# Application for Product Manager – Marine Reserve Program ([Global Fishing Watch](https://globalfishingwatch.org))

Product Manager - Marine Reserve Program | June 2020 | 1 of 2

To whom it may concern,

As an ambitious researcher and passionate advocate with extensive experience in marine governance and a longstanding interest in technology, I am excited to apply for the position of Product Manager - Marine Reserve Program at Global Fishing Watch. In my role as Senior Researcher in International Marine Policy at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) , I am engaged in a range of activities that aim to facilitate regional cooperation and strengthen ocean governance. I produce policy-relevant research and collaborate with NGOs and scientists to advocate for positive changes to conservation and management of marine biodiversity.

I share GFW’s mission - to protect the ocean through effective governance - and believe that new technological tools can be a transformative force for marine conservation by increasing transparency. I am keen to contribute my knowledge, skills and network to advance this mission.

### Knowledge and experience

As part of the STRONG High Seas project , I have developed a work package on monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), focussing on emerging technologies, international regulations, and advocating for MCS in a future treaty. I organised a fact-finding mission to expand our network and assess current challenges, meeting with experts from the FAO, academia, NGOs and industry, and visiting the UK Satellite Applications Catapult. This established a foundation for: international expert workshops on MCS technologies and policies ; a regional workshop in South America, which I conducted in Spanish; and a UN side event, co-hosted with GFW . We produced two reports, proposing options for a treaty and providing the basis for ongoing advocacy. Interventions by GFW staff at our events, and lively exchanges on the sidelines, gave me a deeper understanding of GFW’s work and strategy.

### Relationship building

I played a key role in establishing the Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance , working with colleagues to identify strategic partners and collaborating to develop projects that have attracted significant long-term support and funding. I coordinate with a wide range of actors to implement these projects - including government, research institutes, and UN and EU bodies - and am responsible for tracking progress and reporting.

I am open and easy-going, and find that my genuine interest in people enables me to quickly form personal connections. I follow up with new contacts, sharing publications and information where appropriate - in my experience, the most effective way to turn connections into collaborators is to be friendly and useful. I assiduously update my contact list, noting relevant context that allows me to easily identify potential collaborators and sources of up-to-date information.

These relationships have provided me and my institute with excellent opportunities, including invitations to speak at high-level closed-door workshops, lead development of significant publications, and provide input to policy-making processes. I have also relied on these skills to bring success to a range of personal projects, such as building a pool of dedicated readers and curators of the Little Blue Letter and crowdfunding a book published by Penguin Random House .

### Analytical and strategic skills

Working for a small institute, I am required to strategically develop a work programme that can, with limited resources, generate both impact and visibility in a crowded and complex field. I continuously monitor current developments, seeking niches where we can contribute useful analysis and identifying specific roles we can fulfill. I have thereby developed a varied body of research and events that has secured our position as both a leader on previously neglected critical issues (fisheries, MCS, impact assessment) and as an objective and respected voice in international policy processes.

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For example, I analysed web traffic and noted continued interest in our outdated overview of high seas issues. As UN discussions were gaining momentum, I saw an opportunity to produce a comprehensive guide to serve as an introduction for newcomers and a reference for seasoned delegates. I drafted a high-quality analysis, seeking feedback from reviewers with diverse perspectives and procuring forewords from the Chair of the negotiations and France’s Special Ambassador for Climate Change. I then planned a communications campaign, leveraging my extensive network to target key actors and using my social media and outreach skills to ensure wide distribution.

The Long and Winding Road is now widely recognised as the essential guide to the negotiations. It remains one of our most popular publications and generates regular invitations from editors, journalists and event organisers, including the opportunity to write a comment piece in Nature . Other relevant skills
Computing
● Longstanding interest in computing, technology, data analysis, and web design/programming.
● Expert user of all office programmes, as well as a range of advanced software, such as Photoshop, Google Data Studio and Tableau.
● Familiar with agile software development principles and methodologies.
● Currently learning Google Apps Script/Javascript and building free and accessible tools for the ocean community. Recent projects include a spreadsheet-based tool for collecting and analysing Twitter datasets and a collaborative online database of ocean webinars that received almost 150 listings within a week of release .
Communications
● Confident public speaker, representing IDDRI in various forums and regularly speaking at a range of events. Media interviews and articles in English and French.
● Experience communicating with diverse audiences, from scientists to the general public.
● Strong professional network and social media following .
Events
● Organisation of high-level expert meetings, workshops, and stakeholder dialogues (5-70 participants), as well as side events and conference sessions.
● Key role in the Marine Regions Forum , an international invite-only conference (200 participants).
● Teaching and training courses for negotiators and government officials.

Work ethic
● Motivated and productive - strive to get things done as effectively and efficiently as possible.
● Self-aware and adaptable - quickly see where I can complement others and add value.
● Supportive and kind - lifting others up and favouring collaboration over competition.
● Curious lifelong learner and fledgling mentor - eager to extend myself and share my experience.

I have closely followed Global Fishing Watch since its inception and have been consistently impressed with both the ambition of the project and the results it has delivered. In particular, I see GFW’s success in developing an accessible tool for visualising fishing activity and partnering with governments to access proprietary VMS data as watershed developments. On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of working with GFW staff on numerous occasions and am keen to join such a friendly, passionate and productive team.

Kind regards,