Junior Scientist (Environmental - Portuguese speaking)

C4 Ecosolutions PTY Ltd.; Luena; On-site; EUR 840 - 1,100; Full time

Job summary

C4 Ecosolutions PTY Ltd. is seeking a Junior Scientist to join our Environmental team on the ground in Luena, Angola. The role involves data collection, monitoring and basic analysis across field sites and nurseries while supporting restoration and agroforestry activities.

You will work with field teams, follow scientific protocols, and help prepare reports and datasets. The position requires flexibility in rural settings, English and Portuguese fluency, and a practical, detail‑oriented approach

Qualifications

• Degree, diploma, certificate or practical experience in Environmental, Agriculture, Forestry, Agronomy, Horticulture or related field.
• 1–2 years of experience in field data collection, monitoring, research assistance or technical environmental work (including internships).
• Ability to follow scientific protocols and capture accurate field measurements.
• Competence with spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets) and basic analysis tools.
• Strong attention to detail, organisation skills and accuracy in documentation.
• Comfortable working outdoors and independently supporting research teams in the field.
• Clear communication skills for interacting with technical staff and field teams.
• Ability to work long days in remote rural environments with low infrastructure and high labour mobilisation needs.
• English and Portuguese fluency.

Responsibilities

• Independently collect field data for baseline monitoring, restoration and agroforestry activities.
• Maintain, organise and update databases, ensuring completeness and clear documentation.
• Conduct basic data analysis such as summaries, trend checks, simple comparisons and preliminary insights for technical teams.
• Produce tables, graphs and simple visuals to support internal reviews and discussions.
• Perform routine quality checks (e.g., missing values, inconsistent entries) and flag issues that require verification.
• Prepare cleaned datasets for use by senior analysts, modellers or technical specialists.
• Assist in setting up field experiments, including plot layout, marking, tagging, measurement schedules and preparation of materials.
• Carry out regular monitoring of field trials, survival plots, nursery performance and restoration indicators following scientific protocols.
• Take accurate measurements, GPS points, photos, and field notes to support research and monitoring.
• Support the implementation of project monitoring protocols, helping ensure field teams follow required measurement steps.
• Accompany senior technical staff during fieldwork and contribute to sample collection, technical observations and accurate data capture.
• Organise field data sheets, experiment logs and monitoring tools in preparation for daily or weekly activities.
• Contribute written sections to technical reports, monitoring summaries and fieldwork documentation.
• Prepare weekly updates summarising collected data, experiment progress and monitoring observations.
• Maintain organised physical and digital records for all research and monitoring datasets.
• Coordinate with field teams, community members and technical supervisors to ensure smooth data collection workflows.
• Support logistics for technical field visits (materials preparation, equipment organisation, forms).
• Identify minor data or field process issues and propose improvements to supervisors for review.

Skills

Field data collection

Data monitoring

Excel/Google Sheets

Follow scientific protocols

Field measurements

English-Portuguese fluency

Education

Diploma/Certificate in Environmental/ related field

Tools

GPS devices

Mobile data collection apps

Job description

C4 is looking for Junior Scientists in the Environmental sector to join our team on the ground in Luena, Angola.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Junior Scientist will support restoration and agroforestry activities through data collection, monitoring, basic analysis and field-based technical assistance. The role operates primarily at the remote project sites and remote field locations where infrastructure and systems are still being established, requiring flexibility, adaptability and strong organisational skills in a challenging, rural environment.

The position provides hands‑on support to the team across remote nurseries, planting camps and labour hubs, assisting with field measurements, monitoring tasks, technical data capture and routine reporting during long field days for the team. Working closely with line managers, field supervisors and technical specialists, the Junior Scientist helps ensure that accurate datasets, field observations and monitoring information are collected and processed to support restoration, nursery production, planting operations and sustainable land management activities. This role is central to establishing early monitoring routines, supporting the development of field protocols, and ensuring that reliable information underpins implementation decisions during the programme’s start‑up phase.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Data Collection, Management & Basic Analysis

• Independently collect field data for baseline monitoring, restoration and agroforestry activities.
• Maintain, organise and update databases, ensuring completeness and clear documentation.
• Conduct basic data analysis such as summaries, trend checks, simple comparisons and preliminary insights for technical teams.
• Produce tables, graphs and simple visuals to support internal reviews and discussions.
• Perform routine quality checks (e.g., missing values, inconsistent entries) and flag issues that require verification.
• Prepare cleaned datasets for use by senior analysts, modellers or technical specialists.

2. Field Experiments, Monitoring & Protocol Implementation

• Assist in setting up field experiments, including plot layout, marking, tagging, measurement schedules and preparation of materials.
• Carry out regular monitoring of field trials, survival plots, nursery performance and restoration indicators following scientific protocols.
• Take accurate measurements, GPS points, photos, and field notes to support research and monitoring.
• Support the implementation of project monitoring protocols, helping ensure field teams follow required measurement steps.
• Accompany senior technical staff during fieldwork and contribute to sample collection, technical observations and accurate data capture.
• Organise field data sheets, experiment logs and monitoring tools in preparation for daily or weekly activities.

3. Reporting, Documentation & Technical Team Support

• Contribute written sections to technical reports, monitoring summaries and fieldwork documentation.
• Prepare weekly updates summarising collected data, experiment progress and monitoring observations.
• Maintain organised physical and digital records for all research and monitoring datasets.
• Coordinate with field teams, community members and technical supervisors to ensure smooth data collection workflows.
• Support logistics for technical field visits (materials preparation, equipment organisation, forms).
• Identify minor data or field process issues and propose improvements to supervisors for review.

KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

• Degree, diploma, certificate or practical experience in Environmental, Agriculture, Forestry, Agronomy, Horticulture or related field.
• 1–2 years of experience in field data collection, monitoring, research assistance or technical environmental work (including internships).
• Ability to follow scientific protocols and capture accurate field measurements.
• Competence with spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets) and basic analysis tools.
• Strong attention to detail, organisation skills and accuracy in documentation.
• Comfortable working outdoors and independently supporting research teams in the field.
• Clear communication skills for interacting with technical staff and field teams.
• Ability to work long days in remote rural environments with low infrastructure and high labour mobilisation needs.
• English and Portuguese fluency.
• Ability to speak local languages (advantages).

DESIRABLE

• Experience with GPS devices, mobile data collection apps or basic field equipment.
• Previous involvement in ecological monitoring, agroforestry research or restoration projects.
• Ability to create basic charts, graphs or simple data visualisations.
• Strong interest in scientific research and environmental monitoring.