University of Cape Coast

Centre for Coastal Management

The Centre for Coastal Management (CCM) at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana in collaboration with the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) is implementing a two-year Ocean Accounts Project in Ghana. This project aims to strengthen national ocean accounts, with a specific focus on aligning ecosystem extent accounts, informal and subsistence economies, and community-level social accounts. A case study on the subsistence use, benefits, and associated pressures of mangrove ecosystems in the Volta Delta region will serve as the foundation for this initiative. Additionally, the project aims at advancing the uptake of national ocean accounts in Ghana and enhancing capacity building through training of ocean accounts professionals and provision of technical resources to strengthen the implementation of ocean accounts within the country. 

To achieve these goals, the Centre for Coastal Management is seeking to engage the following for the next two years:  
1.    A post-doctoral fellow 
2.    A master student to work closely with the post-doctoral fellow
3.    An ocean account fellow to work on national ocean economy satellite accounts within one of the national agencies in Ghana.

Responsibilities:

Post-doctoral Fellow
The post-doctoral fellow will lead the development of ocean accounts for the Volta Delta of Ghana using methodologies including but not limited to: 
1. Remote Sensing – generate ecosystem extent maps from satellite imagery
2. Ground truthing and condition determination – in situ assessments of ecosystem extents to improve analytical accuracy of the maps generated. In addition, measurement of ecosystem conditions to be conducted.
3. Identification of ecosystem services – link extent maps to any available economic data about the value chains for mangrove products
4. Determine the level of dependence on the resource for livelihoods.

Master student: 
The student will work together with the postdoctoral fellow and will be expected to submit a thesis on a relevant topic within the scope of the project. 

Ocean Accounts Fellow: 
The Ocean Accounts Fellow will be hosted at a relevant national agency and his/her responsibilities will include among others: 
1.    Conducting national policy diagnostics to identify the gaps and opportunities for the Ocean Accounts. 
2.    mapping of relevant sectors (including informal components of the economy)
3.    designing and implementing plans to enhance government capability relevant to Ocean Accounts
4.    host workshops with key government stakeholders to share knowledge; and facilitate further government engagement with relevant GOAP partners globally as required to support Ghanaian priorities.

Eligibility criteria: 
A suitable candidate must:

Postdoctoral Fellow
1.    Have a PhD in Environmental Science, Blue Economy, Coastal Management, Natural Resource Management, Natural Resource Economics or any related field
2.    Have completed their PhD within the last five years
3.    Have experience in ecosystem accounting
4.    Have knowledge of GIS/Remote Sensing 

Master student: 
1.    Be a first year Master of Philosophy student at the University of Cape Coast in the area of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Environmental Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management or any other related field.
2.    Knowledge of GIS/Remote Sensing is desirable

Ocean Account Fellow: 
1.    Have a PhD in Coastal Management, Environmental Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management, Marine Policy or any other related area OR a Master’s degree (by research) in any of these areas with a minimum of five (5) years working experience
2.    Have experience in policy analysis
3.    Have experience in national stakeholder engagement and coordination
4.    Have experience in workshop coordination and organization

How to apply: 
All suitable applicants should address their applications to the Director, Centre for Coastal Management - ACECoR, University of Cape Coast and submit via email to: acecor@ucc.edu.gh on or before close of business 10th January 2025.
1.    A cover letter
2.    Curriculum Vitae
3.    Motivation statement
4.    Two (2) recommendation letters
5.    Two-page research proposal (master’s student only)
6.    Five-page research proposal (post-doctoral fellow only)

For more details about the project, please refer to the project brief here.