Senior National Forest Inventory Expert

Job Posting Organization:
The Monitoring and Enhancement of Remote Sensing for National Forest Inventory (MERANTI) project is a three-year initiative funded by Norway and managed by the FAO Office in Jakarta. The project aims to enhance Indonesia's National Forest Inventory (NFI) by integrating advanced land-monitoring techniques to improve the accuracy, availability, transparency, and timeliness of forest and tree resource data. The organization focuses on strengthening Indonesia's capacity to generate high-quality forest information, which is crucial for national strategic planning, climate change mitigation, and fulfilling international commitments to global climate and sustainable development goals. The FAO operates in numerous countries and has a mission to eliminate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, promote sustainable agriculture, and manage natural resources sustainably. The organization employs thousands of individuals worldwide, working collaboratively with various stakeholders to achieve its objectives.

Job Overview:
The Senior National Forest Inventory Expert will play a pivotal role in the MERANTI project by contributing to the development of the overall project workplan, which includes providing technical input for the NFI field implementation plan and operational procedures. This position requires extensive experience in forest monitoring and inventory, as the expert will conduct systematic reviews of existing databases and botanical sources on tree and woody species, compiling data into a comprehensive digital species database. This database will support standardized NFI field guides and ensure consistent species identification. The expert will also provide technical support for Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) manuals across all major NFI stages, including data collection, cleaning, processing, analysis, and reporting. Additionally, the expert will contribute to developing allometric models for biomass estimation of non-tree woody species, which is essential for biomass and carbon stock assessment. The role involves updating metadata for NFI 2.0 and ensuring its integration into the FAO Forest Assessment and Monitoring catalogue, aligning with Indonesia's national priorities. Furthermore, the expert will provide expert support for training sessions, workshops, and capacity-building events as needed, making this position integral to the project's success.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior National Forest Inventory Expert will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Contributing to the development of the overall MERANTI project workplan, including technical input to the NFI field implementation plan and operational procedures.
• Conducting a systematic review of existing databases and botanical sources on tree and woody species, compiling data into a comprehensive digital species database to support standardized NFI field guides and consistent species identification.
• Providing technical support on Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) manuals for all major NFI stages, including field data collection, data cleaning, data processing, data analysis, and reporting.
• Contributing to the development of allometric models for biomass estimation of non-tree woody species to support biomass and carbon stock assessment.
• Providing technical input and support to update metadata for NFI 2.0, ensuring integration into the FAO Forest Assessment and Monitoring catalogue and alignment with Indonesia's national priorities.
• Providing expert support for training sessions, workshops, and capacity-building events as needed.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:

• An advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Forestry, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in Forest Monitoring and National Forest Inventories, including providing technical advisory support to countries.
• A working knowledge of English and Bahasa Indonesia (C1 level).
• Candidates must be nationals of Indonesia or residents of the country with a valid work permit. Additionally, candidates should possess FAO core competencies, including a results focus, teamwork, communication, building effective relationships, and knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Educational Background:
The position requires an advanced university degree in Forestry, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management, or a closely related field from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. This educational background is essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and understanding of the complexities involved in forest monitoring and inventory processes.

Experience:
Candidates must have at least 10 years of relevant professional experience in Forest Monitoring and National Forest Inventories. This experience should include technical advisory support to countries, demonstrating a strong understanding of forest monitoring practices and methodologies. Additionally, experience in working in various locations or areas of work, particularly in tropical forest ecosystems and international forest monitoring initiatives, is highly desirable.

Languages:
The mandatory languages for this position are English and Bahasa Indonesia, with a requirement for a working knowledge at the C1 level. Proficiency in both languages is crucial for effective communication and collaboration within the project and with various stakeholders. Additional language skills may be considered an asset but are not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
This position is part of a project that is expected to last for three years, and it is essential for candidates to be aware of the project's duration. The role is full-time, and candidates must be either nationals of Indonesia or residents with a valid work permit. The position may involve collaboration with international partners and stakeholders, and candidates should be prepared for potential travel within Indonesia as part of their responsibilities. Compensation and benefits will be aligned with FAO standards and policies.