Senior REDD+ and Policy Concultant

Role and responsibilities: Climate Focus, together with Winrock International and SNV, is executing the USAID funded “Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests” (LEAF) program. The LEAF program aims to strengthen capacities of target countries to take a steering role in managing and reducing existing and future drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, to achieve meaningful and sustained reductions in GHG emissions from the forestry and land use sector. The Program employs a regional approach to meet this goal, with plans to support policy changes to establish incentives for GHG reductions, build regional capacity, and develop pilot activities to demonstrate innovation.  The program is managed out of Bangkok and will focus working in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia. More information on LEAF is available here.

Climate Focus is tasked with leading the policy component of LEAF and we are currently seeking a senior forestry and land use consultant to lead Climate Focus’s LEAF work from Bangkok, Thailand. The lead consultant will be required to liaise and work with regional governments, LEAF country staff and consortium members, bilateral and multilateral funding agencies, and other stakeholders to identify, develop, and help implement policy based interventions in the six target LEAF countries. The consultant will also be required to develop annual work plans and budgets to meet USAID and internal reporting requirements, support other aspects of LEAF work as needed, and provide direction to and manage junior staff and external consultants. The position will be supported by a junior Climate Focus staff member located in Bangkok, additional Climate Focus staff based in Washington D.C. and Amsterdam, Bangkok and regional staff from Winrock International and SNV also working on the LEAF project, and external consultants as needed.

Travel within S.E. Asia and elsewhere is required.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of a master’s degree with 8 years of experience in forestry, forest policy, natural resource management, or the carbon markets.
• Experience with REDD+ policy required; experience with other areas of climate change and/or climate finance desirable.
• Experience working with governments, multilateral or bilateral funding required; experience working on USAID projects preferred.
• Experience working in developing countries required; experience in S.E. Asia preferred.
• Must be able to work effectively in diverse and multicultural teams; adaptable, self-motivated fast learner with strong inter-personal and time management skills.
• Excellent analysis and writing skills.  
• Fluent in English required. Additional languages are desirable – particularly any S.E. Asian languages.

Remuneration and benefits: Competitive salary commensurate to experience. Benefits include medical and pension plan.

Contact: Please send CV and cover letter to Anne Haynes at a.haynes@climatefocus.com by 15^th March 2012.

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