The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a not-for-profit, international membership organisation and certification standard that is working to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm. To do this, we unite 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. Our mission is to create a space where palm oil agriculture and the environment can co-exist.
At RSPO, we believe that a not-for-profit organisation is made successful by the passion, skills, and expertise of its members and staff. We are committed to developing the highest standards of governance that reflect our multi-stakeholder structures and commitment to consensus-based decision-making through inclusive and participative processes.
The Standard Development Department is looking for an innovative Manager, Standard Design & Innovation (SDI) to help move forward the organization strategy for the department, which is to have best-in-class standards that are inclusive, accessible, credible, and implementable to deliver impact. The department strategy is advanced through three core imperatives workstreams: Design Implementation, Facilitate Compliance, and Update & Adapt Standards.
The Manager, SDI (Supply Chain) is responsible for leading the multistakeholder activities involved in the effective design, development, revision, interpretation and maintenance of Supply Chain Standards, applicable systems, and procedures to drive impact. You are 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 you 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, you should be equipped with strong interpersonal skills and adept to work well with all levels across the organization, 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 sustainability, supply chain management, agricultural commodity, and (ideally) standard setting and/or sustainability scheme and innovations.
The location of this role is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties include but will not be limited to the following:
- Coordinate the effective management of day-to-day operations.
- Manage, facilitate and coordinate related and relevant working group and/or taskforce meetings.
- Maintain and lead revisions of RSPO Standards, systems, and procedures applicable for supply chain actors.
- Periodically review and identify any problems with current implementation and develop solutions that ensure the system is fit for purpose, consistent with global best practice, emerging issues and future-proof.
- Provide supply chain related technical support to members, external and internal stakeholders.
- Maintain compliance with ISEAL’s Code for Standard Setting.
- Represent RSPO at conferences and events related to RSPO supply chain standards and requirements in the palm sector.
- Conduct, oversee, outline, pilot, and analyse the applicability and/or feasibility of new technologies, system, tools and/or approach to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of RSPO Standards implementation.
Apart from the duties stated above, to perform any duty or duties reasonably assigned.
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT
Education
- University degree in an appropriate field (Agricultural, Environmental & Social Management, Sustainable Development or equivalence). Addition academic qualification in the field of Business Management and Political Science would be advantageous.
Work Experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in sustainability/Certification/Standard
- Experience in internet research and database management.
- Experience exercising discretion and confidentiality with sensitive company information.
- Experience in and understanding of the dynamics of stakeholder engagement and process facilitation.
- Experience working effectively with data in an analytical capacity and synthesising complex information
- Previous experience in managing direct reports
Technical & Professional Knowledge:
- Management and leadership skills, including delivering outcomes through multi stakeholder processes.
- Solid understanding of sustainability, environmental and social issues and standards
- Proficiency in MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and with the ability to learn other software applications quickly.
- Professional knowledge in time management and resourcefulness.
- Knowledge of third-party certification/ecolabelling schemes and their role in sustainability
Essential Skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, negotiation, cross-team project management and consensus-building.
- Adept to work well with all levels across the organization, including the ability to communicate across cultures and the ability to say ‘no’ effectively and without negative consequences.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and be able to interact with diverse stakeholders.
- High integrity and a good team player
- Good writing skills and ability to deliver comprehensive analytical reports
- Excellent organizational and work planning skills, capable of multi-tasking on a wide range of topics
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 (Supply Chain) ” in your email subject line.
**RSPO is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
