Certification Specialist

Vacancy Announcement

Certification Specialist, USAID Vietnam Sustainable Forest Management Activity

Application deadline: 8th November 2020

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 passionate colleagues with a forestry background to join an exciting new 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 seeks Certification and Silvicultural Specialists within sustainable forest plantation management, certification, and market linkages, within an emphasis in the Acacia value chain.

Project Background

The Vietnam Sustainable Forest Management Activity (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 and focus on five activities:

Strengthening community forest management;
Promoting conservation-friendly enterprises;
Improving law enforcement to tackle environmental crimes;
Enhancing the management of production forests; and
Mobilising domestic resources.

The project will be working closely with the Ministry for Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD), the focus will be on seven provinces including: Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Nghe An, Son La and Lao Cai.

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.

Enhancing the management of production forests

Preferred by Nature is responsible for delivering the fourth activity: enhancing the management of production forests. We envisage this activity to consist of the following main elements:

1. Increasing the 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. Increasing the demand 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. Developing 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 Certification Specialist is responsible for leading on the design and implementation of the forest certification activities within the project.

Essential Duties

Design and plan project activities – draw up proposals for the project team and work collaboratively with team members to incorporate them into annual work plans. Examples of such activities include:
- Assessing barriers to certification – across different groups and levels in the supply chain – and exploring solutions to overcome the barriers
- Engage stakeholders at all levels and across all regions – to facilitate deeper understanding of the issues affecting the uptake of certification, provide timely feedback to the project team and represent the project
- Develop guidance to certification, appropriate for local stakeholders
- Develop and conduct training programmes – focusing on understanding certification requirements at both the Forest Management (FM) and Chain of Custody (CoC) levels
- Raise awareness of, and promote, certification
- Facilitate market linkage to ensure that producers derive the economic benefits of certification
Be systematic in reporting the outcome of meetings and personal interactions
Work closely with the Silvicultural Specialist and the wider project team to ensure close coordination of project activities, and
Support colleagues, as needed, particularly the Community Forest Management Director.

Professional Requirements

University degree in forestry
5+ years of relevant work experience
Familiarity with FSC, traceability standards and have practical experience with auditing
Experience of sales and marketing within the timber industry
Fluent in Vietnamese and English (our organisational language) and have excellent verbal and written communication skills in both.
Proficient user of the MS Office package (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

The preferred candidate shall also have large network of relevant stakeholders.

Personal Qualities

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

You are an open and friendly person, who likes – and are good at – communicating with people on all levels.
You have an analytical approach, so you are able to 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.
You are willing to travel frequently in Vietnam, and occasionally out of the country.

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 close of the project.
The positions’ day-to-day work is overseen by the project’s Director of Enterprise Development and report to Preferred by Nature’s Country Manager, Vietnam
Working location: Hanoi, with regional travel as required
Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
Expected starting date: November 2020.

We Offer

All employees are members of the organisation and have the opportunity to 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. Based on the candidates chosen for the long-term positions, other candidates will be approached for the short-term positions, selected to create a team that can cover all needs of the activity.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and letter of application (in English), including salary expectations, by 8th November via the application form below.

Please note: Only applicants legally eligible to work in the relevant country will be considered.

For questions, please contact:
Ho Van Cu, Country Manager, Vietnam
Email: [email protected] [1]

Certification Specialist, Vietnam

Are you looking to apply your expert knowledge of forestry certification to help reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation, the degradation of natural forests, and poor plantation management in Vietnam? Preferred by Nature, as a subcontractor to DAI, is looking for a Certification Specialist to help it implement the USAID Sustainable Forest Management Activity in Vietnam, implemented from July 2020-2025.