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Species Survival Officer – Freshwater Conservation

Dublin Zoo is a registered charity which aims to save wildlife and inspire a passion for nature, creating a place where our visitors can become active conservationists, helping us achieve our vision of a world where people live in harmony with nature. Founded in 1831, Dublin Zoo is part of a global network of conservation organisations committed to protecting species and their habitats. In line with the “Dublin Zoo 200” 10-year strategic plan, Dublin Zoo will become a conservation organisation of global impact within a decade. Providing the headquarters for our parent charity, the Zoological Society of Ireland, our ambition is for Dublin Zoo to transform into a leading hub for wildlife conservation of national and global significance. Dublin Zoo already supports more than 20 field conservation projects run by partner organisations in as many countries on four continents. In Ireland, Dublin Zoo provides support to partner organisations that work to protect a range of native species and their habitats. In addition, Dublin Zoo helps build global capacity for integrated conservation planning through our support of the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) and commitment to the One Plan Approach, as outlined in Dublin Zoo’s Conservation Master Plan (2022-2031).

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation, with more than 1,400 government and conservation NGO members worldwide. The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is a global network of more than 11,000 volunteer experts who contribute data and expertise to helping the world understand and prioritise species conservation needs. These experts work for many different conservation organisations, such as universities, field conservation NGOs, governments, zoos, aquariums, or botanic gardens. These experts are organised into more than 205 Groups, focused on taxonomic, geographic or disciplinary priorities for species conservation, and are supported by the SSC Chair’s office staff and a partner-based network of Centres for Species Survival staff teams. The overall aim of these SSC Groups is to advance the understanding and long-term conservation of the species in their remit and their environments worldwide, and the recovery or restoration of populations and ecosystems where feasible. To achieve this, the groups work across three main pillars: Assessment, Planning, and Action.

The Centre for Species Survival: Ireland was created in 2023 as a partnership between Dublin Zoo and the IUCN SSC, and is headquartered in Society House at Dublin Zoo. The Centre works in close partnership with the SSC's volunteer expert groups to conduct extinction risk assessments, facilitate multi-stakeholder conservation planning, mobilise priority action, and build capacity to save species. Centres act as catalysers; working with the SSC and other partners, across NGOs, government agencies, academia, and others. Centres work to understand the key networks, stakeholders, and conservation efforts; to identify priority gaps in assessments, planning, and action needed to save species and ensure that efforts are connected effectively and have access to the necessary tools, capacity building and resources required to maximise impact.

Summary of the Role

The Species Survival Officer - Freshwater Conservation will lead the implementation of an ex situ conservation programme for the white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), hosted at Dublin Zoo and delivered in close partnership with Fota Wildlife Park, and other key stakeholders. This role is a 3-year fixed-term contract and will be based primarily at Dublin Zoo. The post holder will work under the supervision of the Conservation and Science Manager, as part of the Conservation and Science Team, and will have overall responsibility for the coordination, delivery, reporting and development of the ex situ conservation programme for the white-clawed crayfish. The role will be approximately 50% dedicated to hands-on husbandry and management of white-clawed crayfish within an ex situ hatchery and associated facilities at Dublin Zoo, and 50% focused on project coordination, administration, research, reporting, stakeholder engagement, training, and education/outreach. Working closely with Dublin Zoo, Fota Wildlife Park, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and the wider conservation community, the post holder will play a key role in implementing the IUCN Assess–Plan–Act–Network–Communicate model to support the conservation and recovery of Ireland’s native freshwater biodiversity, with a particular focus on halting the decline of the white-clawed crayfish and establishing biosecure insurance populations for future conservation translocations.

 

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership and Coordination

·       Lead the planning, implementation and day-to-day delivery of an ex situ conservation programme for the white-clawed crayfish, in line with agreed project objectives, timelines and budgets.

·       Develop, manage and report against annual workplans, milestones and deliverables, ensuring compliance with funder and institutional requirements.

·       Oversee project administration, documentation, data management and reporting, including contributions to internal and external reports.

·       Identify opportunities to scale and sustain the programme beyond the initial funding period, including contributing to grant writing and fundraising efforts.

 

Ex Situ Husbandry and Hatchery Management (c.50%)

·       Establish, operate and maintain the white-clawed crayfish ex situ facility at Dublin Zoo in line with best-practice biosecurity, animal welfare and conservation standards.

·       Undertake hands-on daily husbandry of white-clawed crayfish, including feeding, water quality monitoring, system maintenance, health observations and record keeping.

·       Support the development and implementation of breeding protocols, juvenile rearing, quarantine procedures and biosecurity measures.

·       Collaborate closely with animal care and technical staff at Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park to ensure consistency of husbandry approaches across sites.

·       Support training and knowledge exchange with partner institutions, including hosting visits and contributing to capacity building in ex situ freshwater conservation.

 

Assessment, Planning and Conservation Action

·       Support and contribute to conservation assessments, planning and action for freshwater and native species in Ireland.

·       Receive and deliver training, as appropriate, in IUCN SSC tools and methodologies.

·       Work with the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) to support conservation planning approaches aligned with the One Plan Approach.

·       Contribute to the assessment and establishment of suitable ark sites, in line with IUCN Conservation Translocation Guidelines and national policy.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

·       Build and maintain strong working relationships with Dublin Zoo teams, Fota Wildlife Park, IUCN SSC Groups, government agencies, NGOs, researchers and other stakeholders.

·       Act as a key point of contact for the ex situ crayfish conservation programme, facilitating collaboration, communication and coordination between partners.

·       Organise and participate in meetings, workshops and coordination forums, both in person and online.

 

Education, Outreach and Communication

·       Support the development and delivery of public engagement, education and outreach activities related to white-clawed crayfish and freshwater conservation.

·       Contribute to the design and delivery of on-site interpretation, mobile engagement activities and public displays at Dublin Zoo.

·       Participate in conservation-focused events, including Dublin Zoo’s Native Species Festival and other outreach initiatives.

·       Contribute to communication outputs such as social media, blogs, reports, presentations and other materials to raise awareness of freshwater biodiversity conservation.

·       Support reporting to the IUCN SSC DATA Information System and other relevant platforms.

 

Capacity Building and Professional Development

·       Contribute to training, mentoring and supervision of students, interns and volunteers involved in the project.

·       Support the development of capacity-building resources and training opportunities for the wider Irish ex situ conservation community.

·       Undertake relevant professional training (e.g. crayfish husbandry, survey and licensing requirements) as required to support the programme.

 

Undertake any other duties as reasonably required to support the effective functioning of the Conservation and Science Team at Dublin Zoo and the objectives of the Centre for Species Survival: Ireland.

 

This role will operate on a Full-Time basis supporting a five over seven roster.

 

The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, the Species Survival Officer – Freshwater Conservation is expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. 

 

Salary: 35K-45K DOE

Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

 

Minimum Bachelor’s degree in conservation biology, zoology, ecology, aquatic biology, natural resource management or a related field.
Demonstrated experience (minimum 2 years) in species conservation, project coordination or applied conservation programmes.
Experience or strong interest in ex situ conservation, aquatic species husbandry, or freshwater biodiversity conservation.
 Strong project management, planning and organisational skills, with the ability to deliver complex projects to agreed timelines.
Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multiple organisations.
Demonstrated understanding of biodiversity conservation policy and practice in Ireland.
Experience in scientific reporting, data management and technical writing; peer-reviewed publications desirable.
Experience in fundraising and/or proposal development is desirable.
Competent user of standard office software and digital communication platforms (e.g. Microsoft Office, Teams, databases).
Willingness and ability to undertake specialised training related to crayfish husbandry, survey and licensing requirements.

 

Personal Specification

 

Self-motivated, organised and adaptable, with strong attention to detail.
Practical, solutions-focused approach with the ability to balance hands-on animal care and strategic project delivery.
Strong interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills.
Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with both technical and public audiences.
Commitment to the role of zoos and aquariums in conservation, education and capacity building.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
Ability to work flexibly, including evenings, weekends and travel as required.
Enthusiasm for learning, professional development and contributing to long-term conservation impact.
Must have the legal right to live and work in Ireland for the full term of the contract.