M-REDD Pilot Project Associate, Chihuahua -- TREES Program, Sustainable Forestry Division
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 Rainforest Alliance’s TREES (Training, Extension, Enterprises and Sourcing) program promotes sustainable livelihoods and protects biodiversity in forest-dependent communities. We work to enhance the competitiveness of community and indigenous forestry enterprises by building business skills, increasing efficiencies, and facilitating investment in value-added processing, expanding income opportunities from wood and non-wood forest products and environmental services, and increasing access to local and global markets through Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
The M-REDD Pilot Project Associate, Chihuahua will support the Manager, Mexico - TREES Program with the implementation of the M-REDD workplan. The M-REDD Pilot Project Associate, Chihuahua position will also serve as principle technical assistant in the region and will act as a main point of contact among relevant stakeholders – ensuring successful implementation of regional work plans and the achievement of agreed goals. S/he will assist with the design, implementation and follow up of demonstration work at local/regional scales within the boundaries of the pilot site and influence areas in the state of Chihuahua. S/he will also work with the regional Coordinators in the other pilot project regions of Mexico. This position will require close coordination with staff from multiple Rainforest Alliance division and amongst various M-REDD and related project partners, particularly The Nature Conservancy and its appointed Chief of Party.
Mexico’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (M-REDD) Project, is a 5-year initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development that will support Mexico’s REDD-readiness process by establishing and/or strengthening policy, institutional and technical capacity building, financing and other core aspects required to ensure the successful implementation of REDD+ in Mexico. Under this project, the Rainforest Alliance’s Climate, TREES, Communications, and Evaluation and Research programs will coordinate to support Mexico’s design and implementation of REDD+.
- Coordinate activities in the state of Chihuahua associated with the Mexico-REDD project, including: guiding and supporting day-to-day operations in the office and in the field, providing project planning and developing work plans, progress reports, and budgets; and coordination with other Rainforest Alliance programs or divisions;
- Facilitate initiation and implementation of capacity building activities in pilot sites, with a focus on: enterprise development, sustainable farm and forestland management, social and environmental safeguards, carbon project feasibility assessments, participatory MRV, REDD+, and other related themes;
- Facilitate coordination of Learning Community activities and participate in CTC-REDD meetings, in coordination with TREES and M-REDD staff;
- Assist in the design and promotion of MREDD+ calls for projects and project selection;
- Identification and training of local partners to serve as technical advisors to pilot activities
- Assist with outreach to private sector, Mexican governmental entities, local NGOs, community organizations and other key stakeholders to build support and consensus for appropriate pilot project activities.
- Coordinate internally with other Rainforest Alliance programs (e.g. Climate, Communications, Evaluation and Research) and externally, with other partners, to support programmatic objectives in Chihuahua; and
- Other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor's degree in tropical forestry, environmental science, ecology; natural resource economics, rural development or related field required, Masters preferred;
- 3 - 5 years of professional experience working in the Mexican forestry sector; minimum one year in project management;
- Proven record in one of the following areas: climate-related work, forest management, community forestry, forest product development, forest certification, forest policy, wood and non timber forest products;
- Knowledge of, and commitment to, climate change issues, Mexican forest/climate policy and government programs and sustainability practices; and desire to learn and enhance understanding of climate change mitigation and adaptation from a technical and policy perspective;
- Excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills;
- Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills, with ability to foster positive working relationships with diverse internal and external audiences;
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team;
- Ability to effectively work with a range of actors – from community partners, to government officials, to private sector representatives and technical specialists – in sometimes difficult and complex settings;
- Ability to execute work independently;
- Strong organizational skills and efficient management of multiple tasks and priorities;
- Strong computer skills (Microsoft suite – Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint);
- Fluency in Spanish required, native speaker preferred;
- English proficiency preferred;
- Experience in a not-for-profit and international environment preferred; and
- Ability and willingness to travel extensively within designated pilot project area and for regional meetings and at times assist with tasks in remote areas under extreme field conditions, up to 35 percent of the time.
Commensurate with experience.
Only candidates authorized to work in Mexico will be considered.
Send resume, cover letter and salary history to mxpersonnel@ra.org. If emailing, use the following format in the subject line: first name and last name, job title of position you are applying for. The Rainforest Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.
The Rainforest Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.