The Wildlife Conservation Society currently seeks candidates for the position of Forest Management Specialist, “Ka’aguy Retâ: Forests and Development”. In Paraguay (particularly the Chaco), expanding cattle ranches are currently the most important driving force behind deforestation. During the next three years, the development of transport infrastructure, gas pipelines and the energy matrix, in combination with the increased demand of beef by global markets, will create additional pressures on forests. Therefore, WCS’s Paraguay Program seeks to reduce the rates of deforestation and biodiversity degradation in the Paraguayan Chaco by promoting sustainable natural resource use models in the Chaco, promoting forestation and/or reforestation in deforested areas of the Oriental Region, and establishing private conservation approaches in areas with high biological value.
The Forest Management Specialist’s primary objectives are to, under the supervision of the Project Director and the Sustainable Development Specialist, provide technical leadership and supervise all forest management and development initiatives and activities that will be developed by WCS, and it’s partners and associates, under the USAID funded Project, “Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Paraguay”.
Principle Responsibilities:
•Provide technical leadership to identify sustainable use models to make management of natural forests socially sound, economically viable and attractive, and ecologically sustainable, and to transfer these findings, models and technology, to the public and private forest sector of Paraguay
•Provide technical assistance to the design, implementation and monitoring of all Pilot Projects, particularly those related to sustainable forest management, use, and conservation, including issues related to payments for environmental services and alternative use of natural resources (non-timber products, ecotourism, etc).
•Team up with WCS’s and partners’ technical staff to develop and implement the monitoring system to track changes in land use, deforestation and impacts of development (infrastructure and energy investments).
•Provide technical support to the design and eventual implementation of improved policies and regulations to guarantee the conservation and sustainable use and management of forest resources in the region, working in close relation with INFONA.
•Facilitate and promote the establishment of alliances and synergies with other Projects and regional initiatives, including potential institutions that provide financial and technical assistance to address strategic issues related to initiatives of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, REDD+ Projects, and forestry Projects, among others.
•Facilitate and promote the establishment of alliances and synergies with the private sector, forest industry and larger forest holders, to seccure their support for successfully demonstrating that sustainable forests management can be a viable income alternative.
•Support the Project Director and Sustainable Development Specialist to develop and implement cooperative agreements with key public agencies (INFONA, SEAM, local governments), private sector (FEPAMA, and other wood industry associations), and civil society (CIF, CGCF, NGOs).
•Contribute to the elaboration of specific and general reports required by the Project
•Other functions that will assigned by the Project Director
Experience
•University degree in Forest Engineering, preferably with graduate degree or relevant and extensive experience in sustainable forest use and management.
•Experience of at least 10 years in Projects focused on sustainable use, and management and conservation of forests and natural resources, with emphasis on Project design, technology transfer, and forestry Project and policies assessment.
•Familiarity with Paraguayan forest and environmental legal framework, Criteria & Indicators for sustainable forest management, international certification standards, and related institutional framework.
•Knowledge of procedures and regulation for Environmental Licenses (EIAs), Land Use Plans (PUTs) and Forest Management Plans (PMFs) implemented by INFONA and SEAM.
•Knowledge of procedures and technical process for REDD+ and other mechanisms for payment for environmental services would be a plus.
•Knowledge of Paraguay and field experience, as well as awareness of social and cultural dynamics, and economic trends in the forestry and cattle sector.
•Knowledge of Paraguayan forest industry, wood products markets and the forestry sector –its potential and weaknesses, and conservation/deforestation trends of native forests, markets for alternative or non-traditional species and products.
•Strong skills in interpersonal communication, multidisciplinary team work, inter-institutional relationships cultivation.
•Ability to multitask and to work under stressful conditions
For more info, contact:
Interested candidates should send a CV and a cover letter to pwatim@wcs.org and draichakowski@wcs.org. This position will remain opened until filled.