Certification Specialist & Silviculture Specialist

Apply by: 20 October 12:00 (UTC)

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

NEPCon 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 NEPCon seeks Certification Specialist and Silvicultural Specialist within sustainable forest plantation management, certification, and market linkages, within an emphasis in the Acacia value chain. The project will work with the Government of Vietnam 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 be working closely with the Ministry for Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) and be implemented in six provinces which tentatively includes: Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Nghe, Thua Thien Hue. NEPCon is responsible for the following objective: Enhancing the management of production forests. This component of the project will consist of the following main activities: 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 Will engage sawmills and wood processors to catalyze 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 This task facilitates linkages between producers and buyers and supports broader market transformation for certified wood products. We will design and implement a series of interventions to enhance market opportunities for the grower groups described in activity 1 and transform the broader market. The project will strengthen community co-management through community forest management models that address organizational capacity, livelihoods, finance, enforcement, and equitable benefit sharing. DAI is the lead partner, with NEPCon and RECOFTC as subcontractors. We aim 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.

What do we need?

As a Certification Specialist or Silvicultural Specialist for this project, you will:

Assess needs to support Acacia plantations to become more sustainable
Interact with all stakeholders to conduct capacity building at the level of nurseries, plantation management, logging, sale and processing of the timber.
Facilitate certification and market linkage to secure income also for those farmers who use longer rotation cycles
Be systematic in reporting the outcome of meetings and personal interactions
Develop training material and conduct training, awareness raising
Be part of a larger project team and support colleagues as needed

The project requires two full time positions:

Certification Specialist
Silviculture Specialist

Furthermore, a pool of short-term experts will be needed to supplement the team. Based on the candidates chosen for the long-term positions, short-term positions will be selected to create a team that can cover all needs to support stakeholders to increase sustainable Acacia production and trade.

Professional Requirements

To be considered for this position you must have an education within the forestry, timber processing or timber trading industry, and 5+ years of work experience in the sector. You should also have experience with sales and marketing, marketing knowledge, and preferably a large network in the relevant industries. In addition to this the preferred candidate should be:

Fluent in Vietnamese and English (our organizational language) and have excellent verbal and written communication skills in both.
Proficient user of the MS Office package (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Familiar with FSC, traceability standards and have possibly practical experience with auditing.
Experience within Acacia plantation management and how to increase sustainability and financial income

Position details

Work hours: 40 hours/week for full-time positions
The positions’ day-to-day work is overseen by the project’s Director of Enterprise Development and report to NEPCon’s Country Manager, Vietnam
Working location: Hanoi, with regional travel as required
Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
Expected starting date: October or November 2020

How to apply

Please submit your CV and letter of application (in English), including salary expectations, by 20 October via the application form below. Please note: Only applicants legally eligible to work in the relevant country will be considered. For question, please contact: Ho Van Cu, Country Manager, Vietnam Email: cuho@nepcon.org