The cocoa sector is of critical importance for Rainforest Alliance, given its large footprint in the sector, spanning from farm production to the brand level. Our certification program aims to affect certified farmers, their communities, and drive change across the sector as a whole. As with all sectors, the cocoa sector has a particular set of sustainability issues and opportunities. Further contextualization of our certification program to the realities of the cocoa sector helps ensure that the program provides producers and companies with means to address these issues and use these opportunities within the context in which they operate. Rainforest Alliance is looking for a Project Manager to lead this important work.
The Project Manager will work with a global team to identify solutions to address critical challenges through our certification program, including:
- Sustainability risks in the sector – with a focus on deforestation and child labor – which are systemic issues the cocoa sector has struggled to address.
- Quality of implementation of the program in smallholder producer scenarios – addressing situations where some certificate holders have struggled to implement internal management systems, while others are successful but currently not rewarded for their efforts.
- Supply chain complexity – developing traceability models that address the complexity of sourcing and manufacturing operations, ensuring strict traceability and better aligning with needs, including those related to due diligence regulations, access to data, and attractive claims.
Working closely with Rainforest Alliance teams and partners, the Project Manager will coordinate collaboration across global teams to identify strategies to address the challenges. This includes coordinating and leading engagement and feedback sessions with companies, producers, producer organizations in origin, and other stakeholders. The role involves managing the execution of pilots on program innovations, maintaining a strong project framework that ensures on-time delivery, and ensuring alignment with Rainforest Alliance’s mission.
This role requires strong leadership, high-level stakeholder engagement, and excellent program management skills to deliver results within a high-visibility, time-bound framework.
The position will also contribute to external representation of Rainforest Alliance’s work, engaging with private companies, government agencies, producers and producer organizations, and civil society partners to elevate the impact and sustainability of the cocoa program. The incumbent will report to the Director of Field Implementation.
Responsibilities
The Project Manager is expected to demonstrate Rainforest Alliance’s Core Values: Impact, Change, Collaboration, Openness, and Trust.
Project Design and Partnerships
- Design and supervise the project work plans, deliverables, and timelines – ensuring delivery within the agreed scope.
- Lead coordination activities with all relevant Rainforest Alliance teams and other relevant project partners.
Leadership and Project Management
- Supervise the implementation of all project activities; these can include consultation, prototyping, pilot design and implementation, feedback processing, binding document development and implementation.
- Direct the project team and ensure key objectives and outputs are documented, agreed to, and met.
- Prepare and submit timely, high-quality communications with both internal and external stakeholders (emails, reports, etc.) to maintain transparency on key results throughout the project and ensure Rainforest Alliance internal procedures are followed.
- Foster a process for effective collaboration and sharing of knowledge and capacity within the project team and with other project stakeholders.
- Assess progress and risks of project implementation and take appropriate risk mitigation measures to address them.
Operational & Financial Oversight
- Work closely with the operational and finance teams to develop and monitor the project budget, ensuring efficient and transparent use of funds across workstreams.
- Ensure full compliance with Rainforest Alliance’s financial policies and donor requirements, including invoicing and other practices as needed.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Education: A master’s degree (preferred) or Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Agriculture economics, Business studies, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Development Studies, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
- Experience: Demonstrated ability (6 years) experience of project management and relationship management.
- Sector Experience: Minimum 3 years working experience in the cocoa sector, with producer organisations, companies and community development. Knowledge of other sectors in which Rainforest Alliance operates is a plus.
- Field Knowledge: First-hand field knowledge of the main social and environmental challenges in cocoa growing areas is preferred.
- Language Skills: Both written and verbal fluency in English and French is required.
- Travel: Ability to travel for team meetings and stakeholder engagement as needed.
- Competencies: Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships of trust and confidence with internal and external stakeholders; ability to work within a team structure as well as independently, under pressure and stay focused; demonstrated leadership and ability to coordinate across global teams and functions; excellent interpersonal skills, strong communication skills, with ability to interact culturally, linguistically and diplomatically with diverse internal and external individuals; strong personal ethics and integrity and commitment to uphold the rules and values of the Rainforest Alliance.
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