Consultant - Technical Specialist - GHG Reduction - Food & Agriculture - Mandarin Language Required

Marshall Street; Remote; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Part time

Job summary

A leading non-profit organization is seeking a Technical Specialist (Consultant) focused on engaging the private sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions within food and agriculture. This remote role requires multilingual proficiency, strong analytical abilities, and experience in GHG accounting, particularly in the palm sector. The specialist will provide advisory support for climate mitigation strategies and work closely with stakeholders and project teams.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in GHG accounting for land use is required.
• Field or research experience with forest carbon models is preferred.
• Knowledge of GHG accounting frameworks and sustainable sourcing initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Support climate programs and projects with technical advisory.
• Analyze data and evaluate carbon projects.
• Engage with stakeholders for project development.

Skills

Multilingual proficiency

Strong research skills

Analytical abilities

Excellent writing and document design

Technical translation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, forestry, or environment-related field

Master’s degree in climate change or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

Technical Specialist (Consultant) Scope of Work

Technical Specialist

Background

Winrock International is recruiting a Technical Specialist (Consultant) with experience in engaging the private sector in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within food and agriculture. This Consultant will focus on supporting clients in building effective climate mitigation strategies towards their science‑based targets (SBTs) and net zero goals. This is a remote opportunity. No travel included.

Language Skills and Working Hours Requirements

• Multilingual proficiency in Mandarin and English is required.
• The Consultant must be available to meet with clients during normal business hours Malaysia Time (MYT), in addition to meeting with the Winrock Team based in the United States for coordination and training, as needed, on Monday‑Thursday from 8‑10 p MTY. This is a remote opportunity.
• Anticipated Level of Effort is between 20–30 hours per week.

Scope of Work

• Collaborate with Winrock and client teams to support the technical advisory and project validation of climate programs and projects.
• Work closely with the Winrock team and external stakeholders to address technical assistance requests, assess project feasibility, review technical documentation, and provide guidance on compliance with sustainability frameworks.
• Ensure the technical rigor and credibility of GHG mitigation projects by providing technical advisory, conducting in‑depth validations, managing stakeholder communications, and supporting alignment with key industry standards.
• Support the data collection and development of guidance to improve the quality of peatland restoration projects within palm supply chains.
• Analyze data and support the evaluation of carbon projects using Verra methodologies, SBTi standards and guidance, and the GHG Protocol Corporate Suite of Standards as guides.

Deliverables

• Support project validation efforts, ensuring that projects meet technical requirements and align with recognized GHG accounting standards (e.g., GHG Protocol, Science‑Based Targets Initiative, Value Change Initiative [VCI]).
• Review, assess, and translate project documentation, methodologies, and evidentiary materials to validate emission reductions and removals estimates.
• Engage in stakeholder communications with project developers, suppliers, and internal teams, particularly for projects in the Asia‑Pacific region.
• Facilitate risk and co‑benefits evaluations of climate projects, ensuring alignment with corporate sustainability goals.
• Provide technical advisory support on the development of guidance and evaluation of peatland restoration projects within palm supply chains.
• Coordinate with the Winrock team to ensure seamless project execution and follow‑up actions.

Payment process

The consultant will send a monthly invoice based on actual hours worked.

Budget

When applying for the project, please provide your hourly rate.

Consultant Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, forestry, or environment‑related field required. Master’s degree in climate change, food and environment, or a related discipline is preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in food systems and GHG accounting for land use required. Additional years of experience are strongly preferred.
• Experience managing technical aspects of greenhouse gas accounting in the palm sector and a strong understanding of certification and sustainable sourcing initiatives in the industry (e.g., Verra, RSPO, the Accountability Framework initiative [AFI]).
• Field or research experience with forest carbon or palm production models, data management for land use change, and greenhouse gas profiles of agricultural commodities from Southeast Asia preferred.
• Knowledge of relevant carbon model design methods and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) approaches to ensure GHG reduction measurements are repeatable, scalable, and GHG protocol compliant.
• Experience working with GHG accounting frameworks for insetting (e.g., GHG Protocol, SBTi, VCI) and MRV of GHG emissions impacts.
• Understanding of corporate supply chain management or procurement.
• Ability to synthesize scientific research into accessible, actionable knowledge products.

Position‑Specific Skills

• Fluency in Mandarin and English is required. The ability to speak other languages commonly spoken in the Asia‑Pacific region is a plus.
• Strong research and analytical abilities, including in‑depth knowledge of sustainability issues and opportunities for forest‑based commodities.
• Ability to translate technical topics into clear, structured content for different audiences.
• Excellent writing, editing, and document design skills.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office software, including Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Advanced proficiency in Excel is preferred.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal treatment for all people. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.