Projects manager-climate program

Background

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 Climate Program works to conserve biodiversity and enhance livelihoods by supporting sustainable land management practices that allow communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The climate program is cross-cutting, involving the sustainable forestry, agriculture and tourism programs of the Rainforest Alliance. The principal goals of the climate program are to: build capacity for REDD+ implementation through project facilitation and by developing/deploying training and guidance materials; contribute to REDD-readiness initiatives at a national level in target tropical countries; innovate and implement projects leveraging carbon finance as tool for landscape-level conservation; shape forest carbon standards and REDD+ policy at the national and international level and among key climate investment funds; develop and scale adaptation-oriented tools and initiatives; and build demand and capacity for forest carbon validation, verification and methodology services in priority tropical regions, among others. The climate program works with a wide range of stakeholders, from small producers to large corporations and governments.

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Climate Program Director, the Projects Manager will provide dynamic and creative leadership to manage Climate Program projects in agriculture, forestry and tourism globally, with a particular focus on the Amazon and Congo basins, Southeast Asia and Central America. S/he will coordinate with staff from Sustainable Forestry, Agriculture, Tourism, and other programs to ideate, develop and implement projects, and will build and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders from civil society, the private sector and government. S/he will lead the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to shape climate policy in priority tropical countries and amongst target bilateral and multilateral climate investment funds and international organizations including UNEP, FAO CIFOR and others. S/he will supervise the Climate Program Assistant.

Responsibilties

Project management

- Manage portfolio of Climate Program projects including: guiding and supporting day-to-day operations, providing project planning and developing work plans, progress reports, and budgets for assigned projects; and, coordination with other Rainforest Alliance programs or divisions;
- Manage and execute projects to ensure their close coordination with Climate Program strategies for enhancing sustainable agriculture, forestry and tourism work;
- Grow the scope and scale of projects in the following areas: capacity building for REDD+, engagement in national REDD-readiness development processes, training for farming and forest communities, adaptation and REDD+ project facilitation at the site and subnational levels;
- In coordination with Evaluation and Research Program, establish and manage a climate change research agenda and supervise the implementation of climate-oriented research projects; and
- Provide input to overall Climate Program planning and strategy.

Partnership Building and External Relations

- Identify and cultivate partnerships with key organizations and institutions from the global- to project-levels to multiply the impact and scope of RA-led projects; and
- Coordinate with regional initiatives and build new alliances to ensure that Climate Program activities complement and build upon existing programs/projects led by other organizations.

Policy and Guidance

- Provide technical and policy guidance to Rainforest Alliance staff and partners on REDD+ programmatic design, strategies, social and environmental safeguards, market development and other thematic areas;
- Author climate policy white papers, policy briefs and position statements, and contribute to the development of a range of publications including guidance on forest carbon, technical case studies, feasibility analyses, and economic, policy and/or regulatory analyses; and
- Support delivery of the Rainforest Alliance’s rigorous, high-quality forest carbon auditing services through participation in field-based validation and verification assessments and desk-based reviews of methodologies and other technical project documentation;

Fundraising

- Spearhead proposal development and technical writing processes, in coordination with the Development team and other RA programs, as needed;
- Proactively coordinate across programs to explore grant opportunities and conceptualize and develop project proposals; and
- Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

- Advanced degree in Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy or related field required;
- A minimum 7 years project management experience in sustainable land management and climate change arenas, spanning Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America;
- Minimum 5 years experience with international NGO programs and projects funded by multi-lateral, bi-lateral organizations and foundation sources;
- Proven experience developing/implementing Social and Environmental Safeguards for forest carbon projects;
- Field-level experience in sustainable forest and/or agriculture management;
- Experience in design of complex proposals and projects;
- Strong working knowledge of UNFCCC policies, REDD+ and PES schemes, and voluntary carbon markets;
- Ability to communicate and engage with high-level stakeholders including governments, private companies and NGOs;
- Excellent communication skills -- written, presentation and verbal;
- Fluency in Spanish required; proficiency French and/or at least one Asian language a plus;
- Experience with community-based adaptation initiatives a plus;
- Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to interact culturally and diplomatically with diverse staff as part of a team and diverse partners including community leaders, businesses and government officials;
- Ability to take initiative and work independently;
- Strong computer skills (MS office and Internet);
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; and
- Ability to travel a minimum of 25 percent per year, nationally and internationally.