Head of Conservation - Limpopo, South Africa

🌿 CONSERVATIONIST-IN-RESIDENCE | LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA 🦏

📍Limpopo, South Africa
🗓 Start Date: Mid-August 2026
⏳ Term: 1–3 years (with opportunity to rotate to another conservation hub thereafter)

☀️ WORKING AT BUSHWISE 

Bushwise is a leading Field Guide Training company, dedicated to developing the next generation of expert field guides and conservationists. We offer immersive, career-launching courses in some of Africa's most stunning wild spaces. Our commitment is to life-changing transformation, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and values to become successful professionals who drive real-world biodiversity outcomes. We are part of the broader Second Nature organisation. 

To learn more about our broader organisation, Second Nature, follow the link here! 

THE OPPORTUNITY: SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CONSERVATION

This is an opportunity for a seasoned practitioner to step into a 1-to-3-year field residency in one of the world’s most iconic ecosystems. We are looking for an expert who is ready to move beyond the laboratory to become a Conservationist-in-Residence.

In this role, your primary mission is education through action. You will share your wealth of field experience with participants who are growing their careers through field experience. 

You are the person who seamlessly blends theoretical lectures and hands-on fieldwork, ensuring that every student who joins our programs receives a scientifically rigorous and ethically sound education.

WHO YOU ARE

You are a highly experienced conservation professional who thrives in dynamic field environments and values education through action.

You bring:
✔ A PhD in Conservation Biology, Ecology, Resource Conservation, or a related field
✔ 10+ years of field and/or teaching experience
✔ Strong knowledge of biodiversity monitoring and field methodologies
✔ Experience with tools such as GIS, camera traps, ecological data collection, etc.
✔ The ability to mentor participants and early-career conservationists in an engaging and supportive way
✔ Excellent judgment, adaptability, and scientific rigour in remote field conditions

LIFE IN THE RESIDENCY

This is a 1-3 year field residency. Following this term, residents may rotate to another global hub.

• The setting: You will live in a remote, communal setting alongside our dedicated team of international staff and students. 
• The community: You will play a key role in the hub community, contributing to an inclusive environment through shared meals, teamwork, and the experience of living and working together in the field.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

Education

• Provide technical oversight of our Conservation Research Modules (CRM), including Ecological Restoration, Human Wildlife Coexistence and Biodiversity Monitoring.
• Work closely with the Impact Director to ensure site-specific research aligns with UN SDGs.
• Translate complex scientific concepts into hands-on, actionable training that bridges the gap between academic theory and field reality.
• Provide high-level guidance to participants and early-career conservationists.

Program Development

• Ensure field activities are ethically sound, of exceptional quality, and reflect the latest best practices in the sector.
• Act as a technical sounding board for the field team, solving challenges in data collection and project design.

Life in the Residency

• This is a 1–3 year field residency based in a remote, communal conservation setting.
• You will live and work alongside an international team of staff and students while immersed in one of South Africa’s most iconic ecosystems. Life at the hub is collaborative, purpose-driven, and deeply connected to the natural world, with shared staff accommodation forming part of the communal field experience.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

• Competitive monthly salary
• Full room and board
• Emergency medical and travel insurance
• Global growth opportunities to rotate across our bases 
• Mentorship and support from global colleagues 

YOUR NEXT STEP

Please send us your CV and a short Cover Letter sharing why this role is the right fit for you.

Kindly note: We genuinely appreciate every application we receive. If you haven’t heard from us within 3–4 weeks, it likely means we’ve moved forward with other candidates this time. That said, we’d love for you to stay connected and consider applying again in the future!