Process Portfolio Manager (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 Process Portfolio Manager who brings solid expertise and a passion for FSC’s mission, to work with us in a multinational environment.

The Scope

FSC is responsible for setting requirements for responsible forest management all over the world. While cornerstone rules are set internationally, many of FSC requirements need local adaptation, resulting in various normative documents produced that are applicable for a given country or region.

To arrive at a country-relevant set of requirements, the robust process, close collaboration with FSC Network Partners globally, and the robust assessment of the adapted contents are needed.

Process and content for country requirements are managed by two twin programs in FSC Performance and Standards Unit.

Your role will be to manage a portfolio of many country processes concerning the development of country requirements happening at the same time.

These processes are highly regulated by FSC rules, yet very dynamic due to the participation of multiple parties (e.g., country experts, FSC Network Partners, certification bodies and more). You will be guarding whether a process follows FSC rule and contributing to strategic scheduling and sequencing various processes according to strategic priorities and Team capacity.

You will be responsible for presenting the status reports and regular updates of these processes to senior management and solving blockers to them. You will guard consistent and fair application of process rules around the globe. Together with colleagues working as country requirement managers you will directly contribute to setting responsible forest management requirements in many countries, and hence to the core of FSC mission.

Given high level of required project management skills and at the same time the ability to understand the context of the requirements, we are searching for a certified project manager with forestry/ecology/natural science background. If you do not have a certification but proven record of a successful management of large projects, we will be welcoming your application as well!

Main Roles and Responsibilities

• Collect, evaluate and recommend the registration of new processes for Director approval (including the budget proposed, timelines, qualification of persons involved in the development).
• Manage complete timetable of individual processes, and collective timetable for all ongoing processes, including:
  • Forest stewardship standards (setting the rules for obtaining forest management certification).
  • Risk assessments to forest stewardship standards (influencing the rigor of auditing).
  • Controlled wood risk assessments.
• Manage process related enquiries from standard developers and other stakeholders.
• Manage collection of process information (e.g., statuses, obstacles, number of timeline extensions), and report to senior management.
• Evaluate and recommend actions for received timeline extensions.
• Closely coordinate with and support content evaluations performed by experts as integral part of the process.
• Act as a primary point of contact for country process related questions.
• Schedule country requirements for the approval and monitor preparations to the approval meetings.
• Closely collaborate with FSC Global Network Unit and Marketing Unit on gaining sufficient insights to country requirements prioritization.
• Closely collaborate with FSC Network Partners in scheduling and managing the country processes.
• Participate in FSC internal competence and accreditation program.
• Other duties assigned by the respective Program Manager.

Qualification, Experience and Skills

• Education and Training:
  • MBA or certified project management qualification.
  • A minimum of Bsc degree in forestry, nature resource management or similar.

• Working Experience, Style and Skills:
  • At least 5 years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas: Project management, supply chain management, Forest management. Experience in other fields requiring management of medium to long term projects is a plus.
  • Project management certification and proven records of successful completion of large projects.
  • Proven record of working with content evaluation and management of documents.
  • Very strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • A very strong sense for diligence and accuracy.
  • Excellent time management skills: Ability to perform well while handling simultaneously several administrative and support functions.
  • Service and solution-oriented attitude to work.
  • Proactiveness and high level of engagement.
  • Administration skills.

• Computer Skills – very good skills in the use of/experience with:
  • Standard software packages (MS Office 365; strong skills in MS Word and Excel).

• Communication and relationship management skills:
  • Exemplary verbal and written conduct and communication skills.
  • Skills to lead a conversation and the ability to arrive at timely conclusions.
  • Ability to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relations.
  • Strong presentation skills.
  • Conflict management skills.
  • Assertiveness.
  • Fluency in English (spoken and written).
  • Fluency in Spanish (spoken and written) is a plus.
  • Fluency in French (spoken and written) is a plus.
  • Ability to explain complex topics to a layman’s audience.

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.
• Travel: Sporadic travel is required.

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 10 April 2023.

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!