The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a not-for-profit, international membership organisation that is working to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm. To do this, we have united stakeholders from all sectors of the palm oil supply chain and civil society to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil production and procurement.
Since its inception in 2004, RSPO has enjoyed rapid growth and today has 5,000 members from 101 countries, including oil palm producers, processors, traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks, and non-governmental organisations. Thanks to the commitments and actions of these members, nearly 20% of the global supply of palm oil has already been certified as sustainable.
At RSPO, we believe that a not-for-profit organisation is made successful by the passion, skills, and expertise of its members and staff. They are the ones who drive our organisation to new heights and guide us through the next phase of our development.
Aside from the conventional approach to certification where the focus is on the mill and its supply base, RSPO is looking to upscale this approach to a jurisdictional level. The RSPO Jurisdictional Working Group (JWG) was established in March 2018 to provide high-level guidance on all work related to the Jurisdictional Approach to RSPO certification, focused on the development of an approach centred around local applicability, acceptance by the market, and pragmatic development over time.
The Standard Development Department is looking for an innovative Manager, Standard Design & Innovation (SDI) to help move forward the JWG’s objectives and strategies in order to have best-in-class jurisdictional approaches that are inclusive, accessible, credible, and implementable to deliver impact.
The Manager, SDI (JA) is also expected to be familiar with new trends, technologies and research & analysis, as well as keep up with the market and social trends to constantly work towards a simplification and success of RSPO Standards/system/service. The latter will require the successful candidate to understand the business extremely well, including the realities of how the practical day-to-day work and the related technologies function.
As a key member of the SDI Team, the position will be working closely with the Head of SDI and other team members, together with external experts and stakeholders, as required. To be successful in this role, the successful candidate should be equipped with strong interpersonal skills and adept to work well with all levels across the organisation, cultures and backgrounds (different stakeholder groups) to lead discussion and consultation reaching consensus. A proven ability to successfully plan and deliver work in a dynamic small team is essential.
The ideal candidate is familiar with sustainable supply chain, agricultural commodity production, and (ideally) standard setting and/or sustainability scheme and innovations.
The location of this role is Malaysia or Indonesia.
KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties include but will not be limited to the following:
- Manage, facilitate and coordinate JWG meetings and works related to the Jurisdictional Approach to RSPO certification, focused on the development of relevant guidance, mechanisms and system for global implementation of JA.
- Coordinate collaboration of the JWG with various relevant RSPO units/departments on the development of the necessary capacity, mechanisms and infrastructure within the Secretariat and RSPO members related to the Jurisdictional Approach to certification.
- Provide technical support to various relevant RSPO units/departments in supporting and building the adoption of the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach to certification.
- Gather feedback and lessons learned through supporting the piloting and implementation of the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach by relevant jurisdictions (pilot sites), directly or through collaboration with relevant regional offices.
- Ensure alignment and information exchange with current JA initiatives / pilots to identify best practices and share lessons learned.
- Provide technical input to the RSPO certification systems and assurance mechanisms to allow for the implementation of the Jurisdictional Approach.
- Represent RSPO at conferences and events related to the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach to Certification in the palm sector.
- Conduct, oversee, outline, pilot, and analyse the applicability and/or feasibility of new technologies, systems, tools and/or approaches to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach.
- Develop a monitoring system to measure the performance and impact of the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach to certification.
- Coordinate the effective management of day-to-day operations.
- Apart from the duties stated above, to perform any duty or duties reasonably assigned.
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT
- University degree in Agricultural, Environmental Policy/Law, Political Science or equivalent. A graduate degree would be advantageous.
- Minimum 8 years of experience in a management or consulting role specifically in environmental and natural resource management.
- Experience in auditing and/or sustainability standards
TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE
- Management and leadership skills, including delivering outcomes through multi stakeholder processes;
- Voluntary certification systems and quality assurance.
- Natural or Political Science foundation and Management experience
- Proficiency in ISO 31000 Risk Management and other internationally recognised risk management techniques, guidelines and benchmark
- Experience in reviewing, developing, assessing and documenting internal processes, controls and templates
- Practical and commercial approach to problem solving
- Working knowledge of environmental and/or social issues
- Proficiency in MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Effective public speaking and presentation skills; ability to communicate complex issues or business strategy to stakeholders.
- Ability to think outside the box in order to find alternate solutions to common problems.
- Excellent interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, negotiation, cross-team project management and consensus-building;
- Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and/or projects across complex geographies;
- Highly resourceful team player, with the ability to be effective independently;
- Experience in and understanding of the dynamics of stakeholder engagement and process facilitation.
- Experience in a global environment working with diverse groups of stakeholders such as civil society and non-governmental organisations, multinational corporations, government agencies and organs, UN entities, and intergovernmental agencies.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and be able to interact with diverse stakeholders
- Demonstrable organisational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills
- High integrity and a good team player
- Goal-oriented and organised
- Self-motivated and self-directed
WHAT’S ON OFFER
Your commitment and passion to drive innovation will be rewarded with an opportunity to work in an international multi-stakeholder organisation, where making a difference to People, Planet and Prosperity is not just a statement, but what we passionately believe in.
Operating within a dynamic and fast-paced environment, you will enjoy functioning within a role that offers the opportunity to broaden your skill set and develop your capabilities.
HOW TO APPLY
Qualified applicants are invited to send in their updated CV giving comprehensive details of educational background, work experience, and related achievements to [email protected]. Please state "Job Application – Manager, Standard Design & Innovation (Jurisdictional Approach)" in your email subject line.
**RSPO is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
