Senior Expert Forest Management (m-f-d)

The Mission

FSC works to take care of our forests and those who rely on them: by protecting plant and animal species, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, forest workers’ safety, and much more. We achieve this through FSC certification, ensuring forests around the world are responsibly managed. For more information on FSC, visit our website at www.fsc.org.

To effectively meet the challenge of protecting the world’s forests, we are committed to ensuring we have the world’s most skilled people working with us. This commitment extends to everyone that works in FSC around the world: from those that lead the design of policies and standards, to those that roll out those same policies and standards on the ground, and to those that provide us with backbone to do our work.

We are looking for an engaged Senior Expert Forest Management who brings solid expertise and a passion for FSC’s mission, to work with us in a multinational environment.

The Scope

To perform quality and consistency reviews of new FSC requirements, support the introduction of new normative concepts, and develop training materials in the area of forest management with a focus on internationally applicable requirements.

Main Roles and Responsibilities

• Advise on the overall streamlining of forest management requirements.

• Conceptualize certification standards towards outcomes.
• Introduce risk-based approaches for auditing.
• Focus the wording and structure of requirements in documents on user needs and interests:
  • Modular organization of requirements.
  • Simplification of language.
  • Reduction of number of documents and requirements.
• Digitizing and connecting requirements, advice notes, and interpretations.

• Conceptualize new approaches towards critical topics such as climate change adaptation, biodiversity management, conservation vs intensification, etc.
• Undertake research and analysis of relevant external policy developments (e.g., on responsible sourcing, zero deforestation, restoration) and their impact on the FSC normative framework.
• Benchmark FSC requirements and concepts against official regulations, other relevant certification schemes, and third-party initiatives to ensure they remain state-of-the-art.
• Analyze and advise on risks and opportunities resulting from new concepts and mechanisms being considered for incorporation into the FSC normative framework.
• Provide technical expertise for the regular development, review and revision of FSC certification and accreditation requirements, for example:
  • development of zero drafts as starting points for relevant working group discussions;
  • advice on and interpretations of normative requirements and their intent, to ensure awareness and the consistent implementation of FSC requirements by relevant users (certification bodies, certificate holders, Assurance Services International (ASI), Network Partners, and others);
  • analysis of stakeholder comments as part of consultations or ongoing inputs.
  • provision of feasibility, impact and risk analyses of drafts prior to their consultation as well as prior to their submission for approval.
• Draft, conceptualize, and review training modules and other competence development measures in forest management certification.

• Represent FSC externally in technical and other fora (e.g., on ISO committees or EU policies).

Qualification, Experience and Skills

Education and Training:

• A university/ technical college degree in forestry or equivalent, post-graduate or doctoral degree is an asset.

Working Experience, Style and Skills:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in one or more of these; the forest sector, multi-stakeholder standard development processes, conservation management and corporate environmental responsibility programs.
• Substantive knowledge and extensive experience related to forest management.
• Extensive project management experience.             
• Good time management skills. 
• Ability to perform well while handling several functions simultaneously.
• Solution and service-oriented attitude to work.
• A strong sense for diligence and accuracy.
• Ability to conceptualize.

Communication Skills & Language:

• Exemplary verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relations.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).
• Spanish is a plus.

Computer Skills:

• Good skills in the use of standard software packages (MS Office).

Terms and Conditions

• Location: Bonn, Germany.
• Working Hours: Full time - 40 hours per week.
• Duration of Employment: Temporary contract - 2 years (extension possible, subject to satisfactory performance).
• Starting Date: As soon as possible.

How to Apply

• Please apply via our website by submitting your CV in English
• Please do not send any photos of yourself.
• The deadline for applications is 21 April 2024.

We will confirm receipt of your application. However, only candidates shortlisted for an interview will be further contacted and will receive notice of the outcome of the selection process. Should you not receive a confirmation of receipt please check your spam filter and if you cannot find it there contact us at recruitment@fsc.org

For FSC, inclusiveness and diversity are important values. As such, we welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds and are entirely committed to consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age and disability.  

Please be informed, that by applying for this position you automatically accept our Data Protection Information on processing your personal data.

We are looking forward to your application!