Project Manager

The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organisation with 30 member countries and around 130 member organisations. EFI’s headquarters are located in Joensuu, Finland. EFI has several offices across Europe, including in Barcelona, Spain and under its International Partnerships Facility a project office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The International Partnerships Facility (IPF) of EFI is a global centre of knowledge and expertise that supports policy and governance reforms to safeguard the world’s forests. It promotes sustainable forest and land use to help protect and restore forests and maximise their role in green economic growth, climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation. It also fosters legal, deforestation-free and sustainable commodity production and trade.

The EFI Technical Assistance Project (EFITAP) supports countries address forest governance and forest-land use challenges. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), it is one of the components of their Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme. Implemented by EFI since 2019, EFITAP enables FCDO to quickly mobilise technical assistance and analysis in response to emerging needs and partner requests, to support forest governance reform processes and strengthen forest stewardship. EFITAP currently has activities in six countries: Indonesia, Ghana, Guyana, Liberia, the Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea.

EFI is seeking a Project Manager to lead the implementation of the IPF’s EFI Technical Assistance Projects (EFITAP).

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead the implementation of EFITAP.
• Lead communication and coordination with FCDO.
• Coordinate the work of IPF experts contributing to EFITAP projects and activities.
• Coordinate the capture, sharing and institutionalisation of EFITAP derived knowledge.
• Line management and backstopping of IPF experts assigned to EFITAP.
• Responsible for overall planning and reporting of the EFITAP programme in accordance with FCDO requirements.
• Financial forecasting and reporting of EFITAP activities in coordination with IPF Operations Support Manager.
• Oversight and support to procurement processes and contract management by IPF’s Technical Assistance Project (TAP) managers.
• Identify and support the institutionalisation of organisational practices for efficient and effective programme delivery, interactions and avoidance of conflicts of interest.
• Contribute to the strategic and thematic development of the IPF, in particular on forest and land-use governance support and rapid response mechanisms, drawing in lessons and expertise from country and thematic work under EFITAP.
• Represent EFI at relevant meetings and events.

Duty station:

The employee will be based at EFI’s Office in Barcelona, Spain.

Employment conditions:

The employee will be an EFI staff member. This is a fixed term appointment of four years with the possibility for further extension subject to the successful candidate’s performance. The successful candidate is expected to take up the position early 2025.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are requested to send (in English) a CV including copies of academic degree certificates/diplomas with a motivation letter by 6^th December 2024 23:59 (GMT +2), using our online application form.

For more information about the post, please contact: Valérie Merckx, Head of International Partnerships Facility: valerie.merckx@efi.int

EFI is an equal opportunity employer. All applications will be treated confidentially.

• Master or higher university degree in relevant discipline.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage complex projects/programme of work in a result-oriented and flexible manner.
• At least 10 years of international experience, including managing projects/programmes in the tropical developing countries, preferably related to forests and land-use.
• At least 5 years of experience in managing experts or teams of experts.
• Excellent coordination, administrative and networking skills.
• Experience in financial forecasting, budgeting and control.
• Excellent communications skills, experience and willingness to engage donors, technical partners and stakeholders.
• Skilled use of Microsoft Office (notably Word and Excel) and collaborative working environments (e.g. Microsoft Teams)
• Professional proficiency in English. Command of French is an asset.