Job Description

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. To achieve our mission, we partner with diverse allies around the world to drive positive change across global supply chains and in many of our most critically important natural landscapes.

Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests and biodiversity, take action on climate, and promote the rights and improve the livelihoods of rural people.

As an international nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of experience in sustainability transformation, we understand that the social and economic well-being of rural communities is tightly connected to ecosystem health. This knowledge has shaped our rigorous programs to advance sustainable land-use and commodity production.

At the Rainforest Alliance we combat climate change, protect forests and biodiversity, promote human rights, and improve livelihoods. The enormity of the social and environmental challenges we are facing requires working together in a broad alliance. This is why we bring farmers, forest communities, companies, and consumers together to change the way the world produces, sources, and consumes.

Why

To protect nature and improve lives it\xe2\x80\x99s becoming increasingly urgent that we approach the way we use our land and produce food and other products in more sustainable ways. For this to succeed we need to fundamentally change the way that businesses operate and source, and the choices we all make as consumers.

How

Our growing global alliance aims to transform our relationship with our natural resources and each other, to create a better future for people and nature together.

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.

About the Accountability Framework initiative

The Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) is a collaborative effort to bring about a \xe2\x80\x9cnew normal\xe2\x80\x9d of ethical supply chains that are protective of forests, other natural ecosystems, and human rights. It is led by a diverse coalition of 25+ environmental and social NGOs from around the world. Rainforest Alliance leads the secretariat (\xe2\x80\x9cBackbone Team\xe2\x80\x9d) for this initiative, providing strategy development, technical support, communications, coordination, and administration to support the work of the AFi coalition around the world. For more information, please visit: .

Position summary:

We are hiring for a collaborative and impact-oriented Science and Policy Fellow for the Accountability Framework initiative. The Science and Policy Fellow will contribute to the AFi\xe2\x80\x99s work to define and standardize good practices for addressing commodity-driven conversion of non-forest natural ecosystems.

The Fellow will collaborate with partners in conducting scientific analysis of patterns, risks, and opportunities for curtailing commodity-drive loss of natural ecosystems and their associated values. The Fellow will also work to translate existing and new scientific findings into easily understandable written materials to inform decision-making and action by companies and policy-makers. This includes communicating information related to remote sensing product capabilities, carbon stock analyses, and spatially-explicit biodiversity data and assessments. The Fellow will contribute to the management and direction of a collaborative working group on the topic of non-forest ecosystem conversion, and input into the AFi\xe2\x80\x99s strategy on conversion-free supply chains. The Fellow will be an integral part of the AFi Backbone Team and its overall toward the continued development and adoption of the Accountability Framework.

Responsibilities:

Collaborate with and support AFi partners in conducting original scientific analysis and synthesizing existing scientific literature regarding patterns of commodity expansion affecting non-forest ecosystems and their conservation values.

Track key public policy and corporate sustainability initiatives related to no-conversion supply chains, engage with AFi partners and stakeholders working within these spaces, and identify intervention points to inform and influence policy and corporate action that is protective of valuable non-forest natural ecosystems.

Develop written materials and presentations for companies and policy makers related to ecosystem monitoring, carbon and biodiversity values, and commodity-driven risks and impacts to inform sound action and public policy on these aspects of no-conversion supply chains.

Support management and direction of an expert working group carrying out research and analysis on definitions, drivers, and implications, of commodity-driven non-forest conversion.

In collaboration with other working group members, author scientific papers related to commodity drivers and risks of non-forest natural ecosystem conversion and options to address these risks.

Contribute to the AFi\xe2\x80\x99s overall strategy, stakeholder engagement, and product development as an integral part of the AFi Backbone Team.

Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience:

We seek candidates who have proven experience in scientific research, analysis, and publications, as well as the ability to translate scientific knowledge into policy-relevant narratives for both technical and non-technical audiences. Specific qualifications are as follows.

Required:

Advanced degree in a relevant field, such as geography, agriculture, economics, or remote sensing

Proven experience (5 years\xe2\x80\x99) related to land use and commodity supply chains

Strong research skills, with proven ability to formulate research questions, implement research activities, and publish results

Strong abilities to synthesize scientific and technical information in order to distil and convey essential findings

Superior writing, editing, and communication skills, and demonstrated high-quality written work for both technical and general audiences

Familiarity with remote sensing tools, approaches, and data

Ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team, and to deliver high-quality products under strict deadlines

Ability to work in a collaborative, constructive, and team-oriented manner

Willingness to travel approximately 10% time domestically and internationally, as required

Preferred:

\xc2\xb7 Written and spoken language ability in Spanish, French, Portuguese or Bahasa Indonesia is a plus

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Job Level: Level 4A

Deadline: Applications will be accepted until July 26, 2023.

Notes: Only candidates authorized to work in the UK, Netherlands, or United States will be considered.

If you have any questions about the job vacancy, please contact the HR department:

Rainforest Alliance