Project Manager – Responsible Agriculture and Livestock

Job Description

Job Opportunity

Proforest is committed to the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion in our employment practices, and we welcome diversity as a key enabler to our success. Black, LGBTQ, indigenous, quilombola and/or disabled candidates are equally welcomed and encouraged to apply.

Project Manager – Responsible Agriculture and Livestock | Latin America Regional Office - Brasilia

Proforest is looking for a motivated, organised and experienced person to support its responsible agriculture and livestock initiatives and consultancy services in Brazil and South America. This is a great opportunity to work with major international brands, consumer goods customers, and agricultural and livestock production companies to develop and implement their responsible production strategies.

About Proforest

Proforest is a not-for-profit group with a global presence that works at all levels of supply chains supporting the production and purchase of agricultural commodities that deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and the climate. This covers issues such as the protection and restoration of forests and natural ecosystems, climate, biodiversity, respect for the rights of workers, local communities and indigenous peoples, and the promotion of gender equality.

In 2025 we will complete 25 years of experience working with sustainability in the soy, livestock, sugarcane, palm oil, cocoa, and forestry sectors, among others.

We have a global team of more than 200 highly skilled people from more than 20 countries, working from offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia, Ghana, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, where we are expanding and currently have around 25 people.

We work collaboratively across regions, exchanging and sharing learning and connecting through in-person and remote events to ensure teams have a strong sense of belonging to a global team.

Our work in responsible production

Proforest has a strong track record in Responsible Sourcing and as the sectors we work with advance, our work reaches closer to production, increasingly dealing with companies that are producers themselves or that source directly from producers. For these companies, we help them promote and implement environmentally and socially responsible production practices among their suppliers (from large producers to family farming), defining engagement and support actions. For growers, we focus on their own farms or plantations.

Our local teams combine a deep understanding of local context and culture with global ideas and references and partners in other regions to create innovative but locally appropriate approaches. With this, we help build a practical understanding of the environmental and social performance of agricultural and forestry production, identifying best practices, gaps and paths for continuous improvement. Our portfolio on responsible production is small but growing. This is a great opportunity to help shape it.

About the vacancy

For this vacancy we are looking for a person who works as a Specialist in Agricultural and Livestock Production, especially, but not limited to, the sugarcane, livestock and soybean sectors. The position involves the participation and coordination of Proforest’s initiatives and consulting projects in Brazil and other South American countries. In this sense, the person will be responsible for both technical and management aspects, including team management, relationship with customers and donors, preparation and monitoring of schedules and budgets, and development of contracted products.

The person will support and/or lead, depending on the complexity of the activity, the definition of institutional strategies for responsible production, the incorporation of responsible production into landscape-scale initiatives, and the engagement with producers and their sector representatives, as well as other stakeholders. The person will also carry out field evaluations and training and technical assistance to producing companies on topics such as traceability, socio-environmental risk assessments, development of action plans for responsible production, human rights due diligence, among others.

The person is expected to join the Proforest team based at its regional office in Brasilia-DF, and to be available for national and international travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead and act in initiatives and consulting projects for responsible agricultural and livestock production in Brazil and South America.
• Carry out field activities, such as data collection and socio-environmental assessments, engagement with producers and other parties involved, training of producing companies, among others according to the scope of programs and projects.
• Engage and work with local actor partners in jurisdictional and landscape-scale initiatives.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, such as sustainability initiatives, businesses, support agencies, civil society, among other actors.
• Manage projects, programs, and partnerships. This includes planning, coordination, monitoring and reporting.
• Contribute to the development of new areas of Proforest’s services, including prospecting, business plan development, and engagement with stakeholders.
• Provide strategic advice and technical assistance to customers and partners as needed.
• Contribute significantly to the wider functioning of the Proforest team, including participation in management processes and support for planning and delivery of other services.
• Support the technical development of the Proforest team in responsible production.
• Represent Proforest at meetings and events related to responsible production.

Qualifications, experience, qualities

• Qualification at the master’s level (or higher) in social and/or environmental issues related to agricultural production, such as deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems, climate change, regenerative agriculture, respect for the human rights of workers, local communities and indigenous peoples, among others.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in sustainability, responsible production, social responsibility and/or human rights in the agricultural sector, which includes direct contact with rural producers and their representative entities.
• Deep knowledge of environmental and social issues related to agricultural production, especially in the sugarcane, soybean and livestock sectors.
• Excellent project management skills, including resourcing, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Portuguese and English are essential, including presentation skills.
• Excellent time management, organization, and problem-solving skills, as well as a proven ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Proven experience in data analysis and reporting.
• Highly developed interpersonal and teamwork skills, as well as proven ability to operate in a multicultural environment.
• Proficiency in Portuguese and English.
• Availability to travel and work in the field, including remote locations.

Highly desirable:

• Experience in social and environmental impact assessment and mitigation.
• Experience consulting and working with diverse stakeholders, including large, medium, and small businesses, NGOs, financial institutions, government aid agencies, smallholder farmers, and local communities.
• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in a similar role with sustainability initiatives, private sector or NGOs working with, or in close collaboration with, large corporate buyers and international agricultural supply chains.
• Experience and/or knowledge related to sustainability, auditing and certification standards.
• Proven ability to operate in a multicultural environment, have strong analytical skills, and be able to drive innovation and change
• Working knowledge of Spanish.

How to apply

Send your resume and a cover letter in English and Portuguese to: recrutamento.brasil@proforest.net, adding “PFLAS Produção Responsável 2025” in the subject. Also include your salary expectation (gross, in Brazil Reais, under the CLT hiring regime), confirm your right to work in Brazil and your availability to reside in Brasília-DF.

Applications only in Portuguese, without salary expectation or without confirmation about the right to work in Brazil and availability to reside in Brasilia-DF will not be considered.

Deadline for submission: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled

About the Organization

ProForest offers a range of services related to the sustainable management and use of natural resources including: Standards: Development of standards and criteria for natural resource management. Auditing: Internal audits and verification. Purchasing: Development and implementation of responsible purchasing policies. Training: A wide range of training courses, both internal and public. HCVF: Identification and management of high conservation value forests. Policy: Research and policy development at all levels. SFM: Understanding and implementing sustainable forest management.