opportunities

 

Position: Marine Data Management Officer

Reports to: Manager, Marine Conservation Program

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Country Program: WCS Bangladesh Program

Position Type: Full-time

Expected travel: Frequently required within Bangladesh including to remote areas to engage with local stakeholders and participate in other field activities such as fisheries investigations and at-sea surveys, trainings, or educational outreach programs.

Organization Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

Program Overview:

WCS has been actively engaged in Bangladesh since 2004 to save wildlife and wild places through science conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. WCS Bangladesh is registered with the Bangladesh NGO Affairs Bureau. We supported the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) through research, outreach, and policy recommendations in establishing Wildlife Sanctuaries to protect Asia’s last two remaining freshwater dolphins in the Sundarbans, and marine protected areas (MPA) to balance the protection of threatened marine megafauna, including cetaceans, sharks, rays, and marine turtles, with fishery needs.

Since 2014, WCS Bangladesh partners with the Bangladesh Forest Department, and the Department of Fisheries, for strengthening compliance with international wildlife trade and protection obligations, including to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and CMS (Convention on Migratory Species). Technical support and training provided by WCS enables the law enforcement agencies to effectively manage the Sundarbans and other protected areas through SMART wildlife enforcement and monitoring patrols. WCS also strengthens interagency collaborations, capacity, policies, and mandates of the Bangladesh Forest Department, Department of Fisheries, Customs, Police, Navy, Coast Guard and Border Guards Bangladesh to combat illegal wildlife trade. The WCS Bangladesh Program is part of the global WCS network. To learn more please visit www.wcs.org or bangladesh.wcs.org.

Job Summary:

The Marine Data Management Officer supports the Marine Spatial Analyst and the marine field team by managing the flow of citizen science and field data from collection through to analysis-ready output. This position is responsible for entering, quality-checking, and validating data (including species identification and photo verification) from Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and other field data collection tools, maintaining master databases, and providing technical mentoring to citizen science data collectors to ensure timely, high-quality data submission. The officer conducts basic data analysis and generates maps, graphs, and summary statistics that support science-based Marine Spatial Plans, Marine Protected Area management recommendations, species assessments, and other marine conservation research. The Marine Data Management Officer also assists in reporting results from surveys and other data collection efforts, including donor reporting.

Major Responsibilities:

Core data entry, quality control, and analysis:

• Download, error-check, and correct citizen science fisherman data and landing site data from SMART (desktop and mobile) on a regular basis;
• Enter, quality-check, summarize, and generate descriptive statistics for WCS Bangladesh marine databases in Excel, including species identification and photo verification;
• Verify and correct species identification in submitted records, flagging uncertain cases for review by the research team;
• Support maintenance and regularly updating the Citizen Science Fisherman Data Master File and Citizen Science Landing Site Data Master File, ensuring consistency and version control;
• Support generating monthly reports from SMART to summarize citizen science data trends and data quality;
• Assist with advanced data analysis, modeling, and generation of maps and graphs (spatial data) for reports and presentations.
• Provide data management support to the Marine Conservation Team and other WCS Bangladesh programs as necessary.

Citizen science network data management support:

• Provide technical mentoring and troubleshooting support to citizen science data collectors (fishermen and landing site enumerators) on SMART mobile data entry and photo submission;
• Generate and share error reports with field staff and citizen scientists to support timely correction of data quality issues at the source;
• Support onboarding of new citizen scientists on data collection tools and protocols, in coordination with field and research staff;
• Track data submission consistency across citizen science contributors and flag gaps or irregularities to the Marine Spatial Analyst/Field Coordinator.

Systems, storage, and protocol development:

• Ensure secure storage, backup, and documentation of SMART databases, Excel master files, and spatial datasets;
• Assist with improving data collection, data entry, and image-processing protocols, and support integration of new data analysis or reporting tools (e.g., SMART updates, new query templates);
• Support the transition of data collection from paper to digital devices, including technical support to data collectors and field team members to ensure smooth operations.

Others:

• Compile and review secondary information to support development of MPA management plans, species assessments, and marine spatial plans;
• Provide processed data, summaries, and query outputs to inform monitoring of marine protected areas, marine spatial plans, shark and ray assessment/monitoring, and donor reporting;
• Assist in reporting results from surveys and other research or data collection efforts, including donor reports.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor degree in Fisheries, Marine or Environmental Science, Zoology, Geography or Statistics (Masters preferred).
• Strong proficiency in Excel (formulas, data validation, pivot tables/summary statistics) and  knowledge of advanced data analysis, and modelling;
• Experience with, or ability to quickly learn, SMART or similar spatial/wildlife data management software;
• Basic to intermediate knowledge of GIS/spatial data handling and mapping (e.g., QGIS or ArcGIS) is an advantage;
• Minimum of one year experience in applied research or as an analyst/statistician with proven capacity for systematic and timely data management.
• Ability to provide clear technical guidance and mentoring support to field-based data collectors with varying levels of technical proficiency.
• Strong team collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across research, field, and program teams and communicate data issues constructively;
• Professional proficiency in English, with good communication skills (written and spoken) in Bangla.
• Willingness and capability to work independently and collaboratively, perform consistently under pressure, and motivated to advance professional skill levels.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently within Bangladesh, including to remote and at-sea locations, for fieldwork and stakeholder engagement.

Salary: Per months BDT. 42,000/-

Compensation and Benefits: Phone Bill, Insurance, 2 Festival Bonus and Yearly Salary Review.

Apply Instructions:

Please apply through the following link by answering the question and uploading the required documents in PDF/document format. Documents required: updated resume and cover letter.

Link to apply online : https://forms.gle/tkDehKUKET63my6bA

Application deadline: 20 August 2026

Please note that:

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next steps.
• No applications will be accepted after the deadline.
• Only Bangladesh citizens will be considered for this position.
• No monetary, goods or service offers, nor favoritism, will be tolerated in a recruitment process. WCS reserves the right to refuse any candidate having benefited from such acts. Any illicit solicitations can be reported to the justice system. WCS reserves the right to refuse any candidate having benefited from such acts and will stop collaboration with any workers involved in such acts.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Declaration:

WCS is an equal opportunity employer and the organization complies with all employment and labour laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on age, colour, disability, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations.