Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, Forests & Fiber
The Paper Excellence Group is a privately held manufacturer of pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products, with a workforce of more than 21,300 in some 60 locations across the Americas and Europe.
Reporting to Paper Excellence’s Senior Manager, Sustainability Strategic Partnerships & Engagement, the Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, Forests & Fiber will be responsible for contributing to the company's sustainable forest management practices and for supporting the responsible sourcing of fiber for the company's operations in the paper, pulp, tissue, packaging and wood products sectors through monitoring and evaluation strategies.
Main Functions
Monitoring and Evaluation:
- In collaboration with business units (BU), lead the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework for the company’s strategic initiatives related to sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing, including identifying, monitoring and managing risks and opportunities according to international standards;
- Support the Sustainability team’s efforts in aggregating, organizing and reporting environmental, social and governance (ESG) data;
- Provide technical support on monitoring techniques, KPIs, key innovations and solutions related to sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing practices.
Sustainable Forest Management:
- Support the BUs as a subject matter expert with the monitoring and evaluation of sustainable forest management practices in line with company policies and regulatory requirements;
- Demonstrate a firm understanding of the company’s processes and practices and communicate them effectively to key stakeholders;
- Monitor and manage key environmental concerns, including boreal forest conservation, caribou habitat, Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL), and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Fiber Sourcing and Certification:
- Work with the Bus to develop monitoring and engagement plans that can support increased sourcing of sustainable fibers for the company’s operations:
- Deep knowledge of forest management and chain-of-custody certifications, particularly FSC, PEFC, and SFI, to participate in technical working groups and contribute to the development of industry policies and standards.
Team Development:
- Provide mentorship and professional development opportunities on this subject for team members and other teams, as needed.
Responsibilities
- Lead the creation and implementation of M&E systems to track progress and impact for the company’s sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing initiatives.
- Design and create a system for ensuring monitoring, evaluation, learning, alignment and impact of projects across different geographies and BUs, including identifying, monitoring and managing risks and opportunities.
- Contribute to sustainability reporting, including annual reporting, regulatory disclosures, and developing the Group’s approach to voluntary frameworks, e.g. TNFD, CDP.
- Collaborate with communications to leverage best practices, achievements and other milestones for storytelling opportunities. Identify opportunities for deepening our engagement in the industry and beyond from a technical perspective.
- Develop a thorough understanding of topics related to forest management, fiber procurement and certification, diving deep to uncover opportunities for strategic engagement and contributions through monitoring and evaluation activities.
- Advocate for sustainable forest management practices within the industry and with regulatory bodies based on monitoring and evaluation learnings and data;
- Stay abreast of emerging trends, regulations, and best practices in sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing.
- Work with the certification implementation team to understand our key challenges and barriers to growth and identify key topic areas to focus on.
- Engage with certification schemes to accelerate progress in key topic areas, develop rich expertise in relevant standards and work closely to collectively improve standard accessibility across multiple key topic areas.
- Coordinate the company’s day-to-day technical engagement in key working groups, contribution to standard consultations, and preparation for key events.
- Represent the company at sustainability conferences, workshops, and industry events;
- Prepare and deliver presentations on PEG’s monitoring and evaluation activities, progress and outcomes to various audiences.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resources Management, or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
Expertise
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation.
- Extensive knowledge of forest management practices, regulations, and key environmental concerns in Canada and the United States.
- Knowledge of social engagement process (FPIC, landowner engagement, DEI) and monitoring frameworks preferred.
- Familiarity with GIS and other forest management tools.
- Proficiency in data analysis and reporting.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- Experience in policy development and advocacy within the forestry sector.
- Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, global organization.
- Demonstrated leadership and team management skills.
- Experience working with NGOs, regulatory bodies, and industry groups.
- Willingness to travel up to 35-50%
- Strong understanding of forest certification schemes (SFI/PEFC/FSC)
- Ability to adapt, learn and communicate about evolving standards and requirements
- Knowledge of topics relevant to forest management and fiber procurement in North America but also in other countries which can influence our market, such as European Union
