Research and Transactional Advice

Call for applications for a postdoctoral fellow to undertake research and transactional advice, linking biodiversity stewardship with wildlife economy for the Greater Addo to Amathole, the Greater Kruger to Limpopo and the Greater iSimangaliso biodiversity economy nodes.

The Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South African National Parks (SANParks), iSimangaliso and Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), is implementing a Global Environment Facility funded project, “Catalysing Financing and Capacity for the Biodiversity Economy around Protected Areas” (the Biodiversity Economy Project) under the auspice of the World Bank. The project seeks to support biodiversity economy nodes for community stewardship, improve livelihoods and grow the biodiversity economy nationally to enhance communities’ stake in wildlife conservation. The project activities focus on three biodiversity economy nodes across three provinces: the Greater Addo to Amathole node (Eastern Cape), the Greater Kruger to Limpopo node (Limpopo), and the Greater iSimangaliso node (KwaZulu-Natal). This five-year project commenced in January 2022 and is designed to support the implementation of South Africa’s National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (NBES). The NBES aims to balance biodiversity and natural resource protection with sustainable use for economic development and equitable distribution of benefits. This can be achieved through the expansion of South Africa's conservation estate through biodiversity stewardship, a key mechanism for strengthening the overall biodiversity protection.

The Biodiversity Information and Policy Advice Division at SANBI is offering a 12-month postdoctoral fellowship to undertake research and transactional advice, linking biodiversity stewardship with wildlife economy for the Greater Addo to Amathole, the Greater Kruger to Limpopo and the Greater iSimangaliso biodiversity economy nodes.

The objective of the post-doctoral fellowship is to provide transactional advice and identify viable business opportunities and models that fit directly into transforming and growing biodiversity economy value chains within the project’s biodiversity economy nodes. This would require a close working relationship with communal landowners to enable qualitative research related to unlocking financial mechanisms, capacity, and business development skills to encourage greater investments in biodiversity-related businesses and provide sustainable financial and enabling factors for growing a transformed biodiversity economy value chain.

The successful candidate will bring required research expertise related to:

• Investment and business development for communities in the biodiversity and conservation sector
• Strengthening institutional capacity for establishing governance for commercial business engagement by the communal landowners
• Supporting capacity development related to Enterprise and Supplier Development by facilitating training workshops and gathering the necessary data and information
• Collaborate with mentors and the project team to enhance the development of knowledge products

Eligibility:

The key requirements for the post-doctoral fellow are as follows:

• To have completed the doctoral degree within the last 5 years.
• A doctoral degree in the field of Environmental Economics/Actuarial Studies/Nature Finance
• Not be employed on a full-time basis or hold another postdoctoral grant.
• Be a South African citizen or permanent resident.
• Be available to take up the postdoctoral fellowship by 1 August 2026.
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Have an unendorsed driver’s license which has been held for more than one year and willing to travel nationally.
• Ability to engage stakeholders and collect qualitative and quantitative data
• Data analysis and knowledge management

Details of the postdoctoral fellowship:

• The fellowship is offered for 12 months at a value of R400,000.00 per annum. Payment will be made directly to the postdoctoral fellow in four payments per annum depending on satisfactory progress.
• Operational costs for the project will be covered separately.
• Submission of at least two knowledge products. Relevant data will be compiled into a report to be submitted to SANBI.
• Recipients will be expected to sign an agreement with SANBI.

Application process: 

Each application is to be accompanied by:

• standard bursary application cover sheet (attached to this advert);
• two-page cover letter, detailing interest in the project and suitability, and details of experience relating to research, stakeholder engagement and transactional advisory services;
• full CV, including a record of publications and conference presentations;
• certified copy of a PhD certificate;
• certified copy of ID and driver’s license;
• two letters of reference (one must be from an academic supervisor)

Send all documents to [email protected] and cc [email protected] with Research and Transactional Advice postdoc in the subject line.  Ideally, all documents should be submitted in a single pdf file.