Rubber Supply Chain Project Lead

Puskapa; Indonesia; On-site; IDR 279,000,000 - 446,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Forestwise is seeking a Rubber Supply Chain Project Lead to develop and implement a sustainable rubber supply chain across the assigned area. You will manage farmer groups, sourcing networks, pricing, quality control, and logistics to build a traceable and commercially viable operation.

You will lead supplier negotiations, monitor market dynamics, and drive regenerative and potentially organic production where feasible, while ensuring compliance with relevant sustainability and certification

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in supply chain, agriculture, forestry, agribusiness, rural development, business, or related fields.
• Experience in supply chain, procurement, agribusiness, agricultural commodities, forestry/NTFPs, or related sectors.
• Experience working with farmers, suppliers, communities, or rural supply chains.
• Experience in project or field operations management.
• Willingness to work extensively in rural environments in West Kalimantan.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of Forestwise’s rubber sourcing and supply chain.
• Develop sourcing villages, farmer groups, cooperatives, and supplier networks.
• Establish practical systems for sourcing, procurement, quality, traceability, collection, and logistics.
• Identify bottlenecks and develop improvements.
• Lead pilot implementation and translate lessons into a scalable rubber business model.
• Coordinate with technical experts to translate recommendations into field systems.
• Build and maintain relationships with rubber farmers and communities.
• Coordinate rubber planting, nursery development, and production expansion where relevant.
• Coordinate training on tapping, quality, post-harvest handling, traceability, and regenerative practices.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in relevant field

Job description

Position : Rubber Supply Chain Manager/Lead

Department : Supply Chain Management

Reports to : Head of Supply Chain Management

Supervises : Field Staff – Rubber

Position Summary

The Rubber Supply Chain Project Lead is responsible for developing and implementing Forestwise’s rubber supply chain and business model in the assigned area. The role covers farmer and production development, sourcing and procurement, quality and DRC management, pricing, logistics, market development, sustainability, traceability, and stakeholder engagement.

The Project Lead will work with farmers, suppliers, buyers, technical experts, and internal teams to build a reliable, traceable, sustainable, and commercially viable rubber supply chain. The role will contribute to Forestwise’s positioning around regenerative rubber and, where feasible, organic rubber, while ensuring that production and sourcing practices respond to actual market and buyer requirements.

The Project Lead will also lead the testing and continuous improvement of the rubber business model, particularly around quality consistency, pricing mechanisms, supply reliability, and price volatility.

Key Responsibilities

1. Supply Chain & Business Development

• Lead the development and implementation of Forestwise’s rubber sourcing and supply chain.
• Develop sourcing villages, farmer groups, cooperatives, and supplier networks.
• Establish practical systems for sourcing, procurement, quality, traceability, collection, and logistics.
• Identify operational and commercial bottlenecks and develop improvements.
• Lead pilot implementation and translate lessons learned into a scalable rubber business model.
• Coordinate with technical experts to translate technical recommendations into practical field systems.

2. Farmer & Production Development

• Build and maintain relationships with rubber farmers and communities.
• Assess production practices, productivity, and key constraints.
• Coordinate rubber planting, nursery development, replanting, and production expansion where relevant.
• Support communities in adopting good tapping and sustainable production practices.
• Coordinate training on tapping, quality, post-harvest handling, traceability, and regenerative practices.
• Develop farmer incentives linked to quality, sustainability, and reliable supply.

3. Procurement, Pricing & Commercial Operations

• Coordinate rubber purchasing from farmers, groups, cooperatives, and suppliers.
• Monitor market prices, local trading practices, supply conditions, and market developments.
• Understand rubber price formation, including market references, DRC, quality, product form, and supply-chain margins.
• Apply transparent pricing mechanisms based on market conditions, DRC, quality, and product specifications.
• Lead negotiations with farmers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
• Monitor price volatility and develop mechanisms to appropriately manage and share price risks.
• Manage supplier agreements, purchasing documentation, and payment processes.

4. Quality, DRC & Product Management

• Implement rubber quality standards and acceptance criteria based on buyer and market requirements.
• Monitor DRC and key quality parameters, including contamination, moisture, coagulation, product form, and freshness.
• Develop and implement practical grading and quality-control procedures.
• Understand product specifications for cup-lump and other relevant rubber forms.
• Translate buyer requirements into practical standards for farmers, suppliers, and collection points.
• Ensure quality and DRC data inform procurement and pricing decisions.
• Identify and address causes of quality deterioration across the supply chain.

5. Market & Demand-Side Development

• Monitor local, national, regional, and global rubber markets.
• Identify potential buyers and market opportunities for Forestwise rubber.
• Understand buyer requirements for product form, quality, DRC, volume, pricing, sustainability, traceability, and certification.
• Translate demand-side requirements into sourcing and quality specifications.
• Assess commercial opportunities for differentiated rubber based on quality, traceability, regenerative production, or organic production where feasible.
• Support buyer engagement and development of long-term market relationships.

6. Sustainability, Regulation & Certification

• Support development of Forestwise’s regenerative rubber sourcing approach and its practical implementation.
• Assess the feasibility and pathway toward organic rubber where relevant.
• Monitor applicable regulations and sustainability requirements affecting rubber sourcing and market access.
• Support implementation of relevant EUDR, traceability, and certification requirements.
• Translate regulatory and certification requirements into practical field procedures and data requirements.
• Coordinate with technical experts and certification bodies where specialized support is required.
• Develop volume forecasts based on sourcing potential, farmer production, and seasonality.
• Plan and coordinate collection from sourcing villages and collection points.
• Coordinate transport, storage, and delivery to warehouse, processing facility, or buyer.
• Monitor volume, logistics costs, handling, and quality throughout the supply chain.
• Identify opportunities to improve collection and logistics efficiency as the business scales.

8. Stakeholder & Team Management

• Manage relationships with farmers, suppliers, cooperatives, village governments, traders, transporters, processors, buyers, and other stakeholders.
• Represent Forestwise in relevant local engagements.
• Lead and supervise Field Staff for Rubber Team.
• Develop field work plans, assign activities, and monitor implementation.
• Build field-team capacity in sourcing, quality, data collection, traceability, and farmer engagement.
• Resolve field, supplier, quality, and operational issues.

9. Data, Analysis & Reporting

• Maintain reliable data on farmers, suppliers, production, procurement, DRC, quality, prices, logistics, and market conditions.
• Analyze data to support pricing, procurement, volume planning, quality improvement, supplier management, and risk management.
• Provide regular reports and recommendations to management.
• Develop data systems that support traceability, certification, and regulatory requirements.

Key Outcomes

• Reliable and traceable supply
• Consistent and market-aligned quality
• Transparent, quality-based procurement and pricing
• Practical mechanisms to manage price volatility
• Strong farmer and supplier relationships
• A credible regenerative rubber pathway and, where feasible, organic pathway
• Compliance with relevant sustainability, traceability, regulatory, EUDR, and certification requirements
• A scalable and commercially viable Forestwise rubber business model

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree/Master’s degree or equivalent experience in supply chain, agriculture, forestry, agribusiness, rural development, business, or related fields.
• Experience in supply chain, procurement, agribusiness, agricultural commodities, forestry/NTFPs, or related sectors.
• Experience working with farmers, suppliers, communities, or rural supply chains.
• Experience in project or field operations management.
• Strong commercial, analytical, stakeholder-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Willingness to work extensively in rural and field environments in West Kalimantan.

Preferred

• Experience with rubber or agricultural/forest commodity supply chains.
• Understanding of rubber production, tapping, DRC, quality, and post-harvest handling.
• Experience in commodity pricing, market analysis, or commercial negotiation.
• Experience with sustainability, certification, traceability, regenerative agriculture, or EUDR.
• Experience developing new supply chains or business models from an early/pilot stage.