The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. To achieve our mission, we partner with diverse allies around the world to drive positive change across global supply chains and in many of our most critically important natural landscapes.

Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests  and biodiversity, take action on climate, and promote the rights and improve the livelihoods of rural people.

As an international nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of experience in sustainability transformation, we understand that the social and economic well-being of rural communities is tightly connected to ecosystem health. This knowledge has shaped our rigorous programs to advance sustainable land-use and commodity production.

At the Rainforest Alliance we combat climate change, protect forests and biodiversity, promote human rights, and improve livelihoods. The enormity of the social and environmental challenges we are facing requires working together in a broad alliance. This is why we bring farmers, forest communities, companies, and consumers together to change the way the world produces, sources, and consumes.

Why

To protect nature and improve lives it’s becoming increasingly urgent that we approach the way we use our land and produce food and other products in more sustainable ways. For this to succeed we need to fundamentally change the way that businesses operate and source, and the choices we all make as consumers.

How

Our growing global alliance aims to transform our relationship with our natural resources and each other, to create a better future for people and nature together.

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.

 Position summary:

The Rainforest Alliance is looking for a Senior Officer, Trade Union, and Worker’s Organization Relations, based in Costa Rica to manage dialogue with Trade Unions, workers’ organizations and key stakeholders that contribute to protecting and improving worker’s rights. S/he coordinates and reports to the Costa Rica Country Director / Team Lead Fruits, and works in close collaboration with the Senior Manager, Standards & Assurance Latin America; Sector Lead Fruits & Vegetables; Tropical Andes Director; Global Advocacy team; the Lead Corporate Reputation & Issues Management; and other Regional Management staff to improve the implementation of Freedom of Association and related requirements of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Standard for Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and   Ecuador.

Acting as first point of contact to implement the Rainforest Alliance strategy for Trade Union and worker’s organization engagement, this function also includes support to Standards & Assurance regional team in handling complaints through the existing grievance mechanism and coordinating audit interviews with unions that have affiliated workers on certified farms as indicated in the Certification and Auditing Rules.

Responsibilities

• The Rainforest Alliance’s Core Values are Impact, Change, Collaboration, Openness and Trust and as such they form the basis of the behaviours, we demonstrate;
• Responsible for regular dialogue activities with Trade Union representatives, worker’s organizations;
• Responsible to build relations with key stakeholders, including sector organizations, official regulatory agencies, watchdog NGO’s;
• Manage reputational risks in coordination with the Lead Corporate Reputation & Issues Management and support from Regional Management staff;
• Responsible to answer the complaints received from Trade Union representatives, and worker’s organizations following internal due diligence steps;
• Responsible for conducting training events for Trade Union representatives, other worker’s organizations and key stakeholders on RA’s grievance mechanism, and related standard requirements;
• Conduct trainings based on needs assessments targeting Certification Partner Support officers, farm and supply certificate holders, and workers – including female and migrant workers to raise awareness of labor rights, the RA’s grievance mechanism, and related standard requirements;
• Give support, answer questions, and give information or advice to Certification Partner Support officers in the LatAm region, and Global Advocacy team; and
• Support the Standards & Assurance team in coordinating audits, including worker’s interviews.