You are here: Home › Jobs List › IW Jobs List › Executive Secretary of the MedPAN Association

Executive Secretary of the MedPAN Association

MedPAN is the Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean. The MedPAN Network was established in 1990 and since then has been implementing many activities in the form of projects, and in particular the INTERREG IIIC MedPAN project coordinated by WWF between 2005 and 2008. The project included the exchange of experience on MPA management issues through the organisation of thematic workshops, the development of methodological tools on MPA management, the funding of field studies and the online publishing of the 1st Mediterranean MPA Directory. More information on the network can be found on www.medpan.org. The MedPAN association was established in November 2008 under French law to institutionalize the activities of the network. The purpose of the MedPAN association is to promote the creation, perpetuation and operation of a Mediterranean ecological network of marine protected areas. It thus contributes to achieving the specific objectives fixed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), to establish and maintain comprehensive, effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and regional systems of marine protected areas and those of the Barcelona Convention, and in particular to its protocol relating to Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (Barcelona, 1995). The members of association are MPA management entities. Legal entities that do not manage a MPA but are interested in the management or the creation of these and wish to contribute to the establishment and strengthening of a network, may become partners of the association. The association is governed by a General Assembly, a Board of Directors and an Executive Committee, as well as a Scientific Committee and an Advisory Committee. Its action plan is implemented by a Permanent Secretariat, composed initially of 2 to 3 people. Actions are mainly funded through projects. (Closing date: 06 March 2009)

Job Description:

The tasks of the Executive Secretary include:

  • Management of the MedPAN association, including strategic and action planning, financial management & administration, human resources management, project management, relations with the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee;
  • Supervising the implementation of the association’s action plan, which may include the following activities:
- Promotion and coordination of exchanges between members and partners of the MedPAN network, 
- Management, coordination or participation in projects related to marine protected areas, 
- Provision of support to the creation of new marine and coastal protected areas in the Mediterranean,
- Setting up of scientific monitoring of the ecological condition of marine protected areas and promotion of scientific research programmes, 
- Dissemination to the general public and the institutional players of actions carried out by the MedPAN association or the members of the network,
- Promotion of the role, of the value and the environmental, social and economic benefits of Mediterranean marine protected areas amongst all the publics concerned, 
- Promotion of the association and of members or partners of the network amongst public or private donors in order to help fundraising for the association or the projects that it wishes to promote.
  • Coordination with the projects implemented by partners :
- MedPAN South : a project coordinated by the WWF Mediterranean Programme (Rome) consisting in enhancing the effective conservation of regionally important coastal and marine biodiversity features, through the creation of an ecologically coherent MPA network in the Mediterranean non-EU region. This will be achieved through a series of demonstration activities in specific pilot sites and targeted capacity-building exercises at regional and local level over 2008-2012, 
- MedPAN North : a project to be coordinated by WWF-France with the aim to improve management of a number of EU MPAs (2010-2012), 
- RAC/SPA projects, 
- Potentially other par projects.
  • Coordination with RAC/SPA.

Qualifications and Requirements:

  • Advanced university degree in marine biology, oceanology or environmental management.
  • At least five years’ experience, with increasing responsibility in project/programme development, planning, implementation, technical and financial management and evaluation, of which a minimum of three years experience at the international level in biodiversity conservation, fisheries management and protected areas related fields.
  • Experience in management of an association or an organization.
  • Fundraising experience.
  • Knowledge of the key international, regional and EU legislation and policies in relation to environment, fisheries, conservation and sustainable development is desirable.
  • Fluency in oral and written French and English is required. Another Mediterranean language will be a plus.

Duration and location:

The contract is a 18-month contract, with the possibility of becoming a permanent contract if funding is secured.

The position will be based at the MedPAN association headquarters in Hyères, France. Extensive travelling in Mediterranean countries will be required.

Gross salary : between 25 000€ and 30 000€ based on the candidate’s experience.


Application deadline:

06 March 2009


Interested candidates should email a cover letter and CV to Mr Jean-Pierre Nicol, President of the MedPAN Association, jean-pierre.nicol@portcros-parcnational.fr and copy Catherine Piante cpiante@wwf.fr.

Document Actions
Filed under:
Translate to: