Conservation Lead, Big Five Reserve & Research Liaison

HotelJobs; Mpumalanga; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

HotelJobs, in partnership with a private Big Five Reserve in Mpumalanga, seeks an experienced conservation leader to head the Conservation Team. The role focuses on applied ecology, adaptive management, and turning data into actionable recommendations while engaging with landowners and research partners.

Reporting to the Reserve Manager, the successful candidate will design ecological monitoring, oversee research access, and develop conservation plans, ensuring ecological integrity while

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in conservation or applied ecology, wildlife management, conservation biology or related field.
• 8+ years conservation management experience; PhD advantageous.
• Experience in veld management, ecological restoration and wildlife management in a Big Five environment.
• Strong background in ecology, applied research, monitoring and quantitative data analysis.
• Proven leadership and people management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop the Conservation Team.
• Design and run ecological monitoring, including wildlife counts, habitat condition, rare species and disease surveillance.
• Analyse ecological data and provide scientifically founded recommendations for management decisions.
• Develop and review conservation management plans, including habitat restoration and control of invasive species.
• Implement the fire management regime and act as Fire Control Officer.
• Engage with landowners, peer reserves, researchers and stakeholders.
• Manage research requests and seek funding opportunities for conservation projects.

Skills

Leadership

Ecology

Data analysis

GIS

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master’s degree in conservation or applied ecology

PhD advantageous

BTech or BSc Honours in related field (15+ years experience)

Tools

ArcGIS / QGIS

R

EarthRanger

Drones

Camera traps

MS Office

Job description

HotelJobs, in partnership with a private Big Five Reserve in Mpumalanga, seeks an experienced conservation leader to head the Conservation Team. The role focuses on applied ecology, adaptive management, and turning data into actionable recommendations while engaging with landowners and research partners.

Reporting to the Reserve Manager, the successful candidate will design ecological monitoring, oversee research access, and develop conservation plans, ensuring ecological integrity while