Communications Officer for FLEGT&REDD Unit

The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organization with 23 European member countries, and over 120 Associate Member institutions. EFI’s Headquarters is located in Joensuu, Finland. EFI has several Regional Offices across Europe, a FLEGT office (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is establishing an office in Brussels.

EFI hosts the EU FLEGT Facility and the EU REDD Facility, which support partner countries, the European Commission, EU Delegations and EU Member States in the implementation of the EU FLEGT Action Plan and REDD+ activities.

The EU FLEGT Facility supports efforts to combat illegal logging and promote trade in legal timber. It works with timber producing and exporting countries to develop appropriate systems to ensure the legal trade and export of timber products, aiming to address forest governance failures. The Facility currently works in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Facility provides this support through technical assistance in the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) processes and other equivalent arrangements, through facilitation of dialogue between the EU and timber exporting countries and other forms of cooperation.

The EU REDD Facility provides support to the development of REDD+ policies and actions. It assists both the EU and developing countries in this context. Important work areas include building the necessary capacities of developing countries, supporting forest governance reform and providing advice for the development of EU-financed REDD+ related actions. The Facility builds synergies with FLEGT VPA processes where relevant, including taking lessons from the FLEGT Action Plan for other sustainable approaches to addressing the drivers of deforestation outside the forest sector.

EFI is looking for a Communication Officer (Acting) to reinforce the FLEGT and REDD Unit’s Communications team.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The main duties of the Communications Officer include the following: 
• Managing publications, including planning, budgeting, printing oversight and distribution. 
• Managing the publication process of the EU FLEGT newsletter.
• Updating the EU FLEGT Facility website, with a focus on news updates and event updates.
• Organizing and providing support to meetings and workshops.
• Support outreach activities for media, including distributing press releases, backgrounders, and media kits.

Qualifications 

• Bachelors degree in communications, public relations or publishing. Minor or second degree in natural resource management an advantage. 
• Three years working experience in a research institute or international NGO is an advantage.
• Excellent MS Office skills, Adobe Standard; working knowledge of Photoshop and InDesign. 
• Excellent skills in spoken and written English; fluency in French and/or Spanish is an asset
• Experience in publication processes and web editing
• Ability to organize and keep parallel processes on track 
• Experience in editing / news writing is an asset 
• Strong team player and able to collaborate with a varied group of stakeholders

Attributes 
• Detail oriented with experience providing polished work in high profile settings or under deadline pressure.
• Sees value in working with a wide range of people with many different languages, temperaments and disciplinary backgrounds.
• Proactive about providing support as part of a support unit for Commission staff and EFI technical staff.
• Desire to communicate for positive social change.
• Acquisitive and interested in the opportunities for learning in the communications area

Duty station
The Communications Officer will be based at the EFI Policy Support Office in Barcelona, Spain.

Employment conditions 
The Communications Officer will be an EFI staff member. The initial duration of employment will be 12 months, starting on 1 July 2012 for a fixed-term employment. EFI offers an inspiring, dynamic international and multicultural working environment, varying duties and opportunities to learn new skills and a comprehensive health care package.

Interested candidates are requested to send an application letter and CV by 1 June 2012, using our online application form. If it is not possible for you to apply online please send your application to: Human Resources Office, EFI, email: efi.hr@efi.int.

For more information about the post please contact Mr. Tomi Tuomasjukka, FLEGT-REDD Communications Team leader, phone +358-50-433 9049, email: tomi.tuomasjukka@efi.int.