Program Officer, Climate Change and Landscapes At RECOFTC

At RECOFTC, we believe in a future where people live equitably and sustainably in and beside healthy, resilient forests. We take a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to supporting local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equity. We are the only non-profit organization of our kind in Asia and the Pacific. We have more than 35 years of experience working with people and forests, and have built trusting relationships with partners at all levels. Our influence and partnerships extend from multilateral institutions to governments, private sector and local communities. Our innovations, knowledge and initiatives enable countries to foster good forest governance, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

RECOFTC is inviting applications for the position of Program Officer for Climate Change and Landscapes. The successful applicant will be based in the RECOFTC main office in Bangkok, Thailand. The contract duration is for 24 months with a possibility of extension subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance.

Duties and tasks

The Program Officer supports the delivery of RECOFTC’s Strategic Goal on Landscape Collaboration in a Changing Climate. Their duties include conducting research and analysis using data and geographic information systems, liaising with internal and external partners, assisting with proposal writing, and supporting monitoring and evaluation. The position contributes to building RECOFTC’s portfolio of priority landscape and climate initiatives, and attracting donor and investor support.

The Program Officer reports to the Senior Program Officer, Landscape Collaboration in a Changing Climate, and the Director of the Program Coordination and Technical Services Unit. The Program Officer also works closely with RECOFTC’s country teams to develop and implement initiatives.

The Program Officer’s main duties are:

Support programs and activities

• Maintaining a database of key landscape indicators and sharing updates and analysis
• Collaborating with main office and country teams in the development of voluntary carbon market projects and engaging with private sector companies and local communities
• Contributing to forest-based climate adaptation initiatives
• Supporting capacity development and the creation of learning tools, trainings, short courses and e-learning programs on climate change and landscape collaboration
• Representing RECOFTC at seminars and meetings
• Continuously learning about technical aspects of climate change adaptation and mitigation such as greenhouse gas accounting tools, life cycle analyses, adaptation techniques, and remote sensing

Program coordination and technical services

• Providing remote sensing analytical support, including development of regional, landscape and project maps
• Working with the monitoring, evaluation and learning team to document and report outcomes

Business development

• Supporting the business development team to conceptualize, research, and write innovative project proposals that incorporate new techniques, tools and approaches for building community enterprises and private-sector engagement at the community level

Other

• Performing other tasks as assigned

Qualifications and experience

The Program Officer will have the following qualifications and experience

Essential

• Bachelor degree or higher in climate change, natural resource management, environmental economics, forestry, geographic information system or related fields
• Five to eight years’ relevant work experience
• Expertise in geographic information systems, remote sensing, and cartography
• Experience in natural resource management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), and payment for ecosystems services
• Analytical skills
• Ability to think innovatively and contribute to team development
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to work in a variety of cultural and institutional contexts
• English language fluency
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Desirable

• Experience with multi-stakeholder processes, climate change finance policy dialogues and networking
• Experience conducting processes for free, prior, informed consent (FPIC)
• Proficiency in languages of RECOFTC’s focal countries
• Experience working in international organizations in the Asia-Pacific region
• Familiarity with principles of social inclusion and gender equity

RECOFTC’s core values

At RECOFTC, our core values are the foundation of our culture and guide all our work. In addition to job specific skills and experience, the applicant should possess the following characteristics, attitudes and skills:

• Embrace innovation
• Adapt to, and learn from, challenges
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders
• Nurture commitment, responsibility and ownership
• Prioritize sustainability
• Cultivate participation, social inclusion and gender equity