Forestry Associate, Mexico - RA Cert (Forestry Conservation)

RA-Cert, a division of the Rainforest Alliance, supports the organization’s mission by delivering sustainability auditing, verification, and certification services based on the best available global standards. RA-Cert conducts its work with the highest integrity, transparency and quality in order to generate positive economic, ecological and social benefits for our clients and worldwide. To accomplish this, RA-Cert provides forest management (FM), agriculture management, and chain of custody (CoC) certification services. CoC certification verifies the flow of certified forest and agriculture products through the supply chain, from the forest to the point of sale, assuring consumers and distribution companies that the products they buy comes from certified forests and farms.

The Forestry Associate will be responsible for supporting the market development of RA-Cert services being offered in Mexico. S/he will provide services to existing and potential clients in the region for certification process in FSC and NMX-143 in forest management and chain of custody, and others service.

• Serve as the representative for RA-Cert with government, industry, and NGOs in the region; • Serve as task manager for the assigned jobs, and act as quality-control for RA-Cert reports prior to final submission;
• Provide assistance to the RA-Cert Associate Manager and to the Regional Manager Mesoamerica for managing certification scopings, assessments and audits, including service contracts, team identification and contracts, arranging logistical support to audits, report review, liaison with clients in assessment and report review, peer review identification and contract, finalizing assessment reports to be sent to final reviewer;
• Ensure FSC annual audits calendars are up to date for clients in Mexico and Mesoamerica, and ensure compliance with the internal timing policies.
• Ensure NMX-143 biannual audits calendars are up to date for clients in Mexico, and ensure compliance with the internal timing policies.
• Ensure the implementation of required certification protocols in jobs directly under his/her responsibility;
• Provide customer service to current and interested clients in the region, to include but not limited to, information about certification, market linkages, and guidance on certification process, logo use, marketing, etc.;
• At the request of the RA-Cert Associate Manager Mexico and Manager Mesoamerica, prepare the first formal response to false certification claims in the region;
• Support the RA-Cert Associate Manager Mexico and Manager Mesoamerica in the development and meeting of the sales and business targets for the region;
• Directly market RA-Cert services to potential commercial, and community forestry and wood products industry clients;
• Follow the regional guidance for the implementation of policies and technical improvements of the certification systems;
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• Bachelor’s Degree in related field; a Master’s Degree a plus;
• 3 years of field experience in forestry or rural natural resources management and/or economic development;
• The knowledge of the RA-Cert and/or FSC certification protocols is advantageous;
• Must have strong planning, analytical, and project management skills, with ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously while adhering to deadlines;
• Proven experience to effectively market products or services. Experience to effectively market RACERT certification to potential customers;
• Must have strong verbal and written communication skills in Spanish language;
• Knowledge of English language is advantageous;
• Strong computer skills (i.e. word processing, spreadsheet and presentations); and
• Willingness and ability to travel 60% of the time.