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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 Sustainable Agriculture Division of the Rainforest Alliance, based in San José, Costa Rica, is the international secretariat of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition of independent conservation and rural development groups that promote responsible farming practices. By integrating all three pillars of sustainability -- Environment, Ethics and Economy -- the Rainforest Alliance and SAN help farmers improve their livelihoods, conserve natural resources and protect the environment. The program addresses the major commodity crops (e.g. bananas, coffee, cocoa, tea, citrus, flowers) that profoundly affect the economies, environments, cultures and politics of tropical countries. Rainforest Alliance and SAN guide, motivate and verify social and environmental improvements on farms, awarding a seal of approval (Rainforest Alliance Certified) to farms that meet comprehensive standards. The program began in Latin America in 1992. Now, more than 25,000 farms in 18 countries are certified, and Rainforest Alliance Certified products are widely available in mainstream markets. Position Summary: The Project Coordinator will coordinate, support and participate in in-country activities, events and services related to RA certification, with emphasis on coffee, in order to achieve established goals and deliverables. S/he will maintain relationships with important coffee sector stakeholders and partners and ensure that farmers and farmer groups have the information, training and tools needed to achieve certification. Responsibilities - Identify and gather information pertaining to key stakeholders; develop and maintain relations with key stakeholders in the coffee sector, including producers and producer groups, processors, exporters, NGOs, and representatives of important government agencies;
- Represent RA in important coffee sector events and activities related to coffee farmer support and certification;
- Become versed in RA Certification requirements and processes and ensure that project partners and key stakeholders understand these requirements and processes;
- Travel to coffee producing regions to promote and disseminate information about RA Certification to farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives, unions, processors and exporters with the objective of enlisting them in the certification process;
- Coordinate and participate in diagnostics of farms and group administrators to determine their improvement needs and provide technical support to achieve RA Certification;
- Coordinate with technical assistance providers and provide technical support to farmers, farmer groups, processors and exporters to facilitate RA Certification; technical support will focus on the best management practices contained in Standard for Sustainable Agriculture -- Sustainable Agriculture Network as well as Standard for Group Certification -- Rainforest Alliance Certification for groups and group internal control systems;
- Develop and/or adapt technical support tools -- manuals, designs, self-evaluations, checklists, and other materials -- for use by local technical assistance providers, farmers, and group administrators;
- Promote, coordinate and ensure the success of training events;
- Compile and maintain up-to-date information about coffee production and producers in Vietnam: production volumes, coffee types, principle markets, and producers, the outlook for certifications;
- Identify candidates to become local certification auditors and work with RA staff to train them; help coordinate the local logistics of subsequent certification audits;
- Participate in periodic project planning and review meetings with the project team;
- Meet with and organize trips for RA visitors;
- Communicate with RA supervisors on a regular basis and prepare periodic reports as required; and
- Other duties as assigned.
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Qualifications - Bachelor's Degree in agronomy or related field; Master's Degree preferred;
- 3-5 years of coffee sector experience in Vietnam; must be familiar with Vietnamese coffee supply chains and production and processing activities;
- Farmer training and/or extensionist experience, especially in the design, organization and delivery of training events;
- Familiarity with certification/verification issues and systems, ideally involving agriculture and small-scale producers preferred;
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English as well as local languages;
- Proven ability to work effectively in cross-cultural situations;
- Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office and Internet);
- Experience in the development of work plans and budgets; ability to work independently and in a team towards defined objectives and goals; and
- Willingness and ability to travel extensively in Vietnam up to 30% of the time and to spend significant periods in rural areas.
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