Biodiversity Research Officer

• PositionBiodiversity Research Officer (1 vacancy)
• CompanyWildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Uganda
• LocationKampala, with frequent travel to Murchison Falls Protected Area
• Job typeFull Time
• ExperienceAt least 5 years, including research and monitoring in Ugandan protected areas
• Closing18 November 2026

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is an international conservation organisation that works in nearly 50 countries. In Uganda it supports wildlife research, protected-area management and conservation work with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and partners. Official organisation website.

The officer reports to the Country Biodiversity Research and Management Coordinator. The role leads ecological research, wildlife population monitoring and habitat assessment, mainly in Murchison Falls Protected Area, and turns the data into evidence for conservation planning with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and partners.

• Design and run large mammal and plant surveys, habitat assessments and ecological monitoring.
• Monitor elephants and other priority species, including movements, ranging and population data.
• Track how well the electric fence and other human-wildlife conflict measures work, and map conflict hotspots.
• Support EarthRanger use and law enforcement effectiveness studies in Murchison Falls.
• Supervise field teams and research assistants, and plan field schedules, budgets and logistics.
• Enter data into the WCS database and write technical reports, concept notes and briefs.
• Contribute to research proposals, grant applications and programme planning.

• A Master’s degree in ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, natural resource management or a related field.
• At least five years of relevant experience, including biological research and monitoring in protected areas in Uganda.
• Experience managing field teams, field budgets and accounting, and delivering reports to tight deadlines.
• Experience in wildlife population estimation and ecological survey methods.
• Skills in MS Office, R and ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Preferred: EarthRanger experience, knowledge of Ugandan research permits, and Runyoro and Swahili.

Salary and benefits are not stated in the official advert. WCS says it does not charge any fee during recruitment and does not use recruitment agents.

The WCS advert asks candidates to apply online and attach a cover letter, CV, copies of academic papers and contacts of at least three referees. WCS has published the role on its official LinkedIn page, which is the application route linked below. WCS says applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early.

Applications close on 18 November 2026.

Read the original employer advert.

Apply through the official recruitment route

• Checked on 9 November 2026 against Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)'s official advert.
• Closing date confirmed as 18 November 2026. NextRoleHub closes the listing at 23:59 Kampala time that day.
• The application link goes to the employer's own page or email. Applying is free; report anyone who asks for money.
• Before you apply, read our guide: How to find NGO jobs in Uganda. Work out your pay with the take-home pay calculator.