BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), through the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) NPC, invites applications from suitably qualified Field Assistants to spend approximately one year on sub-Antarctic Marion Island (April 2027 to May 2028).  Two positions are available to undertake field research and monitoring that will inform the planned mouse eradication in 2029.

The successful candidates will play a key role in advancing one of the world’s most ambitious island restoration initiatives. Working as part of the Mouse-Free Marion team, they will contribute to our understanding of selected aspects of mouse biology on Marion Island.

This is a rare chance to live and work on one of the world’s most extraordinary and remote islands while contributing directly to the conservation of a globally important ecosystem.  The role will take you across Marion Island’s dramatic and untamed landscapes, from rugged coastlines to remote inland plateaus, in support of a pioneering conservation effort. While the work is physically demanding and may involve hiking up to 20 km per day in challenging sub-Antarctic conditions, it offers an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to a project with meaningful conservation impact.

Download the full advert here.  Applications close on 6 November 2026.

The Mouse-Free Marion Project Team, 19 October 2026

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Your home for a year? The research station on Marion Island, photograph by Anton Wolfaardt

The Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean.  The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.  Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate.  For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.