Careers in marine conservation
Survey reefs, train volunteers and work with coastal communities in southern Negros Oriental, Philippines.
Working at MCP
Science, diving and community work in one job
Marine Conservation Philippines (MCP) is a non-profit NGO protecting the coastal resources of southern Negros Oriental through research, education and volunteering.
We survey coral reefs, train local partners and international volunteers, build capacity and help turn the data into conservation action and policy.
Your work reaches policy
We report MPA results to the municipalities we work with and hold a permanent seat on the Protected Area Management Board for Apo Island.
You live by the reef
On-site staff live on our campus at Siit Arboretum in Zamboanguita, alongside a multinational team of staff, interns and volunteers.
We grow our own team
Many of our staff started as interns and moved up from junior to senior roles.
Open positions
No open positions right now
New roles are posted here first. Join the job alert list to hear about them, or send us an open application.
How people join us
From intern to senior staff
This is how many of our staff joined, though it's not the only way in. Volunteering and interning are both optional, but many of our staff came through an internship, then grew from a junior role into a senior one.
Volunteer
Join as a volunteer, learn our survey methods and get to know the reefs.
Intern
A research, media or PADI instructor internship of 10 to 16+ weeks, working alongside our staff.
Junior staff
A paid role such as junior science officer, training volunteers and helping plan each week's work.
Senior staff
Leading our science, dive or outreach work, writing reports, government liaison.
Internship Options
Early-career scientists and conservationists often find it hard to land a first job. An internship gives you hands-on experience, skills and a network, and we offer a number of placements every year.
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Research Intern
16+ weeksLearn moreAn independent research role under a supervisor. For postgraduates, or students enrolled in a BSc or MSc in oceanography, marine biology, conservation science or a related field.
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Media Intern
10+ weeksLearn moreUsually a non-diving placement as our in-house creative. You help with billboards, social media, the website, blog posts, illustrations and infographics.
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PADI Instructor Intern
10+ weeksLearn moreFor current PADI instructors, or divers who want to become one. Some candidates start as divemaster interns and grow into the role as instructor apprentices.
Life on base
Living and working at MCP
On-site staff live on campus, eat most meals with the volunteers and interns, and take an active part in the social life on base. Staff in entry-level roles share a bathroom with one colleague, and senior staff typically have their own bungalow.
We're an easy-going, multinational team. We want you to be passionate, bright and clever, but you also need to be extrovert and kind to the people around you. After that, you can have all the tattoos you want and look like a Wookiee.
What we offer
Pay that leads similar conservation organisations. We discuss salary with shortlisted applicants.
Competitive perks: housing, food, free transport and paid holiday every year.
PADI professional and technical dive training, depending on the role.
Room to grow. Contracts start at 6 to 12 months with extension possible, and junior staff can move into senior roles.
How we hire
Email your CV (max. 2 pages) and a one-page cover letter to team@mcp.email, with the job title as the subject.
We confirm we've received your application within 48 hours, usually sooner.
Every job ad states its deadline. We interview shortlisted applicants by video, both before and shortly after it.
Some roles include a short practical task, such as building a dashboard from a sample dataset.
We make an offer, followed by a two-month probation period.
When the process is finished, we get back to everyone who applied.
Good to know
Policies and practicalities
Equal opportunities
MCP is committed to equal employment opportunity and a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on our organisational needs, the job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, colour, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, marital or partnership status, family status, or any other status protected by Philippine law. Diving roles require medical fitness to dive.
Safeguarding
We host youth summer camps and school expeditions. For roles that specifically involve working with children, we may ask for a police clearance to confirm suitability for the job. Everyone on our team is guided by our Child Protection Policy.
Your application data
We use your CV and cover letter only for recruitment, and keep them for about two years unless you ask us to delete them sooner. Read our Privacy Policy
Questions we often get
Can I work remotely?
Yes, for roles where it makes sense, such as data analysis or web design.
Do I need to be a diver?
Not for remote roles. On site, some of our staff work as community liaisons, teach in schools or lead our mangrove reforestation, and none of these roles need diving. They do need fluent Cebuano and local knowledge, which is why most of these colleagues are Filipino. Our science and dive roles usually ask for at least PADI Divemaster or equivalent.
Do I need to volunteer or intern with you first?
No, you don't need to do either. An internship is a great way for us to get to know each other and see if you fit the team, and we've hired many of our current staff that way. But if you think you have the skills a role asks for, we warmly encourage you to apply.
Are internships paid?
No. Interns pay a much reduced rate that covers their food and accommodation.
Do you accept open applications?
Yes. Email your CV and a short cover letter to team@mcp.email with "Open application" as the subject.
Past roles
Roles we've hired for
These positions have been filled. We've kept them here to show the kind of work, and the kind of people, we look for.
Junior Data Analyst and Data Visualisation Officer
The role
- Create BI solutions that present ecological data visually, such as graphs, charts and heat maps, and build dashboards for internal use and for communicating with stakeholders, using tools like Tableau or Microsoft Power BI.
- Analyse large ecological datasets, currently stored in Google Sheets, to find trends, anomalies, errors and methodological inconsistencies, and present issues and progress at weekly or fortnightly online meetings with the science team.
- Take a lead role in making our online data portal a valuable, close to real-time tool for local stakeholders, from fisherfolk associations to other NGOs and government agencies.
- Potentially, write timely reports on our findings for local government units and agencies, or provide counsel and data-based validation for MCP's conservation recommendations.
- Potentially, use existing datasets for ecological modelling, to detect correlations that act as indicators of change in biomass, diversity and other measures of reef health.
What we looked for
- Strong mathematical and statistical understanding.
- Proven ability to build efficient BI dashboards and integrate them on the web.
- A strong analytical background, with an eye for modelling opportunities in the data.
- Complete fluency in written and spoken English, and the ability to work remotely and independently to agreed deadlines.
- A team player who gives constructive feedback with consideration for others.
A plus
- A Filipino background or familiarity with working in the Philippines.
- A basic understanding of mangrove and coral reef processes. A marine biology degree is not required.
Junior Science Officer
The role
- Train volunteers in the theory and in-water skills of coral reef monitoring, mainly to assess reef health and productivity for food security.
- Help plan each week's conservation work (monitoring, engagement, research) in a weekly science staff meeting, so outputs are coordinated and tasks shared.
- Help senior staff write twice-yearly reports for each target municipality on how well its MPAs are working, mainly through evidence of improved fisheries productivity.
What we looked for
- An academic background, volunteer or work experience that qualifies you to present and teach scientific diving in the water. Our monitoring primer and downloads give a good idea of the work.
- An experienced, comfortable diver, at least PADI Rescue Diver or equivalent.
- A driving licence and the ability to drive a manual, as you'll drive trucks like the Kia K2500.
- Comfortable teaching a diverse, multinational group in English, and able to commit to at least a year.
- Outgoing, energetic and fit, with a sense of humour, a natural interest in people, and Olympic-level small talk.
A plus
- Experience with citizen science, camp environments or remote workplaces. Perhaps you've volunteered yourself?
- Divemaster, instructor or technical diving background, and knowledge of compressor and dive gear maintenance.
- A Filipino background or familiarity with working in the Philippines.
- Web skills (WordPress, SEO) and other IT knowledge.
- Non-smokers.