IMPORTANT: This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders. Other applicants need not apply.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Based in New York City, with offices throughout the United States and worldwide, the Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers.
The Rainforest Alliance’s Climate Program works to conserve biodiversity and enhance livelihoods by supporting sustainable land management practices that allow communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The climate program is cross-cutting, involving the sustainable forestry, agriculture and tourism programs of the Rainforest Alliance. The principal goals of the climate program are to: build capacity for REDD+ implementation through project facilitation and by developing/deploying training and guidance materials; contribute to REDD-readiness initiatives at a national level in target tropical countries; innovate and implement projects leveraging carbon finance as a tool for landscape-level conservation; shape forest carbon standards and REDD+ policy at the national and international level and among key climate investment funds; develop and scale adaptation-oriented tools and initiatives; and build demand and capacity for forest carbon validation, verification and methodology services in priority tropical regions, among others. The climate program works with a wide range of stakeholders, from small producers to large corporations and governments.
Position Summary:
The Technical Specialist will be responsible for technical project coordination, verification systems and tools development, training, and supporting the growth of Rainforest Alliance’s Climate Program. S/he will be expected to effectively provide scientific and technical rigor to Rainforest Alliance validation/verification of carbon sequestration and emissions reductions projects according to internationally accepted standards, focusing primarily on forestry, agroforestry, and agriculture, but monitoring all technical work across divisions. This position will work with Climate Program staff, as well as technical and managerial staff from the Sustainable Forestry, Agriculture, and Tourism Divisions, to develop the organization’s activities to address climate change. The Technical Specialist will represent the Climate Program to businesses, NGOs, project developers, carbon credit and offset service providers, investors, and corporations.
Responsibilities:
Provide technical input to forest carbon validations, verifications and methodology assessments and participate in the technical components related to carbon calculations in both field and desk based audits;
Coordinate project-by-project efforts of Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism staff to implement technical activities to mitigate and adapt to climate change;
Support management of the accreditations or approvals of Rainforest Alliance as a forest carbon validator/verifier for the Verified Carbon Standard; CarbonFix; Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance(CCBA), Plan Vivo; and other leading standards as necessary;
Provide technical support to Rainforest Alliance’s TREES Program led REDD projects globally;
Provide technical oversight for the roll-out of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) climate module globally;
Support the evaluation and research (E&R) team in conducting climate relevant E&R and proposal development;
Create auditor guidance, training modules and tools for auditors, community organizations, and project developers for development and/or validation/verification of forestry, agroforestry, and agriculture carbon projects;
Enhance the worldwide technical capacity of Rainforest Alliance through development and implementation of carbon methodologies and protocols for forestry, agriculture, and tourism;
Develop training materials for use in training Rainforest Alliance staff, representatives, and auditors, and coordinate implementation of training courses with other Rainforest Alliance staff;
Coordinate with other organizations and partners to explore and develop technical forest carbon project opportunities;
Provide technical input into the creation of public communication materials;
Represent Rainforest Alliance’s Climate Program at public events;
Provide support to regions in the recruitment of clients, particularly in explaining technical aspects of carbon measurement;
Serve as technical resource to climate and carbon-related questions from Rainforest Alliance regional and partner offices; and
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree required preferably in environmental science, forestry, or ecology;
Minimum 3 years experience in carbon modeling/calculations and/or carbon markets/standards;
Minimum 5 years professional experience;
A strong understanding of carbon modeling for agriculture, forestry and land use projects;
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint;
Excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills;
Written and verbal proficiency in Spanish and/or French is preferred;
Strong organizational skills to manage multiple priorities in a time sensitive manner are required;
Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills with ability to interact culturally, linguistically, and diplomatically with diverse internal and external individuals;
Knowledge of, and commitment to, environmental issues and sustainability practices;
Experience in a not-for-profit and international environment is preferred; and
Willingness and ability to travel internationally, 25-30 percent of the time.
Salary:
Commensurate with experience.
Notes:
Only candidates authorized to work in the UK will be considered for the UK-based location.
