Senior Manager: Science (Based in Kimberley) at South African National Parks (SANParks)

• A position currently exists for a Senior Manager within the Arid Research Unit of Scientific Services, based in Kimberley. The main function of a Senior Manager fulfils a highly critical role of informing ecological research and strategic guidance on plant ecology and overseeing a variety of ecological research and monitoring, data collection and collating, and an understanding of how ecological systems operate.
• The Senior Manager provide leadership in research and strategic direction that strengthens evidence-based conservation within SANParks and contributes to broader conservation science policy makers.
• The role focuses on generating and sharing high-quality scientific knowledge, mentorship, and ensuring that research findings influence policy and management practice.
• The incumbent will be based in Kimberley working in a multi-disciplinary research team and although the Arid parks are the core focus, travel and support of other national parks is expected. The incumbent must interact with various stakeholders, process information needs and engage in joint problem solving, critical analysis and mutual learning.

Requirements

• A PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant biological field is required.
• 5–7 years of experience in a relevant research or science-related environment following their doctorate.
• Ability to demonstrate a portfolio of peer-reviewed publications, written and verbal science communication.
• Sound knowledge of and background in ecosystem research, monitoring, and management, including in-depth knowledge of conservation practices and principles with an emphasis on adaptive management approaches.
• Strategic influence on policy and management decisions, and long-term impact across the organisation and broader conservation sector, with responsibilities aligned to expert-level knowledge, stakeholder engagement, and research integration at a high level.
• Good people management skills, an excellent networker and communicator.
• Ability and enthusiasm to travel extensively in the Arid Parks and across the SANParks estate, spending nights away from home and occasionally travel on weekends.
• A valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Strategic planning, reporting and contribute to various assessment undertaken at parks to track and monitor progress – contribute to a variety of strategic planning and reporting initiatives, including park management plan reviews and revisions, annual implementation of the research strategy, regional and/or thematic research and planning mechanisms, etc.
• Provide leadership to a team of terrestrial scientists and provide mentoring to younger and/or less experienced scientists and biotechnicians.
• Knowledge generation, dissemination, and co-learning – conduct own independent research and communicate this (using academic and popular channels through both oral and written means).
• Knowledge translation, integration and harvesting – make sense of a diversity of monitoring and research findings for specific (national park and other) contexts and aid in articulating and highlighting its relevance to protected area management, practice and policy.
• Research impact and ability to facilitate, enable and/or solicit and support appropriate research – leverage external research capacity through established and new knowledge networks, in ways that are meaningful for SANParks.
• Coordinate and ensure implementation of the variety of ecological monitoring programmes such as vegetation monitoring, fire ecology, taxonomic classification.
• Sound basic administrative skills – work planning and scheduling, basic human resource matters, general and financial administration competence, etc.

Closing Date

• 13 October 2025

Method of Application
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