Program Officer for Forest PLUS 3.0

The Forest-PLUS 3.0 Program, implemented by Tetra Tech International Development (International Development Jobs – Tetra Tech), is currently accepting expressions of interest for a Program Officer (Forestry). This position will be located in the main Forest-PLUS 3.0 office in New Delhi, India.

Forest-PLUS 3.0 is a three-year program of USAID that will be implemented by Tetra Tech in India from Dec 2023 to Dec 2026. The purpose of the program is to provide technical assistance that supports the Government of India to strengthen sustainable, inclusive and data-driven management of forest landscapes. Forest-PLUS 3.0 will build on, scale up, and institutionalize at a national level the solutions developed and piloted by Forest-PLUS 2.0, which was implemented from Dec 2018 to Dec 2023, to support India’s forest-based climate mitigation commitments by: (1) improving the sustainable management and eco-restoration of forest landscapes through technological innovations; and (2) strengthening the institutional and enabling environment for inclusive and resilient forest ecosystems.

Position Description/Summary: The Program Officer (Forestry) will work under the supervision of the Forestry Specialist and will be based at the Delhi office of Forest-PLUS 3.0 with travel to different states of India especially the Forest-PLUS 3.0 regional offices. The Program Officer should demonstrate a deep understanding of sustainable forest management, ecosystem services and the technological advances for Forest Management in India. The Program Officer will play a critical role by providing technical forestry inputs to the development, revision, and refinement of the technology-based tools for forest landscape management. The Program Officer will support State Forest Departments in integrating Eco-restoration to enhance ecological attributes and climate mitigation objectives within forest and wildlife areas. A good knowledge of the National Working Plan Code 2014 and 2023, and Guidelines for Protected Area Management Planning as published by MoEFCC, will be essential.

Responsibilities:

*Provide technical forestry inputs to the development, revision and refinement of technology-based tools, especially Van system, which is a tool for preparation of forest management plans and decision support systems.

*Provide support in developing modules for analyzing the forest inventory and ecosystem services data collected for the forest management plans.

*Support preparation of Sustainable Forest Management/Wildlife Management Plans that balance the needs of biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods by collaborating with forestry experts, environmental organizations, and local communities.

*Work closely with the regional teams to engage with the state forest departments for scaling up of the technology-based tools.

*Provide support to the Capacity Building and Training Specialist to implement capacity-building programs for forestry professionals, emphasizing hands-on training and practical applications by involving experts from various fields, including ecology, technology, and policy, to provide a holistic understanding of forest ecosystems.

*Facilitate information exchange and collaboration on transboundary forest issues to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach through national and regional cooperation on forest landscape management.

*Provide support in liaising with MoEFCC and other forestry institutions at the national level.

*Contribute to the development of the annual work plans, program progress reports, success stories, and communication products.

*Provide support to the Forestry Specialist in developing scopes of work and managing consultants and sub-contractors.

*Conduct field visits to program states and landscapes to support implementation of program activities.

Qualifications:

*Master’s degree in natural resource management (NRM) or other related discipline and minimum 5 years of relevant work experience.

*Experience of working in multi-state forestry projects focused on ecosystem services and sustainable forest management.

*Knowledge of National Working Plan Code and Protected Area Management Planning.

*Good exposure to use of information technology in the forestry sector.

*Experience of liaison and coordination with the state forest departments and preferably MoEFCC.

*Familiar with externally funded initiatives in the forestry sector.

*Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to work with all levels and functions within the organization and program.

*Ability to work as part of a multicultural team.

*Highly organized individual able to pay close attention to detail.

*Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and effectively multitask.

*Must be willing to travel across to the program states and other places as required.

*Proficiency in English required.