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Plants Trade Programme Manager

Vacancy #:   5898
Unit:   TRAFFIC International
Organisation:   TRAFFIC International (TRAFFIC)
Location:   TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Reporting to:   Director of Strategy, Programme, and Impact
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   P1
Expected start date:   01 April 2022
Type of contract:   Fixed-term (24 months)
Closing date:   28 February 2022
BACKGROUND
ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND

TRAFFIC is the leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

TRAFFIC International is a charity and limited company registered in the UK. TRAFFIC’s head office, based in Cambridge UK, provides worldwide leadership, coordination, cross-regional and corporate functions. TRAFFIC’s local engagement is managed through programme offices operating under the auspices of the UK charity, with staff based in a hub office and at other strategic locations where necessary. Programme offices operate within a geographic area of responsibility focused on one or multiple countries where TRAFFIC aims to help deliver priority programme outcomes. TRAFFIC works in strategic alliance with IUCN and WWF on wildlife trade issues.

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Plant resources – including timber and non-timber plant resources – are the most significantly traded wildlife commodities globally. Timber is the world’s most valuable wildlife commodity in trade, and when managed legally and sustainably, is an invaluable source of revenue to both local communities and entire nations. However, globally between 10-30% (and higher in Africa and South America) of timber trade is illegal, contributing to dangerous levels of deforestation, habitat loss and loss of revenue. Thousands of consumer goods contain wild plant ingredients, which are often harvested from highly biodiverse ecosystems by rural communities for whom trade is a critical source of income. A growing number of wild species in trade are threatened with extinction as demand outstrips supply and available habitats decline.

TRAFFIC works on achieving a sustained reduction in illegal wildlife trade, and on enhancing conservation and livelihood benefits from sustainable and legal trade in wildlife resources. This is achieved though engaging and influencing key stakeholders: governments, businesses, communities, consumers and inter-governmental agencies. One of such areas of work is on facilitating the market transformation in the natural ingredients sector with the focus on wild-harvested plant ingredients. This includes the partnership with the FairWild Foundation to promote the sustainable harvest and trade of wild plants, fungi and lichens, and support uptake of the FairWild Standard and certification scheme worldwide, as well as wider approaches to highlight the harvest, trade and use of the wild plant “hidden” ingredients and expand markets and pathways for sustainable trade that benefits wild species and harvesters.

Applicants must be within the UK for contracting purposes.

The salary range for this position is between GBP 35,000 to 37,000 p.a.
JOB DESCRIPTION
CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

The Plants Trade Programme Coordinator will be responsible for the management and implementation of a portfolio of TRAFFIC projects relating to the use of and trade in wild-collected plant resources, with the focus on ensuring strengthened sustainability, traceability, and legality of trade. his includes the project “Himalayan plants for people: sustainable trade for biodiversity and development”, funded through the UK government Darwin Initiative (implemented between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2024).

The Plants Trade Programme Coordinator will also support the coordination activities in the area of wild plant resources trade across TRAFFIC global and regional teams.


SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Manages the implementation of projects and activities related to the use of and trade in wild-collected plant resources;
• Works closely with project partners, ensuring timely delivery of activities, and donor project reporting;
• Delivers partners’ capacity-building on support to the implementation of good practices in sustainable wild harvesting and trade, including of the FairWild Standard requirements;
• Develops supply chain traceability approaches for the implementation in project context;
• Provides expertise into the research and evaluation of the sustainability of trade in wild plants, with the focus on medicinal and aromatic plant species;
• Coordinates project communications, including the development of website materials and support to social media.
• Advises TRAFFIC on emerging issues and opportunities for engagement around wild plants resources trade, within the scope of TRAFFIC’s global conservation programme and work plans.
• Supports implementation of TRAFFIC’s work on wild plant resource trade, ensuring that network delivery is effectively, efficiently and to expected TRAFFIC quality standards;
• Supports capacity-building within TRAFFIC on issues of wild plants trade;
• Supports the fundraising and co-ordination across TRAFFIC in strengthening and developing the donor portfolio for TRAFFIC’s global programme.
REQUIREMENTS
  • Master’s degree or similar qualification in ecology, natural resources management, biological/environmental sciences;
• Conservation project management experience;
• Experience with supply chain traceability, standards and labelling schemes, private sector, and good knowledge of the wild plants sector and trade highly desirable;
• Significant practical experience in international wildlife conservation preferably with government or an international Non-Governmental Organisation/ Inter-governmental Organisation;
• Ability to work under pressure and to set own work priorities as appropriate and a capacity to meet deadlines;
• Strong communication, analytical and presentation skills, including strong writing abilities in the English language; multi-media communications experience an asset;
• Other languages, in particular German, French or Spanish desirable;
• An ability to work co-operatively as part of a small team with strong inter-personal skills and an ability to work in different cultural contexts.
APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/


About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

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