The Civet Project is Recruiting: Project Officer - Civet One Health Viet Nam

The Civet Project Foundation is recruiting for a Vietnamese Project Officer, skilled in research and communications to assist with the development of the Civet One Health program.

About the Organisation

The Civet Project Foundation (charity number 1206208, est. 2023) is the first charitable organisation in the world dedicated explicitly to Viverrid species. The Viverridae family consists of civets, oyans, linsang and genets - all of which are small bodied carnivores endemic to Asia and Africa. Whilst these species are the most primitive of the Feliformia alive today, they are amongst the most poorly researched family of Carnivores. This is because civets and their Viverrid cousins tend to be nocturnal, solitary, and highly elusive which makes them very difficult to study in the wild. 

Through our research and outreach activities, we promote the conservation, welfare, and protection of civets and related species. We focus on human-animal relationships and inspire empathy for lesser-known species including those yet to be formally recognised as vulnerable to extinction. Whilst many civet species are not formally listed as endangered, civet species are in decline across the world. We work with in-situ partners, NGOs and research institutions to protect civets from various threats including:

• Civet coffee 

• Wild meat

• Unethical wildlife tourism

• Civet musk

• Climate change

• Unsustainable anthropogenic pressures

• Human-wildlife conflict

Civet One Health Viet Nam

Across Vietnam, civets are commercially farmed for the production of civet coffee (cà phê chon), luxury meat, and their body parts are used for medicinal purposes. Commercial civet farming involves legal and illegal activities, and the lack of regulation places significant risk to the health and well being of civets, the environment and local people. Through interdisciplinary research, collaborative community engagement, strategic public outreach, and effective policy change, the Civet One Health project aims to end commercial civet farming in Vietnam whilst promoting more equitable and sustainable futures for generations to come.

Launching in late 2025, the Civet One Health (COH) program will be the flagship program of The Civet Project Foundation. Strategically designed in line with our charity values of being data driven, collaborative and inclusive, COH will be a multi-year project involving the following key areas and interest-holders:

• Trade research (network and demographic analysis of civet trade processes)

• Consumer research (demographics, motivations and behaviours)

• Education and outreach (events, school programs, social media campaigns and farmer engagement)

• Policy advocacy 

• Rescue, rehabilitation and release of civets from commercial facilities

About the Role

The Programs Officer will contribute to the development, implementation, and monitoring of Civet One Health Viet Nam. In year 1 and 2 of the program, the role will be primarily focussed on research, the development of educational resources and networking with partners and interest-holders.

The Programs Officer will assist in the development of a rigorous, inclusive and culturally sensitive program of research activities and will be responsible for collecting data via the following activities:

• Household surveys in rural farming communities

• Observations and interviews with civet farmers 

• Observations and interviews with restaurant owners, civet farmers and customers in urban areas

• Nation-wide consumer behaviour surveys related to the consumption of civets and their products

Nation-wide travel will be expected, though we forecast Ho Chi Minh, Dong Nai, Binh Thuan and Hanoi will be of particular importance for our research. Further details of specific responsibilities are provided in Table 1. It would be preferable, therefore, that the role be taken by a candidate local to one of these regions.

The Project Officer will work closely with our CEO, Communications Officer, Programs Administrator and the Board of Trustees to ensure that the program runs smoothly, to budget, and that all KPI are achieved in accordance with our charity's mission to protect Viverrid species throughout their ranges. 

This is a remote part time position offered on a consultancy basis (0.2 contract) for a 12 month period, with possible opportunities for extension. 

Salary: The consultancy fee will be in the range of 19,000,000 – 21,000,000 VND per month (gross). The contractor will be responsible for their own personal income tax in line with Vietnamese regulations.

Table 1a. Primary Civet One Health Responsibilities -Year 1	Working with:
Development of research implements (interview and survey design)	CEO
Research delivery (conducting in-person interviews, surveys, observations, and online trade monitoring)	CEO
Data translations, coding and analysis	CEO
Collation of research findings including visualisation of data via mapping	CEO
Monitoring of KPIs	CEO,  Programs Administrator
Budget management	CEO
Collating research findings	CEO,  Programs Administrator
Assisting with written reports including end of year funding reports, research reports, updates for the board	CEO
Developing effective education and outreach resources and materials including the transition of current resources for English/Vietnamese accessibility	Communications Officer
Development of grant applications and other funding opportunities	CEO

Table 1b. Other Civet One Health Responsibilities -Year 1
Program areas	Responsibilities
Education & Outreach	Organise and attend events with Vietnamese interest-holders
Policy Advocacy	Develop trusted and mutually benefiting relationships with policy makers
Translate policies into English and identify gaps and weaknesses
Partner Relations	Build trusted and mutually benefiting relationships with policy makers, funders and pre-existing partners

About You

As the Project Officer, you will have professional experience in data collection, analysis and reporting. You will be confident in data handling and use of statistics programs as well as a robust understanding of applied research ethics and the One Health approach. 

You will be based in Vietnam and have a broad understanding of the Vietnamese social, economic and political landscape in relation to wildlife farming and consumption. You will understand and embrace the challenges and opportunities involved in an emerging international non-profit working in Asia.

As this position requires a close working relationship with our UK team and occasional meetings with our UK partners, verbal and written English language skills are an essential requirement. With our CEO, you will deliver program updates to our partners, trustees, supporters, and funders and will be confident to identify opportunities for improving program monitoring strategies. 

You will be comfortable to travel and work independently and as part of a diverse and remote team, and will be willing to accommodate and facilitate program meetings across Vietnam-UK time-zones. 

As an effective Project Officer  you will have a keen eye for detail and will ensure all programs are effectively monitored in a timely and accurate manner. You will be highly organised and have competencies in Google and Microsoft programs.

Further personal specifications are included in Table 2, below.

Personal Specifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following personal specifications:

Table 2. Personal Specifications	Essential (E) / Desirable (D)
Fluency  in Vietnamese and English	E
A proven track record of research experience in the delivery of animal welfare, conservation, or One Health programs.	D
Confidence to travel and conduct research in challenging terrain/social environments	E
A minimum of 1 year experience working in the non-profit sector	D
A higher degree (MSc or higher) in a relevant field such as research, conservation, animal welfare, international development	E
Excellent time management and organisational skills	E
Proficiency using Microsoft and Google programs including word, excel/sheets, and powerpoint	E
Experience using Monday.com or similar to manage multiple programs	D
Keen eye for detail	E
Experience in program monitoring including tracking of KPIs and reporting	E
Confidence in presentation delivery	D

Further Information

For further information on our organisation, please see our website: www.thecivetproject.com

If you wish to have an informal discussion with one of our team, please email: info@thecivetproject.com 

Application Process

To make a formal application, please send a short CV and cover letter to info@thecivetproject.com 

Recruitment Timetable: Deadline for applications: 5pm BST, 26th September 2025