Capacity Development Officer (Latin America)

The application period will close on January 28, 2026 00:00 CET. Please note that if we receive a high volume of qualified applicants, the posting may close sooner, so we encourage candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible.

 

Background

Background: Global Fishing Watch is an international, non-profit organization committed to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency. We create and publicly share knowledge about human activity at sea to enable fair and sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, Global Fishing Watch became an independent non-profit organization in June 2017. Using cutting-edge technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data and analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean. To pursue our unified organisational strategy, by 2030 across 30 countries we aim to empower institutions and people to 1) support the reduction of illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and destructive fishing practices 2) better enforce and protect the rights of 1 million small scale fishers and 3) improve the effective designation and management of marine protected areas and other area based conservation measures. 

Latin America is a region deeply intertwined with the ocean—its more than 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) of coastline shape the lives, economies and cultural identities of its coastal communities. Global Fishing Watch works closely with countries across the region, including Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Panama and Peru, to strengthen ocean stewardship and advance global conservation goals. A major focus of our efforts is the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), one of the most biodiverse marine regions on the planet. While most ETP countries have already designated at least 30 percent of their waters for protection, they continue to face significant challenges in preventing biodiversity loss, wildlife displacement and ecosystem degradation driven by marine traffic, unsustainable tourism and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Through improved monitoring, transparency and enforcement, Global Fishing Watch aims to support countries in achieving meaningful conservation outcomes and contributing to the global 30x30 target.

 

Position description

The Capacity Development Officer will play a key role in ensuring Global Fishing Watch delivers on its impact driven goals to support the reduction of IUU fishing and destructive fishing practices and to improve the effective designation and management of marine protected areas. The new hire will join the CDTT team with a specific focus on LATAM and providing support to the LATAM team. S/he will lead the development of fisheries, biodiversity and marine protection related capacity development elements of the LATAM Program. 

 

This is a highly collaborative position which will involve working closely with other teams to develop material and deliver training-related activities in the LATAM region. A focus will be on coupling the Global Fishing Watch datasets and monitoring capabilities with principles of transparency in governance to achieve effective fisheries management and marine conservation. The post holder will take a leading role in writing technical content and contextualising existing material. They will bring their practical expertise to ensure that our training efforts are of high quality and closely aligned with on-the-ground best practices for transparency, as well as two of our major expected impacts: making data accessible and actionable.

 

Qualified candidates will have significant experience in adult education, facilitation and training, preferably in the fisheries and/or marine conservation fields. They will have an appetite to learn and situate new technological developments within a wider context, and an innate interest and experience in mentoring and coaching others. This role involves conducting needs assessments, designing training programs, and evaluating their impact, often focusing on both individual development and overall organizational effectiveness. This role requires exceptional communication skills, the ability to adapt to work effectively across multiple work cultures and the ability to create high-quality outputs. 

 

Global Fishing Watch´s capacity development programs are expected to teach and equip stakeholders to use technological tools and data to empower them to more effectively manage fishing, marine tourism, maritime traffic and other activities at sea. 

 

Duties and responsibilities

• Leading role in designing, writing and revising training materials to align globally standardised training packages that can be used and updated for regional implementation.
• Train officials from fisheries, environmental, and security agencies to use Global Fishing Watch  technological tools and data.  
• Facilitate interagency collaboration, through capacity development and peer exchanges, to align efforts across enforcement, fisheries, and environmental agencies.

• Develop/adapt and deliver Global Fishing Watch´s educational modules on data and technology for combating IUU fishing and strengthening marine management (marine traffic and tourism), to build individual and long term institutional capacity.

• Support teams in delivering training programs with partner countries and regional institutes (preparation, delivery and evaluation). Training programs will include a variety of engagements - from classroom based teaching, mentoring, coaching of trainees and creating institutional level support like standard operating protocols.
• Keep up-to-date with practical operational developments and regulatory changes within partner country and international policy frameworks in order to inform training content revision and conduct internal training or coaching on these issues.

• Assist the capacity development team in aligning Global Fishing Watch work with best practices in designing needs driven capacity development interventions in relation to marine ecosystem protection and sound fisheries management.

• Monitor and contribute expert knowledge into Global Fishing Watch dataset and product development and advise on training related opportunities.

• Assist in reviewing fisheries and biodiversity analysis reports to create standardised approaches to guide regional analysts.

 

Criteria - essential

• University degree with a preference in education, marine sciences, fisheries science or fisheries/marine management.
• Relevant professional experience in the area of education, training, facilitation, coaching, mentoring in government, academia or non-governmental organisations preferably in the field of fisheries, marine biodiversity, conservation or sustainable use.
• Native Spanish speaker and proficient in English language and writing skills.
• Experience working with current and evolving political, sustainability, and/or conservation trends.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate advanced scientific concepts in an accessible manner via training materials and delivery. 
• Proven ability to engage constructively and develop relationships to secure influence with governments and civil society.
• Excellent diplomatic skills, including working and communicating effectively with a broad spectrum of individuals within various cultural environments.
• A good self-starter, able to spot opportunities and act on initiative.
• An ability to work under pressure and within a fast-paced environment.
• A desire to strive for continuous improvement by seeking and sharing feedback appropriately and respectfully.

 

Criteria - desired 

• Working knowledge of human (e.g. vessel tracking data) and environmental data types used to identify and manage activities at sea. 
• A sound understanding and use of technological platforms and data related to marine spatial planning, fisheries compliance and marine biodiversity is an asset.
• High interest in working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven tools and datasets in marine science.

 

The successful candidate will meet most, but not necessarily all, of the criteria above. If you don’t think you check all the boxes, but believe you have unique skills that make you a great fit for the role, we want to hear from you!

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Additional Information

Note: The application period for this role closes on January 28, 2026 00:00 CET.

Reporting to: Senior Manager, Capacity Development & Knowledge Exchange

Manages: NA

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not supported at this time. 

Candidates must be authorized to work for GFW without visa sponsorship for at least two years after their start date, or for the entire duration of their contract if on a fixed-term agreement.

Individuals on student visas must be eligible for full-time employment on their visa and have valid work authorization (such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) or equivalent) that remains valid for at least two years or the duration of their contract. Candidates relying on a spouse’s visa for work authorization are not eligible, as they must independently qualify for employment.

Location: This is a remote role, but candidates must be legally authorized and based in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and/or Colombia for this role.

Permanent/Fixed Term/Contractor: Contractor

Duration: 1 year with possibility of extension

Full Time hours: Yes 

Recruiting process: Recruiting Process: A cover letter along with a CV will be requested to see how your experience and interest connect to the position. We expect the cover letter to allow applicants an opportunity to explain details on how their skill set aligns with the role and provide a better understanding of their suitability for the position. If selected for consideration, the hiring process for this position will include an initial call with our Talent Acquisition team, followed by a formal 45 minute interview with 1-3 team members. Candidates advancing beyond this round will be asked to take a technical assessment and/or submit a representative code sample. Lastly, a final interview with 2-4 teams members to review your assessment and assess functional skills.

Compensation: A compensation range for this position is USD 20-30 per hour for Colombia. USD 20-30/h for Argentina. USD 25-35/h for Chile. USD 25-30/h for Brazil. Compensation is commensurate with experience and will vary depending on the hired candidate’s country of residence, in accordance with local laws and regulations. GFW offers pension/retirement, health and other benefits commensurate with similar level GFW employees in the country of employment. The position may be a GFW employee, an employee of our Employer of Record Partner, or a contractor depending on the country of residence.

Equal opportunities: Global Fishing Watch is an equal opportunities employer. Global Fishing Watch is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our organization and in the greater ocean management and conservation community. We believe that diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger organization. Bringing together professionals who possess broad experiences and a spectrum of perspectives will enable us to reach our goal of improved ocean governance faster. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or parental status, national origin, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organizational goals match the urgent challenges facing our global ocean, and our mission is designed to help secure a healthy ocean for all. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of humanity’s diversity, by providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of Global Fishing Watch and for our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.

Accessibility and Accommodations: We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you are selected for an interview and need accommodations or adjustments at any stage, please let the Talent Acquisition Manager know during your initial call. We’ll do our best to support your needs. Any information you share will be kept confidential and used only to ensure you have a positive experience.