Program Assistant - Cahuita, Costa Rica

Location: Cahuita, Costa Rica

Start date: ASAP

Length of contract: 3/6 months

About the role

GVI’s wildlife conservation research base in Cahuita is found in the stunning Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica. The ideal candidate for this position will be hugely passionate about conservation, and thrive off living in basic, remote conditions such as the Cahuita National Park.

We have a unique and exciting role for the right candidate to support the Conservation Program Coordinator in the day-to-day running of the programme, developing leadership, volunteer management and hands-on conservation field work skills. The role enables the candidate to develop both professionally and personally in a supportive and inspirational environment.

GVI Cahuita, Costa Rica is an exciting and impactful wildlife conservation program. This is an entry level position, designed to give a budding conservationist the experience, knowledge and hands on skills they need to kick-start their career in conservation and volunteer management. For the right candidate this could be developed into long term, paid, opportunities within GVI, possibly globally, depending on performance and vacancies available at the time.

About you

You are a passionate, driven and enthusiastic individual who’s excitement and dedication to conservation work radiates from them in everything that they do.

You have a real desire to create a long-lasting impact, not only in the field, but with our local community and with our international participants. 50% of our programme's impact is in the field, but 50% is the impact we have on our participants - this is very important to us!

You are happy to step outside of your comfort zone and to move away from the traditional 9-5; this role is a lifestyle and not just a normal job! You must be resilient and adaptable, staying calm in sometimes challenging situations.

You must want to have fun in everything you do, our work is important and demanding, but we never forget to smile and have fun while we are working together to make the world a better place.

You are willing to learn, always ready to absorb new information and skills, consolidate this knowledge and in turn pass these skills on to new participants.

What you will do

• Support the Program Manager and other staff in the running of the programs, as well as managing volunteers on a daily basis

• Lead all volunteer activities

• Assist and actively contribute to project development

• Act as an enthusiastic role model for volunteers and provide feedback, guidance and mentorship

• Attend staff meeting as an integral member of the team

• Support base management by ensuring chore duties are complete and GVI’s high health and safety standards are met

• Adopt a flexible working week including evenings and weekends, which may include overnight supervision of volunteers at the volunteer house

• Assist the Program Manager to ensure the programs continue to operate to a high standard for both volunteers and project partners

What you will need

Required

• Passion for volunteer management and conservation

• People-centric mindset - comfortable with being ‘on’ 24/7

• Experience managing groups/participants/students (we will provide all project specific training in-country)

• Enjoys spending time with participants, with a warm, confident, engaging and nurturing personality

• Able to communicate well with people from different cultures and backgrounds, manage large groups, and speak publicly with confidence

Advantageous

• Bachelor Degree in Biology, Zoology, Ecology, Conservation Biology or related field

• Emergency First Response certified/trained

• Previous GVI experience

• Previous field work experience:

• Experience with different sampling techniques

• Previous experience in science communication and public awareness/outreach/teaching/education

• Experience handling large sets of data, be competent using excel and analysing data sets

• Understanding of local culture

• Experience living abroad and in tropical climates

• Comfortable with communal living

• Good level of fitness - must be able to work in physical jobs out in the field for long periods of time

What we offer

Package includes:

• Accommodation

• Food

• Visa costs (if applicable)

• Emergency medical and travel insurance

In addition, GVI has the following perks:

• Training fund

• Social allowance

• Leadership development

• In-house counselling support

• Growth opportunities across our 17 locations!

About us

GVI is an international multi-award-winning social enterprise on a mission to build a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference. We run programs in 13 countries worldwide aligned to the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

GVI is a platform for personal growth, and our staff have the ability to develop themselves across teams, departments, and even locations! We value passion, authenticity, entrepreneurship and innovation and treat all of our stakeholders with respect and compassion above everything else.

You can find out more about the types of work we do, and who we are as an organization here.

To apply

Please submit your CV along with a cover letter stating why you feel you would be the best candidate for this role.

Please note: We will do our utmost to respond to all applicants, however, given the large volume of applications we receive, this isn't always possible. If you do not hear back from us within three-four weeks, please take it that on this occasion your application was unsuccessful.