Productive Forests Specialist – Carbon Accounting

Remote | Home Based - May require travel

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Remote | Home Based - May require travel
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Accounting (Audit, Controlling)
    • Environment
    • Renewable Energy sector
    • Climate Change
  • Closing Date: 2025-11-03

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

  • FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
  • Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
  • Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
  • FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination  
  • All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
  • All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
  • FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.


Organizational Setting

The Government of Brazil established the National Productive Forests Program (NPFP) (Decree No. 12,087, 3 July 2024) to recover degraded areas for productive purposes, strengthen family farming, ensure environmental regularization, and expanding the production of healthy food and socio-biodiversity products. The NPFP is aligned with the Climate Mitigation Plan and contributes directly to the national target of restoring 12 million hectares of degraded areas in rural zones by 2030.
The NPFP is implemented under the umbrella of Planaveg and integrates a range of actions such as technical assistance and rural extension (ATER), support to seed and nursery networks, provision of equipment and inputs, community training spaces, and research and innovation in agroforestry systems.

FAO provides technical assistance to the NPFP in key areas as access to financial services for smallholder farmers (credit guarantees, agricultural insurance, revolving funds, savings and credit schemes) and Carbon accounting system to measure and track the sequestration and emission reductions achieved by productive restoration initiatives.


Reporting Lines

The incumbent reports to the Assistant Representative in FAO Brazil – Programme.


Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide specialized technical support to develop analysis, methodologies, and recommendations in these areas, contributing to the effective implementation and scaling of the NPFP.


Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Forestry Officer, the incumbent will perform the following tasks\:

• Review methodologies for carbon accounting and monitoring in agroforestry and productive restoration systems and propose the most suitable selection.
• Prepare a technical report designing the carbon accounting and monitoring system, including
o Methodologies and process flow for a system to estimate and track carbon sequestration and emission reductions from NPFP activities at any implementation stage (ex-ante, during, and ex-post) initiative, local, and regional levels.
o Identify baseline requirements and data needs, governance arrangements, and cost estimates for development and implementation.
o Estimate of benefits to be generated with the implementation of the NPFP, including proposals for a benefit-sharing mechanism.
• Provide training and strengthen capacity for the technical assistance providers and other relevant stakeholders to estimate, monitor and evaluate progress on emission reduction and carbon capture targets under the NPFP.


CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING\:


Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University (master’s or equivalent) in Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Rural Development, Environmental Management, Forest Engineering, or a related field
• At least 06 years of relevant professional experience in rural financial inclusion and/or in providing financial services to smallholders, cooperatives, traditional communities, and SMEs engaged in restoration, productive forestry, and related value chains
• Working Knowledge (level C) of English and Portuguese
• Brazilian Nationality or resident of the country with valid work permit


FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement


Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in financial analysis of investment projects in the agricultural sector.
• Knowledge of evaluating financing sources for agricultural development.
• Participation in the design of alternative financing mechanisms for projects and programs.
• Experience in developing public rural development programs.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact\: Careers@fao.org
  • Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
  • Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
  • For other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
  • Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.
Fellow badge

This feature is included in the Impactpool Fellowship.

Become a Fellow and get a summary of the job description to quickly understand the role and the requirements