Technical Advisor, REDD+ Readiness

The Technical Advisor for REDD+ Readiness is responsible for supporting the institutions' technical work on forest-based climate change mitigation, specifically supporting countries to engage in REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) activities at the national and sub-national levels. He/she is part of the Climate Change Initiatives (CCI) Team which directly supports Conservation International (CI)'s field programs and their partners through the delivery of technical and capacity-building assistance and the synthesis and dissemination of knowledge related to successful forest-based climate change mitigation.

This position is located within the Global Change and Ecosystem Services Department in the Science and Knowledge division of CI, which is leading CI’s strategic research and implementation on REDD+ and land-use based climate change mitigation. The Technical Advisor brings a practical and field-oriented perspective to the implementation of the CI Climate Strategy, working with the CCI team to make recommendations which reflect emerging conditions and opportunities in CI's field programs and in the forest carbon arena more generally.

The Technical Advisor, in collaboration with other members of the CCI team, will be responsible for providing technical support, coordinating resources, and facilitating teamwork and collaboration to meet objectives related to REDD+ Readiness. Specifically, the Technical Advisor will support CI field programs and partner governments in the development of the national and sub-national REDD+ readiness strategies, the drafting and implementation of documents such as Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs) and R-Packages, the consolidation of national REDD+ working groups, the design of national and sub-national MRV systems and other elements. The position entails a strong capacity building component, working with other CI and partner technical staff to deliver in-person training and remote technical guidance to developing country governments and NGOs. This training and technical support could include a variety of topics, such as carbon MRV, GHG inventories and IPCC guidelines, forest inventories, and other technical elements. Depending on skills, interests, and opportunities, the Technical Advisor could become involved with other elements of REDD+ strategies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Advise CI climate policy and field program staff, as well as governments on the design and implementation of elements of government REDD+ programs (e.g., R- Package and National Joint programs), especially components related to the design MRV systems which includes the GHG inventories for the LULUCF sector in compliance with the IPCC guidance and guidelines (GPG LULUCF 2003 and AFOLU 2006)
• Develop and lead training modules related to Carbon accounting including GHG development for both technical and non-technical audiences, such as forestry technicians in charge of the national forestry and GHG inventories, department or municipal level environmental authorities, partner NGOs, community audiences, and others
• Provide technical guidance to the national and regional governments in the design of their MRV systems and nested frameworks for carbon accounting and reporting
• Provide input to the design of community-level monitoring programs for the MRV systems and consultation strategies to field and local partners in charge of the outreach and consultation components of the R- Package and National Joint Programs and other REDD+ readiness activities
• Support REDD+ field projects led by CI and/or partners with technical advice or training
• Support ongoing research and information dissemination efforts related to REDD+, including the documentation of CI's experiences, the writing of case studies, participation in scientific research led by the Science and Knowledge Division, and participation in the institutional REDD team

Working conditions:

• The position will include frequent international travel (up to 35%), and may including visits to remote forest areas in developing countries.
• The candidate should be comfortable working in countries with low standards of living.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• MSc. in Forestry, Global Change, Natural Resource Management or a related field, with at least 5 years of work experience on forestry, climate change, and greenhouse gas inventory issues
• Broad knowledge of climate change science, international climate policy, REDD, carbon markets and forest carbon issues
• Detailed knowledge of evolving REDD+ policies and "REDD Readiness" mechanisms such as UN-REDD or FCPF required
• Experience designing, managing and supporting international field projects and programs in reforestation, afforestation, agroforestry and/or forest conservation
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse range of audiences (from field staff to policy makers) from different cultures
• Public speaking skills and demonstrated ability to give technical presentations on climate change and forest carbon issues
• Ability to multi-task, learn new material, and manage time effectively in a dynamic and fast-paced environment
• Ability to effectively build partnerships and manage relationships with key partners, donors and government officials
• Fluency in English plus Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Indonesian
  • Ability to work in an inter-divisional team and with multiple international program offices, with staff from different disciplines, educational backgrounds and cultures.
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a broader, dynamic team.
  • Ability to take initiative, to learn material quickly and to organize effectively.
  • Excellent communication skills.

Preferred:

• Experience in designing and delivering technical training and capacity building materials and presentations
• Experience working in or with developing country government agencies responsible for natural resource management
• Experience advising decision-makers and developing policy briefs

Technical Advisor, REDD+ Readiness