Consultant Terms of Reference 

Title - Marine Technical Advisor

Region - Greater Mekong and South Asia

Timeline – 30 working days, July 2025 - December 2025

Reports to - Regional Director

Bay of Bengal

In consultation with relevant WCS country programs, regional and marine program staff, develop concepts on the following funding priorities resulting from the 2025 Bay of Bengal WCS strategy meeting:

·  A Bay of Bengal regional marine atlas to underpin spatial planning efforts

WCS proposes to collate regionally important datasets into a regional Bay of Bengal Atlas to determine baseline measures of ecological integrity for important Bay of Bengal ecosystems. The Atlas will be a virtual, open-access platform to collect and disseminate relevant environmental, climate, social, and fisheries data across the multiple countries. The Atlas can then be used as the basis for development of national and regional 30x30 marine spatial plans and a decision support tool to identify priorities for MPAs and OECMs. This should include identification of both the potential partners and policy platforms that we would need to engage with.

 · Draft a concept note on using Hilsa as a flagship species for conservation in the Bay of Bengal

The migratory Hilsa is a culturally iconic fish for the Bengali communities of India and Bangladesh and a vital source of livelihood and nutrition for millions, particularly across the northern Bay of Bengal, where 95% of global Hilsa catches occur. Overfishing, driven by poverty, along with river damming and pollution, led to a sharp decline in Hilsa populations by the 1990s. In response, Bangladesh where the majority of the Hilsa is caught, implemented key recovery measures demonstrating tangible success by combining seasonal fishing bans, incentive-based schemes, and alternative livelihoods, enabling the recovery of Hilsa stocks.

The concept will highlight knowledge sharing opportunities from Bangladesh’s Hilsa management, including sustainable fishing practices and incentive-based approaches, and recommend context-specific interventions neighbouring countries. It will also propose leveraging the ecological, cultural, and economic significance of the Hilsa as a flagship species to drive broader conservation efforts in the region, including for marine megafauna and other endangered, threatened and protected species impacted by fisheries.

Deliverable – Two concepts as described above.

Greater Mekong

Work with the Regional Director to:

• Advise the Regional Director on priorities and approaches to marine conservation in the region.
• Assist the Regional Director in identifying donors and creating funding concepts for the above as appropriate.

Deliverable – an internal scoping paper on opportunities for marine conservation in the Greater Mekong.

Position Requirements

• PhD or advanced degree in marine sciences or conservation related discipline.
• At least five years’ experience of marine conservation in Asia with a focus on one of the above regions.
•  Demonstrated academic and popular writing skills.
• Proven ability to convene a broad range of stakeholders.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

How to apply:

Interested parties should submit a motivation letter and CV with references to hrgmksa@wcs.org by 22:00 UTC+7 Tuesday July 8, 2025

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted 

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.

The organization complies with the spirit and intent of relevant local laws and WCS’s employment policies globally.