assigned wildlife rescue projects and supporting other programmes as needed.

Role and Responsibilities

• Serve as Project manager, maintaining oversight of assigned Wildlife Rescue and Disaster Risk Reduction and Response initiatives within the integrated IFAW Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation and Recovery Australia project. Liaise with country office and programmatic staff to ensure smooth operation of these efforts.
• Train for and co-ordinate IFAW’s response to regional disasters at the level of Disaster Response Team Leader.
• Undertake rapid needs assessments and write incident reports in the wake of disasters including level and nature of IFAW intervention (deployment, funding/grants, distribution of equipment and field supplies)
• Build IFAW’s in-country response capacity and co-ordinate deployment of hands-on and technical expertise.
• Develop and deliver disaster preparedness training to wildlife rehabilitators and other key stakeholders.
• Assess animal welfare, rehabilitation and release practices to identify gaps and recommend appropriate interventions.
• Supervise and monitor on the ground staff, grantees and contractors, and daily operations of Wildlife Rescue and Disaster Response projects.
• Responsible for visits to project sites and timely submission of project status reports and documentation.
• Develop and manage the IFAW Australia Caring 4 Carers Network (C4C).
• Facilitate and contribute to legislative language and policy development to protect and rescue wildlife at the local, state, country, and regional levels.
• Responsible for the development and cultivation of relationships and networking within the animal rescue communities, relevant governmental and non-governmental authorities, and other stakeholders.
• Represent IFAW to key stakeholders including policymakers, donors; act as media spokesperson as required
• Support IFAW departments (Development, Finance, Communications, etc.) in achieving IFAW institutional goals through Wildlife Rescue projects.
• Contribute to the strategic development and implementation of IFAW’s Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation and Recovery programme in Australia including Monitoring and Evaluation and Adaptive Management.
• Contribute to funding proposals, content development and messaging as required.
• Manage multi-year budgets and expenditure, reporting and forecasting.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• College degree preferred (e.g. Animal Science, Conservation Biology, Wildlife Management) or equivalent relevant experience (e.g. Wildlife Care Manager, Animal Welfare Manager, Project Manager).
• At least two years working in a hands-on environment with wildlife rescue operations, within the animal rescue or animal welfare fields. Disaster response experience and Veterinary or Animal Husbandry qualifications preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in project management
• Able and willing to travel anywhere in the region on extremely short notice, work long hours in difficult, often dangerous, conditions.
• Ability and experience in animal welfare and animal care facility assessments for wildlife and domestic animals.
• First aid qualification or willingness to obtain.
• Australian Driver’s License
• Experience in legislative policy development or analysis related to animal welfare and/or conservation is desirable.
• Able to work interdependently, optimising the skills available within the team; project management experience is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work and live under adverse conditions for short periods and to handle stressful situations.
• Excellent communicator, both verbally and in writing. Ability to interact harmoniously and communicate effectively with people both internally and externally from varying educational, social and cultural backgrounds.
• Skills in one or more relevant languages are highly preferred.
• Commitment to animal welfare and promoting IFAW’s mission.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities will change from time to time to meet the needs of the department and our company.

As a global organisation there is a need to be flexible and adapt to different time zones and some meetings and calls may fall outside regular office hours.

At IFAW, we aim to create and foster a workforce that reflects and contributes to the diverse, global community in which we work to improve the lives of both animals and people. We are dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion so we actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds.