Project Officer for Conservation and Management of Forests (GIZ)

As a federal enterprise, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. We work in a variety of fields and support our cooperation partners in designing strategies and meeting their policy goals. GIZ Viet Nam is currently engaged in three priority areas:

1) Vocational training;
2) Environmental policy and sustainable natural resource use;
3)Energy. Gender equality is one of the key values of our company and of the work we do. Fostering gender equality in our project operation and our internal equal opportunity provisions are two strategic pillars of our corporate identity and policy.

The priority area “Environmental policy and sustainable use of natural resources“ is covered by the “GIZ Green Cluster”. The Green cluster currently comprises a total of five teams in the thematic areas of climate policy, coast and water, agriculture, biodiversity and forests as well as regional economic integration. The thematic area “biodiversity and forests” includes inter alia the projects “Support to the implementation of the FLEGT VPA” and “Sustainable Forest Management”. To maximise synergies, the team works across different projects and initiatives, in addition to their individual focus.

This position focuses on the work package “Management of protected areas, which unite different ecosystems” in Vietnam. The work package is financed by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Study and Expert Fund with counter-part funds from the Vietnamese Government. It is jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Department of Protected Area Management, DOPAM of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The overall objective is to improve the basis of information and the capacities for the management of protected areas, which unite different ecosystems. The following results are expected:

The legal and institutional conditions for the management of protected areas that unite different ecosystems have been analysed.
The information basis for a potential new project on protected areas that unite different ecosystems has been created.
The standardized SMART approach is operationalized.

The project is looking for a local qualified candidate to fill the following position:

Project Officer for Conservation and Management of Forests

Duty station: Hanoi, Viet Nam
Duration: ASAP until 30th September 2024

Main responsibilities:

Key expert in Vietnam for conservation and sustainable management of protection and production forests
Professional advisory services to national and local partners with regard to conservation and sustainable management of forests by identifying needs, developing concepts and strategies, providing technical inputs, and working on policy recommendations
Conceptualisation and implementation of change processes related to protected areas including forests, wetlands and other ecosystems: management, financing, capacity building; managing information systems and monitoring including the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART); eco-tourism, ecosystem services; governance of protected areas and buffer zone development, landscape approach including the nexus of biodiversity and climate change (nature-based solutions)
Creating synergies with a broad range of stakeholders in the working area to advance objectives
Coordination of project activities (planning and control of activities), including technical supervision and supervision of the procedures for contracting of consultants. Development of study designs and ToR for external experts, quality assurance of deliverables
Innovation and knowledge management for the working area, incl. analysing, summarising and presenting information on protected and conserved areas
Capitalizing potentials to make positive contributions to gender equality in working area in close coordination with gender focal points

Minimum requirements:

Master’s degree in forestry, ecology, natural resources management or related fields;
Good digital literacy including knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and willingness to work with digital tools such as MS teams for day-to-day work
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Vietnamese and English
A minimum of 8 years of experience in the forest, forestry and nature conservation sector;
Five years of experience of working with public institutions; especially with MARD, MBFP, state forest companies and other forest owners
Three years of experience in international and technical development cooperation related to the forest and climate finance sector;
Three years of experience in managing international and national consultants;
Two years of experience in liaising with Vietnamese and international organisations
In-depth understanding of the Vietnamese context related to protected and conserved areas, forests and forestry
In-depth understanding of the international context and treaties on biodiversity conservation / development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework as well as climate change
Willing to take on responsibility, work independently, and motivate one-self;
Excellent organizational skills, ability to balance multiple priorities and manage deadlines;
Constructive team player in multi-cultural environment,
Willingness to travel to project sites for work within Vietnam and possibly for short trips abroad, if necessary;
Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management;

GIZ is committed to create an appreciative work environment, irrespective of age, ethnic background and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and worldview, sexual orientation and social background. We ensure human resource processes live up to the diverse competencies and talents of all employees, as well as satisfy our performa ce expectations.

Successful candidates will enjoy good working conditions, competitive compensation and benefits and good policies of training and development.

Interested qualified candidates are invited to send the GIZ Application Form in English, copies of relevant certificates and references, either by email (to hr-giz@giz.de) or by post (to GIZ Office Hanoi, 6th Floor Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hanoi, Vietnam) before 31st December 2022.

Note: Please state “Application for the Project Officer_BIO” in the subject line or on the envelope. The short-listed candidates will be contacted within 4 weeks after the deadline. Telephone contact is not encouraged.

Please visit our page GIZ Viet Nam – Career Opportunities at https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/109163.html to download the GIZ Application Form.