Postdoctoral Fellow (IC)

line. TheWhat We Can Achieve Together: The wWINGS Postdoctoral Scholar will join The Nature Conservancy s science community at a pivotal moment for people and nature, contributing dedicated capacity to a peatland conservation science project in Angola, and more broadly, the conservation of two irreplaceable landscapes in Africa: the greater Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) and the Congo Basin. As part of the William Wingard Global Sustainability (wWINGS) Fellowship, the fellow will be part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary science team to advance rigorous, actionable research that informs conservation decisions and supports progress toward TNC s 2030 goals. This position will focus on community-based aspects of peatland conservation, stewardship, science and engagement as part of TNC s commitment to protecting the headwaters of major river systems, including the Okavango, Zambezi, Cuando, Cuanza & Congo, in Angola, and in mitigating climate change through avoided conversion of peatland ecosystems. The fellow will play a key role in strengthening freshwater and peatland ecosystem conservation across the Angolan Highlands Water Tower, the broader KAZA landscape, and Congo Basin. Working closely with TNC scientists, practitioners, and partners in Angola and the region, the wWINGS Fellow will collaborate with a dynamic, international network of conservation practitioners, scientists and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) advisors. Through this role, the Fellow will help bridge scientific inquiry and on-the-ground impact, developing knowledge, tools, and insights that support durable conservation outcomes at local, regional, and global scales. This is a 2-year term-limited position. The location for this position is flexible and will be based in Africa in any of the six countries where TNC is registered to do business (Angola, Gabon, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa). The postdoctoral fellow will work for The Nature Conservancy as part of the Global Science Business Unit. This role has an expectation of international or domestic travel 10% or less. We're Looking for You: We re looking for an early-career conservation social or interdisciplinary scientist who is eager to apply their research skills to complex, real-world conservation challenges through the wWINGS Fellowship. You are motivated to work at the intersection of science, practice and policy, in an interdisciplinary and collaborative way using approaches grounded in scientific integrity. You re excited to grow as a scientist and professional and eager to contribute to a postdoctoral experience that emphasizes applied impact alongside research excellence. The wWINGS Fellow will support research on community-centered approaches that advance conservation outcomes while promoting community well-being and resilience in southern Africa. During the first year, you will focus on literature reviews, applied social science and human-centered design methods to co-design, test and evaluate locally appropriate, rights-based approaches to peatland protection and improved management with communities in southeast Angola. In the second year, you will build on these findings to inform and strengthen community conservation approaches across additional ecosystems, geographies and communities in the KAZA region and Congo Basin. Throughout the fellowship, you will work closely with TNC scientists, practitioners, and partners, contributing ideas, methods and insights that support scalable, durable conservation solutions. What You'll Bring: • Ph.D. in a natural or social science discipline relevant to human-centered approaches to designing conservation interventions with communities, awarded by start of the position (and no longer than 4 years prior) and at least 1 to 2 years of related experience. • Experience designing and conducting scientific research, including reviewing and synthesizing literature, designing and interpreting qualitative surveys and interviews, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results. • A demonstrated ability to communicate scientific findings clearly through written products such as reports, manuscripts, or other scholarly outputs with a record of peer-reviewed publications. • Experience working collaboratively with various colleagues or partners, in-person and remotely, across multiple geographies and timezones, and an interest in contributing to team-based, interdisciplinary efforts. • Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently with guidance from mentors. • Strong writing and communication skills in English. Desired Qualifications: • Experience applying qualitative and/or quantitative social science and ethnographic approaches/methods in conservation contexts, including designing, conducting, analyzing and interpreting data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups. • Knowledge ...