Manager – Environment And Biosecurity, Aquaculture Programme at Gatsby Africa
About the job
About Gatsby Africa:
Gatsby Africa is a private foundation set up and funded by Lord David Sainsbury to implement a commercially driven approach to supporting the transformation of high potential sectors of the East African economy. East Africa urgently needs economic transformation – growth with depth that will radically change economies, rapidly create jobs, and offer large numbers of people pathways to make a step-change in their income. To address this, Gatsby catalyses large-scale and lasting change in high potential sectors in East Africa in order to benefit many hundreds of thousands of people over the long-term.
They are playing a central catalytic role in the aquaculture growth story in East Africa. Their work extends across investment, business model innovation, fish feed, technical assistance to operators, genetics, environmental sustainability, biosecurity, policy, regulations and beyond.
About the role:
Gatsby’s work in aquaculture is entering an exciting expansion phase after some strong initial success. Alongside catalysing the competitiveness and growth of aquaculture, supporting environmental sustainability and biosecurity in East African aquaculture is one of Gatsby’s key priorities. The role in the Aquaculture Team will lead some of this pioneering work in environmental sustainability and biosecurity for one of the region’s fastest growing sectors.
What you’ll get to do:
• Supporting government stakeholders to design key governance tools that enable environmental management of Lake Victoria. This is likely to include working with leading global experts to undertake zonal planning, and suitability and carrying capacity assessments, that will then inform licensing of aquaculture and other activities on Lake Victoria – a first of its kind project that can have a lasting impact on the sustainable management of Lake Victoria, one of the world’s most
complex shared resources.
• Working with key private sector stakeholders to design and manage interventions to minimize negative environmental impacts of aquaculture on Lake Victoria.
• Working with farms to support the design and implementation of environmental management protocols.
• Catalysing both the supply and demand for capabilities that can help the industry mitigate risks of fish disease. This may include working with innovative businesses to test new business models in this space, and working to build world-class diagnostic and veterinary capabilities in East Africa for the first time.
• Working with wider industry stakeholders e.g. associations to identify opportunities for self-regulation on issues like biosecurity and environmental management.
• Other related interventions and projects as opportunities arise.
To succeed in this role, you should have:
• An undergraduate degree in natural sciences (which can include but is not limited to environmental science, climate change, sustainability, biology [e.g. zoology/ botany/conservation biology], chemistry, engineering and chemical engineering, oceanography, etc.) from a reputable institution. A master’s qualification is preferable but not required.
• Individuals with 3 to 5 years of professional experience, ideally in environmental sustainability, water resource analysis or management, natural sciences, veterinary areas, or a related area.
Competencies and Attributes:
• Extremely strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Entrepreneurial drive and mindset (including a positive ‘do it now not tomorrow’
attitude).
• Ability to build robust relationships.
• Adaptability and comfort with ambiguity and change.
• Strong curiosity and keenness to learn and improve.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal.
• Rigorous attention to detail.
• Values driven, with unquestionable integrity and respect.
Location and Travel:
The role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. The selected candidate must be willing to travel nationally and internationally from time to time.