Lecturer in Political Ecology

Tarapoto, Peru
Education

Institutional Mission:

The School for Field Studies (SFS) creates transformative study abroad experiences through field-based learning and research. Our educational programs explore the human and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental problems faced by our local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where we live and work. The SFS community is part of a growing network of individuals and institutions committed to environmental stewardship.

Position Title:

Reports To:

Center Director, Center for Amazon Studies

Dean, Office of Academic Affairs

Location:
Center for Amazon Studies, Tarapoto, Peru

Start Date:
The selected candidate will begin required virtual onboarding and training on January 4, 2027, followed by arrival at the Center for Amazon Studies and the start of on-site training on January 10, 2027.

This is an academic year contract position. Non-Peruvian national candidates must be able to commit to an initial 13-month contract to satisfy Peru's visa sponsorship and employment authorization requirements. Renewal opportunities may be available following a performance discussion with your supervisor and institutional needs.

Compensation/Benefits:

Salary is dependent on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package and on-site room and board included.

Position Summary:

The SFS Center for Amazon Studies, located in Tarapoto, Peru seeks an enthusiastic, team-oriented individual to serve as part of a team of faculty and staff that delivers an interdisciplinary, hands-on learning experience to students spending a semester in Peru. On a contract basis, the Lecturer in Political Ecology will deliver the 50-hour Political Ecology of Peru course during the fall and spring semesters. Additionally, during fall and spring, they will co-teach the 50-hour Directed Research course with other faculty members, leading a faculty-developed directed research project with a small group of students. Consistent with SFS's academic model and program delivery needs, the position will be expected to assist with the coordination and teaching of the summer academic programming, including the 50-hour summer course Amazon Plant Biodiversity and Traditional Medicine.

SFS programs are field-based and experiential. This position will engage students in a classroom and through extensive time spent in the field. We encourage faculty to integrate as much fieldwork and hands-on experience into their courses as possible.

SFS programs do not follow a nine to five model. Faculty are also integral members of the Center’s communal living model, eating and working with the student cohort.

Faculty are expected to be active members in the community-building process. Additional responsibilities outside of teaching may include participation in community engagement days, involvement in student life, organization of laboratory space, and general Center upkeep. We are especially interested in candidates with experience teaching to a diverse student body, and demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in a learning environment, conservation, and the Center’s host community.

Center Focus:

The SFS Center for Amazon Studies seeks to understand both the conflicts and synergies of conservation and development. Students will gain a sense of the richness of the Amazon region—biodiversity, social and cultural diversity, and ecosystem services—while exploring strategies for sustainable livelihoods in this highly productive and diverse region of South America.

The interdisciplinary themes of socio-ecological resilience, environmental justice, and conservation will guide our inquiry. Through coursework, field exercises, and Directed Research, students will study people’s dependence on the environment, examine the threats to the environment and to social networks, and explore the tools and strategies for mitigating the threats and promoting well-being among rural communities. A strong component of the program will be examining the ecological patterns and processes that underpin the high diversity of the region.

SFS Position on Diversity and Inclusion:

SFS was founded with the belief that stewardship of our planet is the responsibility of people all around the world. Addressing complex global issues requires the active inclusion of stakeholders with varying perspectives and identities. We recognize that to successfully address threats to our natural world, we must look beyond social constructs designed to divide us. Just as we value biodiversity in all its forms, we value and engage with a multitude of diverse perspectives and people in the countries where we work and the students and staff we serve.

Duties and Responsibilities:

SFS Lecturer positions are different than many other university teaching positions. Lecturers are integral members of the Center’s communal living model. The faculty team works closely and collaboratively to deliver a field-based interdisciplinary program, where programming days can be long and active. The program does not follow a nine to five model. In addition to providing high quality, inquiry-based teaching, faculty also participate fully in student life and in the implementation of the Center’s research plan. The publication of both student-assisted and independent research results is encouraged and supported.

Teaching

As part of an interdisciplinary teaching team, teach and co-teach the Political Ecology of Peru and Directed Research courses, respectively. Course descriptions are found below.

As part of an interdisciplinary teaching team, co-teach the summer Amazon Plant Biodiversity and Traditional Medicine course. Course description is found below.

Plan, revise, and effectively deliver a challenging, problem-based interdisciplinary curriculum to learners from diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds

Organize lectures, prepare course materials, and adhere to a daily academic schedule in a timely and professional manner

Actively support and counsel students on academic issues

Prepare, administer, and grade assignments, quizzes, and assessments

Supervise and mentor a student research group during the Directed Research course

Maintain an organized course portfolio

Participate in preparation of final reports, academic handbook revisions, and other required administrative tasks

Maintain equipment as required for teaching in the field

Research

Participate in the development and upkeep of the Center’s Strategic Research Plan (SRP) and conduct designated and aligned independent research

Identify appropriate components of the SRP suitable for student DR projects that prioritize community needs and build on local knowledge networks

Prepare research results for community stakeholders and broader scientific and non-scientific audiences using accessible communication methods

Assist, as required, with reviewing program research policies, priorities, and budgets

Follow data management, record keeping, and reporting systems

Represent SFS and/or present research at local, regional, or international meetings and conferences

Apply for external funding opportunities to support research activities when possible

Daily Center Life

Work flexible hours and live on site or nearby the field station with a small team of permanent staff, groups of US undergraduate students. The program does not follow a nine to five model.

Contribute to the creation of a living-learning community that is inclusive of diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, in which all learners have the opportunity to thrive

Actively model skills in competence, awareness, and knowledge necessary for meaningfully working with, interacting with, and learning from others who may differ from oneself in identity and/or lived experience

On a rotating basis, act as on-call "staff of the day/week"

Participate in the planning of activities and semester calendar prior to the start of the program and in training for new program staff

Participate in and lead parts of the orientation and re-entry components of the program presented to students at the beginning and end of each program

Participate in regular evaluations and reflection discussions following students' departure

Take part in, and occasionally lead, community outreach events, site upkeep projects, and field activities

In cooperation with other program staff, provide day-to-day coordination of interns and/or field assistants as delegated by the Center Director

As requested by the Center Director, assist with other logistical, group management, and administrative tasks

At all times, work to ensure good relations between the SFS and the local community

Drive standard transmission vehicles and boats as needed (driving license may be required)

Safety and Wellbeing

Take responsibility, as an individual and as a member of the Center team, for the safety of all program participants

Complete Risk Management Plans in a timely fashion for each field outing

Participate in resolving group management issues and student discipline problems

Adhere to, actively model, and enforce all SFS and program policies and procedures, including the values of the SFS Position on Diversity and Inclusion

Participate in the review and revision of program risk assessment and management plans

Know the emergency procedures plan for the field station, including evacuation plan

Participate in the safety portions of the on-site orientation and conduct safety briefings for students and/or staff

Complete incident reports when appropriate and contribute to safety audits.

Obtain Wilderness First Aid certification prior to first day of work (SFS support and reimbursable available) and ensure first-aid certifications are kept up to date

Minimum Qualifications:

Must be legally authorized to work in Peru at the time of hire or be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate Peruvian work visa with the support of SFS.

Master’s and university-level teaching experience in areas related to environmental policy, political science, anthropology, sociology, environmental/ecological economics, community development, or related field

Field research experience and/or project implementation in tropical areas

Demonstrated commitment to creating inclusive learning environments

Demonstrated ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary teaching and research team

Track record of research publications

Experience leading forest walks and hikes

Experience teaching classes in the field

Demonstrated commitment to environmental issues

Ability to work outdoors in tropical conditions and respond effectively during emergency situations

Fluent in English (all courses taught in English) and Spanish (field activities are conducted in Spanish)

Preferred Qualifications:

Ph.D. and university-level teaching experience in areas related to environmental policy, political science, anthropology, sociology, environmental/ecological economics, community development, or related field

Experience working in Peru

Experience teaching field courses

Experience with residential student group management and/or risk management

Experience cross-teaching or collaborating on projects in environmental policy, governance, climate change, sustainable tourism and development, or land usage

Track record of grant writing success

Current First Aid, CPR, and/or Wilderness First Aid certification

Expectations for Faculty Conduct:

The School for Field Studies strives to create and maintain a work environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency, and respect. The SFS environment is characterized by mutual trust and the absence of intimidation, oppression, and exploitation. SFS will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, of any kind. Through enforcement of this policy and by education of employees, SFS seeks to prevent, correct, and discipline behavior that violates this policy.

All offers of employment are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check, which may include, depending on the candidate’s home of record and local requirements, a certificate of good standing or clearance from the local police precinct. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates and on all employees as deemed necessary.

The successful candidate will provide high quality, modern and experiential teaching in critical environmental issues in an interdisciplinary curriculum and participate fully in the implementation of the Center’s five-year research plan that addresses these issues. The publication of research results is critical. The successful candidate will work closely with the lecturers in Tropical Ecology and Conservation Science and Practice to deliver an interdisciplinary program through education and research in a field setting.

Course Descriptions

Political Ecology of Peru: This course focuses on human interactions with and impacts on local natural systems, and vice versa. We consider these interactions through the interdisciplinary lens of political ecology, examining the political, economic, social, and historical factors of environmental issues and changes. The course provides conceptual and practical skills and tools to critically examine and assess the human-environment nexus by exploring distinct cultures and socioeconomic systems from the upper Andes to the Amazon basin. We also consider the theories and ethics of sustainable and unsustainable development, and the need to view these issues in ways that are inclusive and just.

Directed Research: This course provides students with the opportunity to apply ecological, biological, and/or social-scientific methods to a field research project that addresses a local issue related to the environment. We will also investigate the ways that various methods and theories distinguish (or don’t) fact from interpretation, cause from correlation, and advocacy from objectivity. The directed research topics are derived from the SFS Center’s Research Plan as defined by the Center staff and local stakeholders. Through the Directed Research project, students will contribute to a growing body of scientific research that informs local conservation and resource management decisions. SFS program lecturers lead a small group of students in this research component of the program.

Amazon Plant Biodiversity and Traditional Medicine: This summer course invites students to explore the rich and complex world of the Traditional Medicine (TM) as practiced by indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon. Deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge, TM is not just a package of healing practices, but an expression of a holistic understanding of health that sees humans, non-human living forms, forests, and the spiritual realm as intimately interconnected. The exploration of traditional Amazonian medicine (TAM), in its concepts, practices, and worldview, will guide students to expand perspective on the meaning and mechanisms of health, illness, and healing. Drawing on field visits and conversations with practitioners and other experts in the field, students will learn how this medicine inextricably relates to the forest biodiversity providing the basis for remedies and healing concepts used to treat illnesses. At the same time, the course critically examines indigenous medicinal knowledge within the mainstream health and biomedical scientific frameworks.

Applicants are encouraged to review the full course syllabi and programs descriptions on the SFS website: www.fieldstudies.org/peru

To Apply: Submit a cover letter, references and resume outlining relevant experiences via the online application on the SFS Careers page at https://fieldstudies.catsone.com/careers/

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)

Equal Opportunity Employer:

SFS is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, creed, caste, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetics, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, national origin or ancestry, ethnic origin, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.