Community and Smallholder Certification Officer (m-f-d) - based in Congo Basin

FSC International; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global non-profit organization is seeking a Community and Smallholder Certification Officer to support FSC certification efforts in the Congo Basin. The ideal candidate will have a background in forestry and experience in engaging with various stakeholders. This role offers the opportunity to contribute significantly to sustainable forest management while working remotely and traveling as needed.

Benefits

Cross-cultural collaboration opportunities

Participate in global community of forest stewards

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional experience in the forestry sector.
• Excellent knowledge of forest certification, particularly FSC.
• Experience engaging with governments, nonprofits, and communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support and training for communities
• Support government agencies in adopting FSC solutions
• Conduct certification trainings online and in person.

Skills

Fluency in spoken and written French

Fluency in spoken and written English

Strong interest in responsible forest management

Ability to work independently

Good time management skills

Competent in MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in forestry or related fields

Job description

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Community and Smallholder Certification Officer (m-f-d) - based in Congo Basin

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Client:

FSC International

Location:

United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

091707a485a8

Job Views:

5

Posted:

12.08.2025

Expiry Date:

26.09.2025

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Job Description:

The Scope

The Community and Smallholder Certification Officer will play a central role in FSC certification readiness preparation for communities and smallholders so that they can adopt and apply FSC solutions in the management of their forests and plantations in contribution to the FSC Congo Basin targets.

Main Roles & Responsibilities

• Provide day to day technical support, training and guidance to communities and smallholders, as well as companies to obtain and uphold FSC forest management and Chain of Custody (CoC) certification.
• Support government agencies to understand, adopt and implement FSC’s responsible forest management solutions in forest, processes, policies and strategies.
• Support the mapping and analysis of opportunities for the certification of community and smallholder managed forests and plantations in Central and West Africa
• As guided by the FSC Coordinator CB & WA, participate in relevant government and private sector meetings, workshops and events on FSC certification.
• Lead the identification and assessment of adapted business models and arrangements for effective management of community and smallholder certified forests and plantations in target countries.
• Organise in-country and/or external exchange field visits to facilitate learning by technical staff of governments involved in implementing certification pilot activities, as well as other stakeholders in the process to uptake FSC certification and responsible forest management solutions.
• With support of the FSCCoordinator, CB & WA, conduct online/virtual and physical certification trainings on FSC responsible forest management solutions for communities, smallholders and businesses.
• Strengthen existing relationships and develop new links with potential partners and members to promote FSC certification in the Congo Basin.

Your profile

• A Bachelor’s or advanced degree in forestry, natural resources and environmental management, development studies or related fields.
• At least 4 years professional experience in the forestry sector with excellent knowledge and wide understanding of forest certification, particularly the FSC certification system, or in other commodities certification.
• Extensive experience working with and engaging governments, forest companies, environmental non-governmental organizations and smallholders and communities in forestry, and strong ability to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships.
• Strong interest in promoting responsible forest management and sustainability in the forestry and environment sectors.
• Ability to work independently under minimal supervision.
• Competent in the use of basic computersoftware packagesmainlyMS Office.
• Good time management skills, multitasking and ability to perform and deliver effectively under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Ability to establish and build and engage networks, facilitate multistakeholder processes and provide quality contributions to national and sub-regional forest policy and governance processes.
• Ability to analyze and produce clear, precise and convincing reports and other relevant documents.
• Fluency in spoken and written French and English

Why us?

• Be part of a globally recognized organization at the forefront of sustainable forestry and contribute to the mission to help protect the world’s forests.
• Play an active role in the FSC global community of 400+ forest stewards who come together in-person at least once a year.
• Benefit from cross-cultural collaboration and networking opportunities by working in a dynamic, inclusive, and diverse international culture.

The Fine Print

• Working Hours: Full time - 40 hours per week.
• Duration of Consultancy agreement: 2 years (extension possible, subject to satisfactory performance)
• Starting Date: As soon as possible.
• Travel: Sporadic travel is required.

The Scope

The Community and Smallholder Certification Officer will play a central role in FSC certification readiness preparation for communities and smallholders so that they can adopt and apply FSC solutions in the management of their forests and plantations in contribution to the FSC Congo Basin targets.

Main Roles & Responsibilities

• Provide day to day technical support, training and guidance to communities and smallholders, as well as companies to obtain and uphold FSC forest management and Chain of Custody (CoC) certification.
• Support government agencies to understand, adopt and implement FSC’s responsible forest management solutions in forest, processes, policies and strategies.
• Support the mapping and analysis of opportunities for the certification of community and smallholder managed forests and plantations in Central and West Africa
• As guided by the FSC Coordinator CB & WA, participate in relevant government and private sector meetings, workshops and events on FSC certification.
• Lead the identification and assessment of adapted business models and arrangements for effective management of community and smallholder certified forests and plantations in target countries.
• Organise in-country and/or external exchange field visits to facilitate learning by technical staff of governments involved in implementing certification pilot activities, as well as other stakeholders in the process to uptake FSC certification and responsible forest management solutions.
• With support of the FSCCoordinator, CB & WA, conduct online/virtual and physical certification trainings on FSC responsible forest management solutions for communities, smallholders and businesses.
• Strengthen existing relationships and develop new links with potential partners and members to promote FSC certification in the Congo Basin.

Your profile

• A Bachelor’s or advanced degree in forestry, natural resources and environmental management, development studies or related fields.
• At least 4 years professional experience in the forestry sector with excellent knowledge and wide understanding of forest certification, particularly the FSC certification system, or in other commodities certification.
• Extensive experience working with and engaging governments, forest companies, environmental non-governmental organizations and smallholders and communities in forestry, and strong ability to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships.
• Strong interest in promoting responsible forest management and sustainability in the forestry and environment sectors.
• Ability to work independently under minimal supervision.
• Competent in the use of basic computersoftware packagesmainlyMS Office.
• Good time management skills, multitasking and ability to perform and deliver effectively under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Ability to establish and build and engage networks, facilitate multistakeholder processes and provide quality contributions to national and sub-regional forest policy and governance processes.
• Ability to analyze and produce clear, precise and convincing reports and other relevant documents.
• Fluency in spoken and written French and English

Why us?

• Be part of a globally recognized organization at the forefront of sustainable forestry and contribute to the mission to help protect the world’s forests.
• Play an active role in the FSC global community of 400+ forest stewards who come together in-person at least once a year.
• Benefit from cross-cultural collaboration and networking opportunities by working in a dynamic, inclusive, and diverse international culture.

The Fine Print

• Location: Brazzaville, Nairobi
• Working Hours: Full time - 40 hours per week.
• Duration of Consultancy agreement: 2 years (extension possible, subject to satisfactory performance)
• Starting Date: As soon as possible.
• Travel: Sporadic travel is required.

Ready to make a difference? Join FSC and help shape a sustainable future. Don't delay - apply now!

• Please apply via our website by submitting your CV in English
• Please do not send any photos of yourself.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

For FSC, inclusiveness and diversity are important values. As such, we welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds and are entirely committed to consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age and disability.

Please be informed, that by applying for this position you automatically accept our Data Protection Information on processing your personal data.

We are looking forward to your application!

About us

Welcome to FSC!
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognized non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting sustainable forestry. With over 150 million hectares of certified forests and a trusted reputation among NGOs, consumers, and businesses, FSC is leading the way in ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the world’s forests.