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Head, Red List Unit
Location
Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full Time
Experience
10+ years
Compensation
£64.9K - £64.9K per year
Posted
1d ago
Summary and responsibilities
Role overview
Summary
The Head of the Red List Unit oversees the production and maintenance of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, ensuring its scientific rigour and integrity. This role involves managing publication processes, promoting communication of Red List information, and leading the Red List Unit staff and finances. The position also includes significant leadership and representation responsibilities within IUCN and with external partners.
Role Overview
The Head of the Red List Unit oversees the production, maintenance, and scientific integrity of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Serving as the key focal point for all Red List matters, this leadership role ensures that assessments and derivatives uphold the highest scientific standards without posing reputational risks to IUCN.
Core Duties & Responsibilities
1. Maintaining Integrity of the Red List
Technical & Review Support: Oversee technical support for the Species Information Service (SIS), review high-profile or controversial assessments, and ensure compliance with Red List and Green Status protocols.
Governance & Standards: Work with the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and Red List Partners; assist the Standards and Petitions Committee with updating categories, criteria, petitions, and taxonomic standards.
Ethics & Training: Manage ethics, compliance, conflicts of interest, petitions, and the development of global Red List training resources.
Collaboration: Supervise unit staff and coordinate with other BAKT assessment units, ensuring uniform procedures and training.
2. Managing Publication Processes
Web Production: Oversee periodic updates and production of the IUCN Red List website.
Data & Software Systems: Collaborate with internal/external software developers, data engineers, and Conservation Informatics Managers to optimize data dissemination, the SIS database, website functionality, and derivatives.
3. Promoting Communication
Media & Spokesperson: Act as a lead IUCN spokesperson for media events, interviews, and press releases in coordination with the Global Communications Team.
Stakeholder Engagement: Respond to sensitive inquiries from academics, governments, and multilateral environmental agreements (e.g., CITES, CMS, CBD).
Brand & Publications: Authorize Red List brand usage, promote product linkages, and lead or assist with global scientific analyses and publications.
4. Unit Management
Staff & Finance: Handle line management (work plans, appraisals), manage unit finances, and assist with annual budgets and mid-year reviews.
Fundraising & Projects: Identify funding sources, develop proposals adhering to internal policies, enter projects into the Project Portal, and oversee project implementation and reporting.
5. Leadership & Representation
Committees & Partnerships: Provide annual reports to the Red List Partnership and SSC, serve on governance task forces, and represent IUCN on the IBAT Data Requests Advisory Group.
Senior Management: Act as a senior management member within BAKT, advising leadership across the Science and Knowledge Centre, Director General’s Office, and regional offices, while supporting David Attenborough Building duty station matters.
Requirements
Education & Experience
Education: PhD in environmental sciences or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Experience: Minimum 10 years in a relevant field, with extensive experience in undertaking Red List assessments, international species conservation policy, and training programmes.
Technical Skills
Methodology: In-depth understanding of Red List and Green Status methodology, conservation biology, taxonomy, and practical biodiversity conservation.
Data & Systems: Technical expertise in data collection, management, and analysis; familiarity with ArcGIS/ArcPro, PostgreSQL, Ruby on Rails, GitHub, and cloud-based systems.
General Skills: Strong leadership, managerial, facilitation, writing, oral communication, and fundraising proposal skills.
Competencies & Behaviours
Personal commitment to species conservation.
Strong collaborative, team-building, and equitable leadership abilities.
Excellent organizational, decision-making, time management, and priority-setting skills.
Updated 1d ago
Candidate fit
Skills and qualifications
Additional skills
Experience
10+ years
How this role is positioned
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Full Time
Contract duration
Permanent
Hiring type
Direct
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Compensation and benefits
Compensation
£64.9K - £64.9K per year
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Company
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Team size
Growing team
Location
Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts.
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Head, Red List Unit
Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland • Full Time