Community and Field Research Internship

Department: Conservation Science

Location:  Kenya HQ – Nanyuki

Contract Type: 3-month term contract

Hours: 40 hrs per week

Reporting to: Conservation Monitoring Coordinator

Direct Reports:  None

About Us

Space for Giants is an international conservation organisation, based in Africa, founded in 2011. Our mission is to protect the natural ecosystems on which Africa’s large wild animals depend, ensuring they are valued by local people. We currently work in 11 countries across Central, East and Southern Africa, focusing on some of the most pressing challenges facing the conservation of megafauna today. We have three thematic pillars of work to achieve our mission, which are: 1) The protection and management of natural ecosystems and associated value creation for local citizens; 2) Combating the illegal wildlife trade; and 3) Promoting Human-Wildlife Coexistence. We pride ourselves on our highly collaborative approach with national governments, recognising the importance of being relevant to elected leaders and their constituents, striving to ensure that our conservation work is aligned with their priorities. Grounded in world-class science, we bring high-quality technical expertise and experience to inform and deliver our conservation programmes, wherever we work. We also pride ourselves on being adaptable and nimble to respond quickly to emerging opportunities and evolving challenges in a very dynamic space. To read more visit: www.spaceforgiants.org

Overview

Conservation is primarily about people and the choices they make. It is a human endeavour, designed and initiated by people and intended to modify human behaviour to achieve a socially desired objective – conserving biodiversity. Biology alone cannot provide the answers. Conservation is also social and political. Interdisciplinary science therefore lies at the heart of our approach. Evidence informs all of our work and this is anchored by our Conservation Science Department. We use research to ask and answer critical and often controversial questions about the conservation challenges we face: about the behaviour of people, wildlife and their interactions, how people and wildlife use landscapes in space and time, and the values, governance, political and social contexts which determine the types and effectiveness of conservation interventions that society is willing to implement. We measure and assess our impact to refine our approach and develop new solutions. One of the greatest challenges of today is to understand and manage people’s impact on nature in the face of development and climate change.

Role Summary

The Community & Field Research Intern will assist the Conservation Science team in collecting, processing, and interpreting social and ecological field data. The role emphasizes fieldwork, community engagement, training, and capacity building, as well as working with camera traps and farm digitization projects.

This position is ideal for someone seeking hands-on conservation experience in the field while developing skills in community-based data collection and conservation technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct community surveys using tools such as Survey123.
• Support training sessions for field teams and partner organizations on conservation technologies.
• Complete farm digitization for Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve and ensure accurate records are stored.
• Sort and label camera trap images, updating the elephant identification database.
• Support elephant ID and behaviour monitoring.
• Participate in field missions, including elephant drives, fence performance monitoring, and crop raid assessments.
• Contribute to monthly report writing on community and field activities.
• Assist with basic GIS tasks related to field data.

Culture and Values

• Drive the Organisational Culture to internal and external Stakeholders
• Conduct oneself and encourage team behaviour to create awareness and reinforce Organisational Vision, Values, and the Culture Contract

Any other relevant tasks related to the role, as directed by the Supervisor

Person Specification

Key Skills: Experienced in project management, impact measurement, Efficient, Hard-Working, Driven, Innovative, and Organized.

Uphold the cultural values and code of conduct of Space for Giants: Passion, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability, and Innovation.

Experience, Knowledge & Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree (or final year student) in wildlife management, social sciences, environmental science, or related field.
• Experience in community engagement and/or field data collection.
• Familiarity with Survey123, EarthRanger, or similar tools is an advantage.
• Comfortable working in remote field locations.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Physically fit and willing to work in outdoor/bush environments.
• Highly organized with good record-keeping abilities.
• Passionate about community-centred conservation.

Additional information

• While this internship does not provide compensation for work performed, please note that a small facilitation fee will be offered to assist with expenses.
• The intern will receive on-the-job training on a broad scope of activities in line with the delivery of the work conducted by the Conservation Science Department, areas of research, and technology being applied. Depending on performance, there may be opportunities for future involvement in Space for Giants’ portfolio of projects.