Consultancy for Indigenous Peoples and REDD+ Social Impact Specialist
- Career Category: Consultancies
- Location: Mondul Kiri Province, Preah Vihear Province
Reports to: Keo Seima REDD+ Project Director / Northern Plains Senior Technical Advisor
Liaison with: WCS Country Director and Social Research & Conservation Partnerships Technical Advisor
Position Type: Consultant
Expected travel: Travel from home base to Phnom Penh (domestic travel in Cambodia)
Main tasks for this position:
The REDD+ Social Impact Specialist Consultant will provide technical and strategic support to WCS Cambodia in strengthening the social impact, benefit-sharing, Indigenous Peoples engagement, and rights-based conservation components of its REDD+ programs. The consultant will support the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS) REDD+ Project and other WCS Cambodia REDD+ initiatives by conducting social impact assessments, advising on benefit-sharing mechanisms, supporting research activities, and contributing to evidence-informed program design and decision-making.
Core responsibilities
- Advise and support the Keo Seima REDD+ technical staff in the development of the 2026-2030 Keo Seima Strategy document.
- Support the delivery of the a Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC) project (UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) on Indigenous Knowledge in KSWS.
- Participate in a Science for nature and People, Partnership grant (SNAPP) working group on benefit sharing in voluntary carbon projects.
- Lead the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) of WCS-CP REDD+ projects
- Support the development of a revised benefit sharing strategy for the KSWS REDD+ project.
- Support the Research & Impact team to drive conservation impact in KSWS.
- Provide strategic evidence-informed advice to the country program to support a rights-based approach to conservation.
- Assist in report and proposal writing and help identify additional potential funding opportunities to leverage external resources.
Please click attachement below for more information.
Eligibility
- Education
- Advanced university degree, preferably PhD or master’s level, in anthropology, sociology, development studies, economics, environmental studies, conservation, public policy, natural resource management, or another relevant field.
- Professional Experience
- At least five years of relevant professional experience in social research, conservation, international development, REDD+, climate finance, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience designing and conducting social impact assessments or similar mixed-method research.
- Strong experience in quantitative research, including survey design, sampling, data analysis, and interpretation.
- Experience with qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus group discussions, stakeholder consultations, and participatory approaches.
- Knowledge of voluntary carbon markets, REDD+ social safeguards, benefit-sharing mechanisms, or community-based conservation.
- Experience working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, preferably in the context of conservation, natural resource governance, or rural development.
- Experience applying rights-based approaches, including FPIC, social safeguards, stakeholder engagement, and grievance-resolution mechanisms.
- Proven ability to prepare high-quality analytical reports, technical documents, and funding proposals.
- Experience mentoring researchers, training field teams, or supervising data collection.
