Technical Writer

Organization Background

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science- based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding, and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat, and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of vulnerable communities whose livelihoods depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

Program Background

WCS's office for the Southeast Asian Archipelago (SEAA) region is based in Singapore and is responsible for WCS conservation programs in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The SEAA region contains the third largest expanse of tropical rainforests and the majority of the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine biodiversity. The region includes over 25,000 islands and comprises the world's second, third, and sixth-largest islands (New Guinea, Borneo and Sumatra). Our current efforts focus on protecting Nature's Strongholds, including the Leuser Ecosystem and Endau Rompin landscape and some of the region's most important coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal wetlands, including in the Bohol Sea (Philippines), North Sulawesi, North Maluku, Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara (Indonesia), and Sarawak (Malaysia).

Within the SEAA region, WCS has operated for many years in Indonesia and Malaysia. In the Philippines, WCS has recently opened a branch office and, leveraging its historical project-based legacy, is now, together with local partners, designing a conservation program that will complement the many ongoing terrestrial and marine efforts in the Philippines. We are initiating efforts to build a small and impactful team, develop government, civil society, and NGO partnerships, and build out the knowledge base to inform WCS's broader conservation strategy and approach in the Philippines (for example, marine conservation, illegal wildlife trade, rights and communities, forests and climate change, and health).

WCS's initial program focus is on marine conservation and management of the Bohol Sea, adopting an integrated (land-sea) and ecosystems-based approach to conservation. The work will be implemented in partnership with the local community, peoples' organizations, and other NGOs/academe and delivered in close coordination with government agencies.

TOR BACKGROUND

In response to the Presidential Directive 2022, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), led by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), has committed to developing an integrated strategy for conserving and managing our coral reefs. This program involves comprehensive consultations with specialists and marine scientists from academic institutions such as the University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute, De La Salle University, and other higher education institutions, and state universities and colleges (HEIs and SUCs). Furthermore, partner agencies, institutions, and civil society organizations, who have previously worked on coral reef ecosystem management, such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), have actively participated in these conversations.

Building on various recommendations and insights gathered, the BMB will lead the collaborative effort to develop the National Program for Coral Reef Conservation and Recovery (NPCRCR). This program is a product of various national and regional consultations held over the course of 33 years. It is targeted to establish a strong and scientifically informed program based on best practices and experiences of various stakeholders to ensure that our strategies are comprehensive and in line with the directive's objectives, promoting sustainable management, protection, and restoration of our critical coral reef ecosystems.

As part of WCS Country Program's support to BMB, we will hire a technical writer to produce a professionally written, coherent, and comprehensive program document for the National Program for Coral Reef Conservation and Recovery, based on existing data, stakeholder inputs, and technical guidance.

SCOPE OF SERVICE

Under the supervision of Senior Conservation Impact Manager, and in coordination with the Coastal and Marine Division of Biodiversity Management Bureau, the Technical Writer will:

• Preparatory Work
• Review relevant documents, policies, workshop outputs, proceedings, and other relevant literature related to the program being developed.
• Participate in planning meetings, workshops, and small group consultations to understand the vision, objectives, and components of the program.
• Drafting of the NPCRCR Document
• Organize and structure the program document, including sections such as:
• Executive Summary
• Introduction and Rationale
• Goals, Objectives, and Guiding Principles
• Strategic Framework and Components
• Institutional and Governance Arrangements
• Financing and Resource Mobilization
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
• Implementation Roadmap and Action Plan​s​
• Annexes and References
• Ensure clarity, consistency, technical accuracy, and alignment with national and international frameworks.
• Facilitate Review and Finalization
• ​​​​​Submit drafts and revise the document based on feedback from technical reviewers, stakeholders, and oversight bodies.

Finalize the draft document for vetting of the end user and WCS. Cope, edit, and format the final version.

DURATION

The duration of the project is 3 months and will run from September to November, 2025. A detailed work plan with timelines will be agreed upon at the start of the engagement.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• Annotated outline of the program document (Month 1, Week 2)
• First full draft for initial review (Month 2, Week 2)
• Revised draft incorporating feedback (Month 3, Week 2)
• Final version of the NPCRCR, edited and formatted (Month 3, W4)

QUALIFICATION

The candidate preferably should have the following:

• Bachelor's degree (MSc preferred) in Environmental Science, Marine Biology, Natural Resource Management, Communications, or related field.
• ​​​​The Write should have at least five (5) years of professional experience in developing coastal and marine ecosystems management and other related environment management plans and evaluation/monitoring frameworks/programs.​​​
• Proven experience in technical writing, policy documentation, or program development, particularly in the environment or marine sector.
• Strong command of English and ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely.
• Familiarity with coral reef ecosystems, conservation strategies, and Philippine policy contexts is an advantage and preferably has experience working with National Government Agencies and International Organizations, local government plan development, and monitoring and evaluation systems; and
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills; ability to synthesize information from divers​​e​​ sources and stakeholders.

PAYMENT TERMS AND SCHEDULE

The consultancy fee will be negotiated based on the candidate's qualifications and prevailing rates. Payment will be made in tranches upon submission and approval of deliverables, as follows:

• 20% upon submission signed contract and acceptance of annotated outline
• 30% upon submission of the first full draft
• 30% upon submission of revised draft
• 20% upon approval of the final document

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Interested applicants must submit:

• Updated Curriculum Vitae highlighting relevant experience
• 1-2 writing samples of similar technical work
• Brief cover letter or proposal outlining suitability for the role and approach to the assignment
• Budget proposal indicating professional fees (daily/hourly rate or lump sum),and estimated number of working days.

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and engaging a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on gender, race/ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, caste, genetic information or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.

It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon a person's membership in one of these protected categories in areas such as recruitment, selection, job assignment, supervision, training, promotions, job grading, transfers, termination, compensation, benefits, educational opportunities, WCS sponsored recreational activities and facilities.

The organization complies with the spirit and intent of relevant local laws and WCS's employment policies.

Job Types: Temporary, Fixed term

Contract length: 3 months

Work Location: In person