Technical Advisor

Title: Wildlife Health Technical Advisor

Location: Laos, Remote

Job Description:

Job Purpose:

The Technical Advisor provides technical guidance and quality assurance to the Wildlife Health Program Manager and national team on wildlife health, disease surveillance and response, and integration of One Health approaches into diverse conservation programs. The position will ensure technical excellence, methodological rigor, promotion of best practices for improved wildlife health management and One Health threat risk reduction and associated capacity building to meet identified program needs, and alignment with WCS global One Health standards. 

Major Responsibilities:

1. Technical Leadership & Program Implementation

• Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to the Program Manager and national staff on One Health, wildlife health, and risk-based disease surveillance programs.
• Lead the strategic transition from wildlife disease surveillance toward integrated One Health interface management, including risk identification, mitigation, and prevention at key human–wildlife–livestock/domestic animal interfaces (e.g., markets, supply chains, protected area boundaries).
• Support the design, review, and refinement of wildlife disease surveillance systems, market surveys, and risk assessment methodologies under projects such as EU/SWM, LOMWRU, ASAMCO, and the Pandemic Fund.
• Review, write and endorse technical protocols, investigation procedures, analytical frameworks, and monitoring tools related to wildlife, health surveillance and response, including morbidity and mortality events.
• Advise on the integration of One Health approaches into landscape conservation, counter-wildlife trafficking, and conservation policy initiatives.
• Strengthen linkages with national, regional and international laboratories, reference institutions, partners and technical networks to strengthen diagnostic quality, research and implementation standards.
• Provide technical leadership to support wildlife disease outbreak investigation and response as needed
• Provide technical guidance to in-situ/ex-situ conservation interventions and collaborations involving WCS priority species (e.g. Siamese Crocodile)

2. Capacity Building & Technical Partnerships

• Work in close coordination with the Program Manager to strengthen national One Health coordination mechanisms and technical collaboration with line ministries and partners.
• Design and deliver advanced technical training, mentoring, and coaching for national staff and government counterparts.
• Support development and piloting of innovative surveillance and reporting approaches, including ranger-based, community-based, market-based, and digital systems, aligned with national priorities.
• Foster strategic partnerships with research institutions, academia, and technical agencies to support applied research and evidence-based decision-making.

3. Fundraising & Proposal Development

• Provide technical leadership for proposal development, concept notes, and donor reporting in close collaboration with the Program Manager, Deputy Country Director, and Program Development teams.
• Lead preparation of technical narratives, theories of change, log-frames, and technical budgets for priority funding opportunities, including a shift toward preventive, interface-focused One Health programming.
• Support donor engagement through technical briefings, meetings, and presentations related to One Health programming.

4. Coordination, Reporting & Representation

• Lead technical drafting and quality assurance for reports, publications, and knowledge products produced under the Wildlife Health Program.
• Represent WCS Lao PDR in technical working groups, scientific forums, and conferences related to One Health and wildlife health, as delegated by Deputy Country Director and the Program Manager.
• Contribute to documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and innovation across the Wildlife Health Program and support knowledge exchange within WCS globally.

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Internal Qualification Requirements

Minimum Requirements and Job Skills:
• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in veterinary medicine, public health, epidemiology, disease ecology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience in One Health, wildlife health, zoonotic disease surveillance or disease ecology, preferably in low- and middle-income country contexts.
• Strong understanding of disease surveillance systems (including wildlife), outbreak investigation, and risk analysis tools, with applied field experience at wildlife-human interfaces.
• Proven experience contributing to technical proposal development and donor reporting for international funding mechanisms.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in complex, multicultural environments and mentor national staff in a capacity-building manner.
• Full professional proficiency in English required; additional language skills are an asset.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor 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 engaging 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 gender, race/ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, caste, genetic information or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.

It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon a person’s membership in one of these protected categories in areas such as recruitment, selection, job assignment, supervision, training, promotions, job grading, transfers, termination, compensation, benefits, educational opportunities, WCS sponsored recreational activities and facilities.
 

Salary Range

Competitive salary commensurate with experience