Forestry Expert

Vacancy Announcement

Forestry Expert, USAID Vietnam Sustainable Forest Management Activity

Application deadline: October 22^nd 2021

Preferred by Nature (formerly NEPCon) is a non-profit organisation that works for sustainable land use and climate-friendly solutions. With 250+ staff around the world, our projects build capacity, raise awareness, conserve nature and streamline sustainability through innovation.

We are currently looking for a passionate colleague with a forestry background to join an exciting project. Preferred by Nature is a subcontractor to DAI, an international development company for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Sustainable Forest Management activity in Vietnam which will be implemented from July 2020-2025. To implement the project activities Preferred by Nature is seeking a Forestry Expert that will work at a provincial level with sustainable forest plantation management, certification, and market linkages, with an emphasis on Acacia value chains.

Project Background

The USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation, the degradation of natural forests, and poor plantation management. The Project will implement a “Green Prosperity” approach that strengthens local communities’ ability to protect their natural resource base and reduce emissions while building a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and equitable economic growth.

The Project will work in seven provinces (Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Quang Nam) and focus on five objectives:

• Improve and expand community forest management
• Increase conservation-friendly enterprises in forest-dependent communities
• Increase functionality of law enforcement system for forest crimes
• Improve production forest management practices
• Mobilize domestic resources for forest management and protection

The Project will be implemented during the period 2020-2025 by DAI in collaboration with RECOFTC and Preferred by Nature as partners, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) as the counterpart and the Management Board of Forestry Projects (MBFP) as project owner.

DAI is the lead partner, with Preferred by Nature and RECOFTC as subcontractors. We aim to bring local talent and international best practices to the Project that will help us build in-country technical and operational skills and strengthen community forest management well beyond the life of the programme.

Improve production forest management practices

Preferred by Nature is responsible for delivering the fourth objective: Improve production forest management practices. This activity will consist of the following elements:

1.    Increase production of sustainable timber by small-scale foresters

We will convene wood production stakeholders to map potential sustainable wood production zones and implement interventions that strengthen grower groups, increase production of high-quality timber products and create replicable, scalable models.

2.    Increase demand from processors for certified timber

We will engage with sawmills and other wood processors to catalyse aggregator-level demand for certified timber through business plan development, access to finance and support for Chain of Custody (CoC) certification.

3.    Develop market linkages between timber producers and industry

We will facilitate linkages between producers and buyers, alongside supporting broader market transformation for certified wood products. We will design and implement a series of interventions to enhance market opportunities for community grower groups and transform the broader market.

Summary of Primary Duties

The Forestry Expert is responsible for design and implementation of capacity building, silvicultural and forest certification activities of the Project at the provincial level.

Essential Duties

• Work with local partners (provincial project management units, forest owners, nurseries and farmers) in planning, organization and implementation of activities to improve the management of production forests.
• Collaborate with technical staff to implement project activities, including to provide capacity building for SFM planning and implementation; plantation management; re- and afforestation of forest areas; transformation of small dimension to large dimension timber plantations as well as plantation tending.
• Facilitate the establishment of new farmer groups where and if necessary, to achieve the project objectives.
• Assist in the development of technical guidelines on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices and forest certification.
• Build capacity amongst forest owners on SFM and forest certification.
• Support forest owners and farmer groups to implement sustainable forest management practices and achieve forest certification.
• Facilitate coordination between farmers, traders and processors.
• Assist the Project to monitor, assess and report the Project activities on Objective 4 in cooperation with the Project monitoring and evaluation team.
• Other tasks as required by Preferred by Nature.

Professional Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, or relevant area is required. Master’s Degree in forestry will be an advantage.
• At least 10 years of experience in the forestry sector or with development projects in Vietnam and a good record of working with government and development agencies.
• At least 10 years of experience in sustainable forest management planning and implementation in Vietnam is preferred.
• Experience in the development of guidance and training material and delivering field training to local farmers and small forest and plantation owners.
• Prior experience in managing teams, preferably in technical strategy development, activity planning and implementation.
• Strong provincial connections and understanding of planning processes and direct working experience with provincial government and private partners.
• Excellent networking and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and to motivate and inspire teamwork.
• Ability to work independently and a willingness to travel frequently within Vietnam and occasionally internationally.
• Vietnamese nationals only.
• Proficient user of the MS Office package (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Native Proficiency in Vietnamese and at least moderate English skills.

Personal Qualities

You will need to have strong interpersonal skills and a head for technical details. On top of that:

• You are an openminded and friendly person, who is good at communicating with people on all levels.  
• You have an analytical approach and can identify the barriers to sustainable forest management. 
• You possess a high level of self-discipline, an ability to organise and manage yourself and your time, as well as making independent decisions, as the nature of the job requires you to work independently and meet deadlines. 
• You have good networking and negotiation skills, as well as excellent organisational and planning skills. 
• You are comfortable speaking at events.  
• You are a constructive team-player and have an open attitude towards other cultures, as we collaborate across borders in our organisation. 
• You believe in Preferred by Nature’s vision and mission and want to contribute to fulfilling it. 

If you don’t meet all the professional requirements but you do have all the personal qualities, then we’re still keen to hear from you.

Position Details

• Work hours: 40 hours/week for full-time positions
• The employment contract will be on a yearly basis, with possible extensions until the closure of the Project.
• The positions’ day-to-day work is overseen by the Project’s Director of Enterprise Development and will report to Preferred by Nature’s Country Manager in Vietnam
• Working location: Thanh Hoa / Nghe An, with regional travel as required
• Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
• Expected starting date: November 2021.

We Offer

• All employees are members of the organisation and can contribute to the overall development of Preferred by Nature through the annual General Assembly 
• An exciting and challenging position within a dynamic and innovative international organisation with a mission-driven work atmosphere
• A friendly, international team of colleagues, with a pleasant work environment
• Excellent opportunities for growth and professional development 
• International training in certification services provided by Preferred by Nature
• Potential international travel opportunities.                  

A pool of short-term experts will also be needed to supplement the team. Candidates that are not chosen for the long-term position may be approached for a short-term position, forming part of a larger team that will cover all needs of the activity.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and letter of application (in English), including salary expectations, by 22^nd October 2021 via the application form below.

Please note: Only applicants legally eligible to work in Vietnam will be considered.

For questions, please contact:

Ho Van Cu, Country Manager, Vietnam  

Email: [email protected] 

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