Forestry Officer, Vietnam (Lao Cai Province)

Project: USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project    
Reports to: Provincial Project Manager (PPM)
Location: Lao Cai City, Lao Cai Province
Date: 31 August 2022

Preferred by Nature (formerly NEPCon) is a non-profit organisation that works for sustainable land use and climate-friendly solutions. With 250+ staff around the world, our projects build capacity, raise awareness, conserve nature and streamline sustainability through innovation. 

We are currently looking for a passionate colleague with a forestry background to join an exciting project. Preferred by Nature 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 Preferred by Nature is seeking a Forestry Officer that will work with sustainable forest plantation management in the province of Lao Cai.

Project Background

Forests are important in the global carbon cycle, carbon sequestration and storage. Although Vietnam has increased in overall forest cover, there has been a reduction in both total hectares of natural forests and forest quality. To contribute to reducing land-based emissions and increasing forest carbon sequestration in Vietnam through reduction of deforestation, natural forest degradation and poor timber plantation management practices, USAID Vietnam initiated and implement the USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) in seven provinces in Vietnam (Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, and Quang Nam) in the period of 2020 – 2025. 

The overall goals of the Project are to (1) avoid carbon emissions from natural forest conversion; (2) Increase carbon sequestration through better management of plantation forests; and, (3) Improve quality, diversity and productivity of natural production forest. 

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. Engagement with the private sector and improved co-management by communities, local authorities, and the national government are at the core of Project activities.  

The Project will focus on five main Objectives:  

1. Improve and expand community forest management 
2. Increase conservation-friendly enterprises in forest-dependent communities 
3. Increase functionality of law enforcement system for forest crimes 
4. Improve production forest management practices 
5. Mobilise domestic resources for forest management and protection 

Objective 4 consists of the following three main tasks:
i. Increase the Production of Sustainable Timber by Small-Scale Foresters
ii. Increase the Demand from Processors for Certified Timber
iii. Develop Market Linkages Between Timber Producers and Industry

The Forestry Officer (FO) will contribute to meeting the indicator targets of the first task of objective 4. The FO will be responsible for providing technical assistance and implementing field activities to improve production forest management practices by increasing the production of sustainable timber by small-scale foresters in the respective provinces.

The FO will be directly supervised by the Provincial Project Manager and technically guided by the Objective 4 technical members. 

Roles and Responsibilities

The FO will have the following specific role and responsibilities:

• Work with local partners (provincial project management units, forest owners, nurseries, and farmers) in planning, organising and implementing activities to improve the management of production forests.
• Collaborate with technical staff to implement project activities, including to provide capacity building for SFM planning and implementation; plantation management; re- and afforestation of forest areas; transformation of small dimension to large dimension timber plantations as well as plantation tending.
• Facilitate the establishment of new farmer groups where and if necessary, to achieve the project objectives.
• Assist in the development of technical guidelines on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices and forest certification.
• Build capacity amongst forest owners on SFM and forest certification.
• Support forest owners and farmer groups to implement sustainable forest management practices and achieve forest certification.
• Facilitate coordination between farmers, traders and processors.
• Assist the Project to monitor, assess and report the Project activities on Objective 4 in cooperation with the Project monitoring and evaluation team.
• Other tasks as required by the direct supervisor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, or another relevant field is required. Master’s Degree in forestry will be an advantage.
• At least three years of experience in the forestry sector or with development projects in Vietnam.
• At least three years of experience in sustainable forest management planning and implementation in Vietnam.
• Experience in the development of guidance and training material and delivering field training to local farmers and small forest and plantation owners. 
• Strong provincial connections and understanding of planning processes and direct working experience with provincial government and private partners;
• Good networking and communication skills. 
• Communication skills in English and/or ethnic languages is an advantage but not compulsory; 
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, to motivate and inspire teamwork;
• Ability to work independently and a willingness to travel frequently within the province and Vietnam;
• Proficient user of the MS Office package (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint);
• Vietnamese national only. Candidates living in Lao Cai are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply and requested documents

Interested candidates are requested to submit:

• CV in English or Vietnamese,
• Cover letter in English or Vietnamese indicating why they are suitable for this position, and
• Scanned copy of relevant degrees

via the application form below. Please quote the position title in the subject line: “Application for Forestry Officer_Lao Cai”.

Deadline for application: 5.00pm (Hanoi time), 31 August 2022

For questions, please contact: 
Ho Van Cu, Country Manager, Vietnam   
Email: cuho@preferredbynature.org