Team Leader Sustainable Landscapes

Team Leader Sustainable Landscapes (National Position - Employment contract)
Based in Hanoi (with expected to spend considerable time in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces)

The Vietnam Forest and Deltas Program (VFD) is funded by USAID and implemented by Winrock International and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in partnership with the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), the Red Cross and Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD). The USAID Vietnam Forest and Deltas Program is in its fourth of five years of support to four provinces to accelerate their transition to climate resilient, low emissions development through investments in reducing net emissions from forests, and enhancing resilience of people, places, and livelihoods to short and long-term climate impacts.

The sustainable landscape component focuses on upland landscapes, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, maintaining and enhancing existing forests stocks and increasing climate change resilience and sustainability of landscapes. Work will focus on development of REDD+ strategies and Provincial REDD Action Plans; Pilot Activities for reducing emissions and improving forest management; such as protection and Special Use Forest management; innovative Payments for Environmental Service schemes; bamboo forest management and private sector support; Green Growth; climate smart agriculture and fund raising and leverage of funds.

Interventions will improve forest management, afforestation, but also to promote climate resilient livelihoods in forested areas. This is of special importance in areas where food insecurity, natural hazards and governance issues lead to increased pressures on forests. Increased income for local people, and the stabilization of upland agricultural systems, has been identified as important steps in reducing forest dependence and increasing resilience to potential impacts of climate change, hazards and economic difficulties.

The Team Leader reports to the VFD’s Chief of Party and his main task is to provide assistance to the VFD project to meets its goals and objectives, specifically to lead, manage and supervise the Sustainable Landscape component; and to have direct management responsibility for implementation, monitoring and reporting for the SNV Sub agreement component. The Team Leader plays the lead role in working with project partners for the implementation, planning, coordination, and provision of technical advice and capacity building for the projects activities in this project component. This involves supervision and coordination of all Sustainable Landscape activities including provision of technical advice to the adaptation component on forestry, ecosystem based approaches, biodiversity, mangrove restoration, ecosystem services and other landscape issues, as appropriate.

We are seeking for highly qualified candidate to fill in this position.

Responsibilities

The Team Leader is responsible for leading overall implementation of the VFD sustainable landscapes component including the following areas:

1. Program Management

• Overall management of component and includes managing staff, budgets and overseeing implementation of all aspects of the component;
• Monitor outputs and milestones to ensure the program objectives and indicators are being met;
• Provide staff oversight and monitor consultants work in terms of delivered outputs against agreed milestones ensuring quality of services delivered;
• Provide overall management responsibility for the SNV sub agreement, including financial responsibility and approval, technical management and approval of activities under sustainable landscape

2. Technical leadership

• Provide effective technical direction and coaching to the team on the sustainable landscape component;
• Design and implement activities which reduce deforestation and degradation, through improved governance and law enforcement, forest restoration and carbon stock enhancement, maintenance of carbon stocks, and sustainable forest management;
• Provide advice on landscape approaches including forest landscape restoration, participatory watershed management, production and protection forest management, management for multiple benefits, such as for NTFP, water services and biodiversity;
• Develop financing mechanisms to provide long-term benefits for sustainable management of the landscape through payments for environmental services, carbon financing, climate finance and innovative public private partnerships;
• Design and implement methodologies for improving local livelihoods, improving linkages between forest management and co-benefits, addressing issues such as shifting cultivation, inadequate land use planning, erosion and unsustainable agriculture in areas of steep slopes;
• Coaching and mentoring to the VFD Crosscutting Staff and for the integration of their activities into the Sustainable Landscape component;

3. Representation and Communication

• Be responsible for liaison with the government of Vietnam, coordinate and work closely with program partners;
• Network with government and non-government organisations also working in the project area; and to develop strategic partnerships with NGOs, research institutions and development agencies with regards sustainable landscapes;
• Contribute towards external communication and dissemination of the projects objectives and achievements through assisting in production of press releases, communication materials, technical documents, and representation at national and international meetings.

Candidate profile

The consultant should be a highly motivated and experienced individual with considerable experience in implementation and management of complex multi-sectorial projects.

The following is desired:

• Vietnamese national, but fluent in written and spoken English;
• Master degree in international development, forestry, natural resource economics or social sciences, or other related field.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in managing international development activities in the forest or land use sectors.
• Extensive senior level professional program management experience in the areas of policy reform, government engagement, and technical analyses
• Proven high level of expertise in forestry, natural resources, natural resource economics or social sciences, climate change mitigation, or other area related to work
• Proven experience in management and leadership of team of national and international staff on complex and dynamic projects;
• Sound project management experience, and experience working with government institutions, NGOs, private sector, and local communities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills in English

Contract Duration: SNV Vietnam offers one year employment contract with extension according employee performance and budget availability and program duration. The program is expected to end by September 2017.

Desired start date:  As soon as possible.

How to apply?  Please send your application letter, examples of written work or studies and CV, together with an indication of your current salary and compensation package, to [email protected] by 28th March 2016.

Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted on a rolling basis to identify appropriate candidates as soon as possible.

Only shortlisted candidate will be contacted. All shortlisted candidates will be contacted before April 15th, 2016.

For more information on SNV, please refer to our website: www.snvworld.org

We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.