Further Information

Job title / Luc HoffmannInstitute Fellows’ Coordinator
Grade / 7
Salary range / £28,695 – £37,395
Staff Group / Academic Related
Department / Institution / Department of Geography/University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute

Role-specific information

Role Summary

The Luc Hoffmann Institute Fellows Coordinator will be responsible for developing and managing the Luc Hoffmann Fellows Programme ( an international, co-mentored post-doctoral fellowship program dedicated to increasing conservation science leadership capacity around the world. The fellows programme will consist of 10 to 14 international fellows, each working within their own co-mentoring relationships, based within academic partners institutions and at WWF offices around the world. The Fellows Coordinator is the glue for this international conservation science leadership programme, and he/she will be responsible for building this programme to its full potential. Specific responsibilities will include working with the Luc Hoffmann Institute team (based at WWF International in Gland, Switzerland) to develop and support the implementation of training programme, selection and recruitment of follows, organizing and managing fellow orientation, group research and networking, communications, and developing a robust alumni program for the Luc Hoffmann Fellows programme. In addition, she/he would work with the fellows, Luc Hoffmann Institute staff, and the academic and WWF mentors to build professional development opportunities for the fellows, recognizing the many paths our fellows may take upon completion of the Luc Hoffmann Fellows programme.

The Coordinator will be based at the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute (UCCRI) in Cambridge, UK, and will work closely with academic staff and students associated with UCCRI and their partners in the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.

Key Responsibilities

Programme development
  • Develop the Luc Hoffmann Institute fellows programme based on an analysis of capacity building needs for early career academics to become leaders in connecting conservation science to policy and practice, working closely with non-governmental organisations, public policy and private sector
  • Lead (with the support of the Luc Hoffmann Institute staff), the development of a training curriculum and programme that provides the Fellows with the necessary skills to work effectively in collaborative environments at the interface between science, policy and practice.
  • Work with the Luc Hoffmann Institute core staff to steer the Fellows programme, develop policies and practices needed for programme administration and develop clear communication of roles among programme participants (fellows, Luc Hoffmann Institute Research leads, WWF mentors, Academic Mentors, CRT participants, and the Global Communications Lead)
  • Build and maintain relationships with other training partners (especially the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute (UCCRI) and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative(CCI)) that support delivery of the Luc Hoffmann Institute Fellows programme
/ 35%
Programme delivery
  • Develop individual and programme orientation packages and professional development plans with each existing fellow, based on fellows’ career goals and desired outcomes from the Luc Hoffmann Institute fellows programme
  • Organise leadership and communication professional development training events for fellows
  • Organize Fellows monthly meetings and work with the Luc Hoffmann Institute research leads to develop mentoring and co-mentoring policies
  • Work with the fellows, our Global Science Communications Lead and others to build and maintain a robust on-line presence (blogs, social media etc.) for the Luc Hoffmann Fellows
  • Work with Academic, WWF, and Luc Hoffmann Institute Staff to identify and recruit top talent for Luc Hoffmann Fellow positions
  • Manage the programme budget, and assess opportunities for the Luc Hoffmann Fellows programme development
  • Manage the fellows training budget, and work within a team to develop and manage funding proposals that expand the Luc Hoffmann Institute Fellows training programme
/ 55%
Programme reporting
  • Monitoring, evaluation and reporting for the Luc Hoffmann Institute Fellows programme
/ 10%

Person Profile

Education & qualifications / Postgraduate degree, or equivalent, with a preference for those who have specialised in areas related to sustainable development and/or biodiversity conservation. Those without postgraduate qualifications will be considered if there is relevant work experience.
Specialist knowledge & skills / Workshop and other event planning and management, including facilitiation skills.
Blogging, social media and other science communication are a plus
Interpersonal & communication skills / Exceptional networking, interpersonal and communication skills
Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with attention to detail
Ability to work in multicultural, interdisciplinary environment
Experience in working with remote, globally distributed teams and capacity to work independently in a team
Ability and enthusiasm for on-deadline, short timeline tasks
Fluency in English (essential) and in other languages (desirable)
Discretion, reliability, flexibility, accuracy
Relevant experience / Three to five years experience in developing and/or implementing capacity building and training programmes, within or external to academia
Experience in developing partnerships, managing multidisciplinary teams and managing remote teams
Relevant experience engaging with diverse communities across institutional boundaries
Experience in research, analysis and synthesis directly related to conservation, environmental science and environmental policy
Demonstrated experience in Science to Policy / Science to Practice Interface work, or related work in Science Communications or Science leadership
Additional requirements / Available for international travel, up to 20% of the time

Terms and Conditions

Location / Department of Geography
Working pattern / Monday to Friday
Hours of work / 37 hours per week
Length of appointment / 24 months
Limited funding / This post is funded by a research grant and continuation will be subject to review.
Probation period / 6 months
Annual leave / 33 days
Pension eligibility / Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)/ Cambridge University Assistants' Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Retirement age / The University does not operate a retirement age for assistant staff/research staff/unestablished academic staff/unestablished academic-related staff.

Pre-employment Check Requirements

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. If you do not have the right to work in the UK already, any offer of employment we make to you will be conditional upon you gaining it. If you need further information, you may find the Right to Work page within the ‘Applying for a job’ section of the University’s Job Opportunities pages helpful (please see .

General Information

The University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldest and most successful Universities, with an outstanding reputation for academic achievement and research. It was ranked first in the 2011 QS World University Rankings and its graduates have won more Nobel Prizes than any other university in the world. The University comprises more than 150 departments, faculties, schools and other institutions, plus a central administration and 31 independent and autonomous colleges.

The University and the Colleges are linked in a complex historical relationship. The Colleges are self-governing, separate legal entities which appoint their own staff. They admit students, provide student accommodation and deliver small group teaching (supervisions). The University awards degrees and its faculties and departments provide lectures and seminars for students, determine the syllabi for teaching and conduct research.

University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute

The University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute (UCCRI) was set up in 2013, to establish a multidisciplinary, cross-Departmental research programme at the University of Cambridge, on biodiversity conservation, and the social context within which humans engage with nature. Conservation has been recognised by the University as a Strategic Research Initiative (since 2010), and UCCRI is a critical component of the University’s support for, and engagement with, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI). Further information is available at

Department of Geography

The Department of Geography currently consists of 37 academic staff, 46 support staff and approximately 30 research staff comprising the Department of Geography and the Scott Polar Research Institute. The Department is directly responsible for the matriculation of approximately 100 graduate students and 300 undergraduate students in any given year. Further information is available at

Equality of Opportunity at the University

We are committed to a proactive approach to equality, which includes supporting and encouraging all under-represented groups, promoting an inclusive culture and valuing diversity. We make selection decisions based on personal merit and an objective assessment against the criteria required for the post. We do not treat job applicants or members of staff less favourably than one another on the grounds of sex (including gender reassignment), marital or parental status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, disability (including HIV status), sexual orientation, religion, age or socio-economic factors.

We have various diversity networks to help us progress equality; these include the Women’s Staff Network, the Disabled Staff Network, the Black and Minority Ethnic Staff Network and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Staff Network. In addition, we were ranked in the top 100 employers for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) staff in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2011 and we hold an Athena SWAN bronze award at organisation level for promoting women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine.

Information if you have a Disability

We welcome applications from individuals with disabilities and are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to enable applicants to compete to the best of their ability wherever it is reasonable to do so, and, if successful, to assist them during their employment. We encourage applicants to declare their disabilities in order that any special arrangements, particularly for the selection process, can be accommodated.

Applicants or employees can declare a disability at any time.If you wish to discuss any special arrangements connected with a disability, please contact, Danielle Feger, who is responsible for recruitment to this position, on (0)1223 333388 or by email on . Alternatively, you may contact the HR Business Manager responsible for the department you are applying to via .

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