Director of the Sanctuary Ambue Ari (Bolivian Amazon)

Are you passionate about wildlife and have the skills to lead teams? This is your opportunity to use your expertise to support wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking! Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi (CIWY) is looking for a new Director of our Ambue Ari sanctuary, to join our team as soon as possible. The candidate must be highly motivated, with experience in animal and people management, and be willing and able to live in a remote area of Bolivia.

Introduction

Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi (CIWY) is a Bolivian NGO, made up of committed Bolivian professionals, and Bolivian and international volunteers. Founded in 1992, CIWY was the pioneer of the environmental movement in Bolivia and is recognised nationally and internationally for founding cSanctuaries dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife. CIWY currently manages three Wildlife Sanctuaries: Machia (Cochabamba), Ambue Ari (Santa Cruz) and Jacj Cuisi (Rurrenabaque, north of La Paz). Each Sanctuary offers refuge to wild animals rescued from trafficking, offering them a better quality of life.

Summary

We are looking for a Director of the Ambue Ari Sanctuary. The objective of the Director is to guarantee the sustainability of the sanctuary, and contribute to the achievement of CIWY´s objectives, mission and vision.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Effectively manage all staff within the team at Ambue Ari.
• Oversee the sanctuary’s daily activities, ensuring the welfare and security of all the animals, volunteers and staff.
• Oversee and manage the financial security of the sanctuary.
• Design, plan and implement projects (in such fields as construction, research, education, etc.) in coordination with the appropriate personnel.
• Promote good communication within the team, and between CIWY’s other sanctuaries.
• Maintain and grow local, national and global networks, garnering support for both Ambue Ari, and CIWY.

Responsibilities in more detail

I. Administration

• Follow, execute and update Ambue Ari’s management plan wherever necessary.
• Ensure the supply of food, medicine and other requirements for the animals and people at Ambue Ari.
• Oversee the acquisition of equipment, materials and building supplies.

II. Security and safety

• Take all relevant measures to ensure the safety and security of staff, volunteers and visitors.
• Manage trainings on safety, emergency procedures and first aid.
• Have a good knowledge of emergency procedures in case of fire, accidents, animal attacks and animal escapes.

III. Communication

• Prepare reports for the central administration of CIWY, and maintain constant contact with the other sanctuaries.

IV. Education and dissemination

• Promote research on topics relevant to the institution.
• Promote educational activities that support the dissemination of CIWY’s objectives.
• Manage the cooperation of the sanctuary with other non-profit organisations that are able to provide relevant information on wildlife management.
• Maintain consistent contact with national, departmental and municipal authorities for the coordination of joint projects.
• Represent the institution at academic, scientific and other events, to show our work, progress and institutional perspectives.

Requirements

The candidate must have:

• Demonstrated experience in both animal and people management.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ideally you will have experience managing other rescue centres or sanctuaries. It is important to have experience either working or volunteering in remote conditions, ideally in the jungle.
• You should be prepared to work under pressure, in difficult and physically demanding conditions with few resources.
• You must be able to improvise and develop new ideas that benefit the organisation.
• You need to have an advanced level of Spanish, oral and written, and at least an intermediate level in English.
• You must be able to manage, communicate and work with people of all ages and cultures, and adapt to and respect Bolivian laws and culture.

Conditions

CIWY’s three sanctuaries are located in remote areas of Bolivia and conditions vary. You will be living in an international community composed of volunteers and staff from Bolivia and different parts of the world. You can expect to work hard every day. You must be prepared for a work environment that requires great physical effort and demands decisiveness, creativity, ingenuity and adaptability within a context with limited economic and material conditions. You will enjoy the pleasure of being part of the process of giving a second chance to wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking. Your day-to-day activities will be focused on maintaining and improving the welfare and quality of life of rescued animals, whilst also improving the conditions for volunteers and staff at Ambue Ari.

Commitment and Work Hours

The Director should commit to a work period of at least 13 months, one month as a volunteer and twelve with a salary. Two weeks of paid vacations are granted each year, with one day off per week. You will also receive one extra day off every two months. The Director is the first to arrive and the last to leave work, to ensure the appropriate running of the Sanctuary. You can generally expect to work from 7am to 6pm (these work hours vary every day) with two hours of break per day.

Accommodation

You will be living within our sanctuary. Housing conditions are basic as most of our resources are invested in the animals. Ambue Ari has limited electricity to supply the office, refrigerators and a charging station for electronic devices. Mobile phone reception is limited; there is only reception in certain places, and only the Entel carrier offers signal. An underground bore supplies the water for the centre and the water for the showers is not heated. The bathrooms are ecological and do not require plumbing. Volunteers sleep in dormitories with bunk beds and have straw mattresses. This position comes with a private room. The bathrooms are shared. Sheets, pillows and mosquito nets are provided, but we recommend that you bring a sleeping bag or blanket because sometimes it’s very cold at night.

Compensation

CIWY receives no government funding, the only financial support comes from volunteers and donations. Funds are still not available to offer competitive salaries, but the organisation will offer a small salary depemdent on the experience, as well as providing full room and board . Applicants for the position should also take into account visa costs that will be incurred (in the case that you do not already hold Bolivian residency), and travel costs to the sanctuary.