Positions available for 2013 projects.
We realise that our projects represent once in a lifetime experiences and at first they could seem like a wonderful way to do some travelling in tropical islands. But our projects are purely for conservation and sustainable development work and we are looking for people dedicated to what we do and why. Below we have described what all our team members need in order to join us on projects and we encourage you to pursue joining us if you match these criteria:
To be committed conservationists or have a keen interest in helping others. This is our #1 essential requirement. When applying please discuss this in your covering letter including past initiatives you have been involved in.
Other helpful general attributes are:
Some sailing ability or at least a keen interest. If you get seasick often this may not be for you. We give lots of training so by the end of the trip you will be a good crew but we cannot start with all novices.
Maturity. We need you to have a high level of self knowledge – that you balance being sensitive to your own needs so that you stay happy and enthusiastic, with the needs of others so that you can offer mutual support. We need you to know and use your strengths, and manage your weaknesses, including the ability to take feedback for development. If you find this hard to do, this may not be for you.
Common sense. We have had people on projects in the past that haven’t thought things through enough and as a result have broken vital equipment. As we operate in very remote locations, we need people who can demonstrate common sense and really look after our equipment. It’s often irreplaceable or very expensive.
An easy going attitude. Are you really easy going or does stuff “really bug you” If you sweat the small stuff, this is not for you! We like to get the job done really well and we like to have some fun too but conditions can be difficult for those not used to working in developing countries.
Responsibility. You need a strong sense of responsibility. The work can be tiring and with a boat load of kids on board in the communities most days it can be hard to complete work in a timely manner. We undertake projects with a set of goals in mind and we need each team member to feel equally responsible for us achieving our goals.
An interest in diving and snorkelling. Many vacancies need expertise but we like to develop all participants to at least Reef Check standards so you should be enthusiastic and confident in the water.
Time commitment. Trips are usually for 6 months but we may consider volunteers for 3 months. You may also need to stay in New Zealand, USA or Australia for up to 2 months prior to the trip working on the boat and helping with project planning.
Financial commitment. We are a volunteer organisation with limited funding so a donation of NZ$200 per week is required for volunteer positions.(all your basic living costs will be covered). Generally no financial commitment is required for internships and some of our positions come with a small stipend.
Paperwork. You must be appropriately insured. You must be able to pass a police test relevant to terrorism and child safety and not have a criminal record. Volunteers must pay for their own visas and take responsibility for ensuring their eligibility.
Depending on your role the start dates for 2013 will be from Mid March to early May. We may be able to take a second intake mid season, about late July but this incurs extra costs for the applicant as they will need to cover their own flights, which may be to a remote and thus expensive location.
Specific positions for 2013 in the SW Pacific
Latest OceansWatch vacancy
OceansWatch has a vacancy for a marine biologist/ecologist to work with us in the Solomon Islands from late April (possibly later by negotiation) to early November.
The position is an Internship with stipend. Your food during the expedition will be provided as will your accommodation on our small yacht. You will be given a NZ$400 per month stipend to cover your additional expenses such as food ashore etc.
Should the internship work well for both parties we anticipate that there will be a full time paid employment opportunity in early 2014 for qualifying candidates. The employment opportunity will be subject to funding availability.
Minimum requirements:
Fit and healthy.
An experienced confident and qualified diver.
A marine biology, environmental science, oceanography or similar MSc degree. BSc candidates considered with relevant field experience
Not seasick (or easily managed).
Proficient in MS Excel and Word.
Easy going, comfortable living and working in close proximity with others.
No existing medical conditions.
Ideal candidate:
ReefCheck trained.
GIS knowledge.
Tropical fish, invert and coral ID experience.
MPA knowledge, including EBM and resilience.
Sailing experience.
Interest in sustainable development work.
PADI Dive Master or OWSI.
Training given: Sailing tuition (free) and ReefCheck (at cost).
Job description:
The job will include but not be limited to the following:
• Assisting with all operations pertaining to running and maintaining a small yacht.
• Share of all cooking and cleaning duties.
• Taking overall responsibility for all surveying, data processing and submission.
• Choosing survey sites in consultation with the project manager, Dive Master and local communities.
• Assisting with any sustainable development activities that we undertake.
• Promoting OceansWatch.
• Meeting other NGO representatives, Fisheries departments and community leaders, usually accompanied by the project leader.
• Writing reports at the conclusion of each community visit in conjunction with the project leader.
• Writing up an end of project report in conjunction with the project leader.
• Training locals at communities we visit.
• Assisting with decisions on MPA boundaries
• Assisting local communities develop sustainable fisheries management plans and practices.
Please send your C.V. and covering letter to chris@oceanswatch.org
Nurse
This year we have an organisation in New Zealand that's collecting First Aid kits for us. These kits will be taken to the villages where we work. We need a nurse to help us organise the medical kits, liaise with our community health nurse in the Solomon Islands, work with an academic and the Solomon Islands Red Cross to look into broader health issues and to train community members in the use of the kits. You would also be responsible for assembling our yacht First Aid kits and First Aid on the yacht. We shall also be testing well water for salinity so community health might be an interest of yours. If you are a diver you can help with our surveying and if not we invite you to get your basic qualification and we can teach you how to help our survey teams. We will teach you to sail too!
Marine scientists
The Marine Scientist takes responsibility for collecting, processing and disseminating all scientific information. Together with the Project Leader the Marine Scientist is also responsible for report writing. You will need at least a degree in Marine Biology, Sustainable Fisheries Management or a similar related field. Daily you will take responsibility for choosing survey sites and data entry. Obviously you must be a competent diver. You will work with the communities to choose community MPA’s and also to help us design MPA networks. Understanding Climate Change and Reef Resilience principals is important. You will also be delivering our Reef Guardian program, for which you will receive training. We need our Marine Scientists to start at least 4 weeks prior to departure to study previous year’s reports and prepare the current year’s programs. A marine Scientist may also be a Project Leader or take on other roles in the project.
To apply please email chris@oceanswatch.org
Dive leaders
This year we shall need two Dive Leaders. The Dive Leaders role is to be responsible for all dive safety on board and for maintaining dive equipment and records. Minimum qualification is Divemaster but we might be able to consider experienced Rescue Divers in cases where you have a complimentary skill or qualification (eg suitable degree in a marine science). You need to be able to maintain regulators and small compressors as we are a long way from the service centre! High level First Aid is essential and we like our Dive Leaders to take on the additional role of First Aid officer on the yacht.To apply please email chris@oceanswatch.org
Sustainable/community development leaders
A lot of our work is on land. Our communities have many other more issues than just depleted marine resources so we are always looking at other ways to support them. We always need to do Socio-economic surveying, so that sort of experience helps us a lot. We use the SEM Pacifika guidelines as it’s a requirement of one of our potential funders. We need people who can be very sensitive to a community and individuals needs so that all stakeholders are included in decisions. Experience in small sustainable business or arts and crafts can help too as where we go unemployment is generally ~95% To apply please email chris@oceanswatch.org
Project leaders
Each project must be guided by a Project Leader. The Project Leader takes responsibility for ensuring that all the work is completed in a timely manner but most of all they need to be diplomats and very well organised. Project Leaders also look after the finances, ensure that the crew are getting on (this can be a challenge), liaise with head office, keep up the energy on board and most importantly ensure that our core values are being adhered to. Project leaders should have had some leadership experience, although we give you coaching too and they should have a relevant degree. Confidence is a big help as you may be asked to speak on behalf of the crew and meet Chiefs and government officials. To apply please email chris@oceanswatch.org
Land/water use project co-ordinator
This year we require someone to take on a multipurpose role focusing on sustainable agriculture and access to fresh water in the face of climate change. We are looking for someone with lots of organic vegetable gardening and fruit growing experience in the tropics, preferably someone with Permaculture training. You also need to have a scientific background as the role will also include water testing for salinity and other measures as well as using some very exciting new electro-sonic technology to map the freshwater lens under the atoll. You will need to be an exacting person! Sailing or diving experience would be an advantage but not essential, although you need to feel comfortable on a yacht. To apply please email chris@oceanswatch.org
Community development leader.
All our work revolves around doing what the community wants, NOT what we think that the community should want or needs. We must be very sensitive to individuals needs, village politics and must ensure that all stakeholders are full involved. This work requires training and experience with indigenous cultures. We always undertake socio-economic surveying using SEM-Pacifika guidelines and this requires meticulous record keeping and sensitivity. An aptitude for languages helps as will an interest in arts and crafts. Our Community Development leader usually also does a lot of our capacity building and awareness raising work. This often involves presenting films and talks to the community and schools. Another responsibility is running our sustainability programs such as Moana Arts and possibly new programs under development. To apply please email chris@oceanswatch.org
For our offices in New Zealand and the USA (online or onsite):
• Book keepers
• Office manager
• Website marketers
• Accountants/business advisors
• Humanitarian development experts
• Artists
• IT experts
OceansWatch recruitment process
Thank you for enquiring about joining us on our projects with OceansWatch. Below you will find the outline of our recruitment process so that you know what to expect. We are very thorough and committed to finding the best people to join us in our important conservation work.
For all Office, administration, internships, research assistant enquiries etc.
For Europe email benoit@oceanswatch.org
For North America email donna@oceanswatch.org
All other areas email julia@oceanswatch.org
Please attach your C.V. and a covering letter.
If you are interested in working with us on a yacht based project:
1. For applicants wishing to work with OceansWatch in USA, Caribbean or East Pacific send an email to donna@oceanswatch.org
For the rest of the world send you email to chris@oceanswatch.org
Please include your C.V. a covering letter and any reference letters you would like us to view.
2. One of us will get back to you, and based on your information, we will send you our applicants pack or, if we did not think your application suitable at this time we may give you some tips as to what steps to take so that you would be more suitable in the future.
3. You should carefully read all the documents in the applicants pack. If, after reading the documents you feel that OceansWatch is for you and is what you want to do please fill out the questionnaire that you will find in the applicants pack and send it back to us asap. If you decide Oceanswatch is not for you, just send us an email saying so asap.
4. We shall review your questionnaire and either invite you to talk to us by phone or Skype.
5. You are likely to be asked to talk to 2 OceansWatch people and if you are not too far from one of us we shall invite you to a face to face interview. This is a critical part of the process given that our projects require us to work closely with each other. If we feel that there isn’t a good fit with Oceanswatch, we will let you know and why. We take recruitment for our projects very seriously as any strong differences in personality or approaches to work can greatly impact the effectiveness of our efforts within coastal communities.
6. If all is fine by this stage, we will direct you to appropriate online educational resources so that you can learn more about OceansWatch and resources that will prepare you for your particular role within the project.
7. You will be sent reports of previous projects and an outline of the trip that you have applied for.
8. According to your expected role you will be invited to help start preparations for the trip, either working in our office or helping prepare a yacht.
9. You will be asked to fill out some personality profiles to help us assemble the best possible team on each yacht.
10. You will undertake other training according to the project requirements. This might include dive training, sailing, First Aid or academic learning.
11. We shall sail to Vanuatu or another training base (some people may fly) where you will undertake Reef Check training and other specific project training. If your trip starts from Australia you may be asked to undertake Reef Check training there.
12. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Cheers, The OceansWatch Team
How to Fundraise for volunteers on board
If you have decided that you want to be a volunteer on one of our boats and are wondering how to raise the money, you need to read what is below.
Fisrt of all, thank you for your commitment towards OceansWatch and the socio-environmental issues we address. We are very grateful for your interest in volunteering and helping us to achieve our mission.
All the positions we advertise are voluntary. OceansWatch relies entirely on donations and grants to fund its work as we are a registered non-profit organization.
During our expeditions your on-board food and accommodation expenses are covered, however we request a NZ$200 per week donation (from when you join a yacht) to OceansWatch towards our necessary costs.
We are aware that it can be difficult for some people to make these donations so we would like to suggest some fund raising ideas.
You should also note that if you are an NZ or US citizen, you donations to OceansWatch may be tax deductable.
Fundraising online
You can build a fundraising campaign on the internet to help finance your OceansWatch trip. If you choose this way of fundraising please get in contact with us to explain your idea first. All the money that you can raise for OceansWatch will be deduct from what you owe as your donation. (Obviously if you are successful, you can go on and raise more funds, we will be very grateful to you.?). Many websites allow you to raise funds for a charity.
You can start by launching your own blog, explaining your project. We can provide you as many resources as you need. We have general information about the project, scientific resources, pictures and videos.
How to encourage people to donate for OceansWatch through your blog?
www.Ammado.com
…You will be surprised how easy it is! OceansWatch is registered on www.ammado.com, which is a donation website. First sign up on Ammado, it’s free and start a great career as a fundraiser!
First step: create your fundraising page. This page is your own page.
- Choose OceansWatch as your beneficiary
- Select the category
- Currency: NZ $
- Your target amount
- Your target date
- Your name and description of your project. Think carefully about your message…it’s not insignificant.
- Make your page attractive and update it frequently.
Advantages of this approach:
- For you, it’s free!!
- People donate to OceansWatch but they donate through YOUR page. In this way, you get a statement of the funds YOU have raised. Then you can easily send us your statement to us to deduct the amount from what you owe for your expedition expenses ?
- You can set a target amount.
How to promote your page: (you can find all the details on your page)
Get a widget to display on your blog or personal website. It looks like this:
You can choose the size, color, language…and if you feel like a designer, you can create your own.
It’s as simple as copy and paste the little piece of code.
“Ammado’s Giving Widget is a portable donations tool that can fit on any website, blog or intranet. The Giving Widget is powered by Ammado’s advanced donations technology, and so supports donations made in over 70 currencies, using all major credit cards, as well as many local payment methods. You can now customize the Giving Widget to fit the needs and layout of your website.”
Did you know?
In many countries, donations to nonprofits are tax deductible! Check with your local tax authority.
Ammado provides a receipt for all successfully processed donations on ammado. These receipts contain a unique code that can be verified by ammado and are provided to donors as evidence of their donation.
It allows people to create a “fundraising page”. A fundraising page is a special website (blog) accessible to your family, friends and colleagues that gives you the capabilities to accept donations online. You can share a special message of inspiration, start a blog and share images or a video to help you raise funds for a charity or cause that you care about.
Anyone is invited to make donations and leave a message of support to you, as the fundraiser. Donations are tallied and displayed in the fundraising page meter for everyone to see. Donations are automatically processed and transferred to your selected charity or cause.
1. Select your favourite charity or a cause you feel passionately about. OceansWatch is registered on Everydayhero.
2. Sign-up for a fundraising account. Registration is free, and you only have to sign-up once!
3. Personalize and create your fundraising page style
4. Promote and share your fundraising page; first by e-mail and then with social media tools.
See: Shannon Gordon example on Everydayhero, raising funds for OceansWatch.
http://www.everydayhero.co.nz/shannon_gordon
Causes.com:
The Causes concept works on Facebook. It’s an application.
• A cause is an online campaign for collective action that can be started by any Facebook user. The creator of a cause can champion any issue, from the global, like "End Poverty," to the local, like "Support the Berkeley Y.M.C.A." A cause can be started by any user even if he’s not the owner of the entity he promotes.
• A cause can be used to raise money for a beneficiary.
• A non-profit can have various causes.
• A cause can recruit members (=like friends on Facebook)
• It allows publishing news, photos, links… Should be updated frequently.
If you want to create a cause and help us, choose “OceansWatch” as the beneficiary. It’s already available on Causes database.
Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.
Think about your own project. It may be linked with your commitment with OceansWatch. Why not organizing a photo exhibition when you’ll be back?
In 2011 Julia Miller decided she wanted to come on a trip and needed Money to make it happen. In just a few weeks she raised >US$3,500. So with a little initiative it is possible to fund an OceansWatch trip.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1125702930/sailing-art-a-mural-on-my-sails
Local events
You can also do fundraising the traditional way. Why not organizing events in your city; let’s see an example. You want to organize a party in a bar.
1. Find a theme: it can be a collective game (trivial pursuit, music quizz), a show (if you or one of your friends has artistic talents), a contest (ie: a photo contest). Be creative and maybe try to link it with the project. Why not a “Pacific party”?
2. Find a place. Go in your favorite bar and ask to share the benefits of the admissions.
3. Organize all the event; planning, communication, tickets, music… Focus on the communication. If no one knows about your event, you may be disappointed that no one is coming.
4. You can display some information about OceansWatch (why not a short clip or a documentary?), to show to your guests where their money is going and get them more involved.
Local organisations
- Have a look at the local organisations that are available to you. E.G. your Yacht Club or Dive Club, in fact any club you belong to might put on a fundraiser with you and then you can send them monthly updates about what you are doing to help our planet.
- What about companies you have worked for? Some might be interested in helping out an ex employee.
- What about getting sponsored?
- There are other clubs too like Lions, Rotary etc which can help you.
For the different ways of fundraising listed above, you should focus on the communication. Internet offers a huge variety of tools to promote a cause. First, think about the social media: Facebook, Twitter are a good start and they are the basic tools to spread your information in a viral way.
Don't forget YOU ARE the main tool to spread your message. Explore your personal network! Talk with your family, friends and colleagues. Make sure your message is clear and understandable so that they can spread it themselves. Make a selection of information that you want to give about OceansWatch and your commitment…and don’t forget the URL of your blog when it’s time to invite people! Don’t be too formal…people like to listen to personal feelings and experiences, stories and anecdotes as well.
Think about a clear message and goal; don’t forget that your goal is to get money. If you don’t ask (be tactful), you won’t receive. People are often ready and happy to help.
Just be creative, innovative, and self-confident!
In the unlikely event that you don’t receive as much as you expected:
- We can keep the money you have raised as a “credit” if you want to apply the next year.
- On Kickstarter, if you don’t manage to reach your target, all your supporters are refunded and the project is cancelled.
- If you haven’t raised enough funds and you want to cancel your trip, all the money will be considered as a donation for OceansWatch.
