Company Profile

Proforest is a non-profit organisation with a global presence. Our head office is in the UK with regional offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Ghana, Columbia, and Brazil. Proforest has established itself as a leader in the development and implementation of sustainable production and sourcing of natural resources, including timber and a range of agricultural commodities (eg. palm oil, soy, sugar etc), helping companies, governments, non-governmental and civil society organisations to achieve sustainable use of the world’s natural resources. 

Proforest provides practical support to producers, processors, purchasers and investors to help them meet their sustainability commitments. We work at every stage of the supply chain, from production and processing, through to purchasing and investment. Our experience covers the management of forests, oil palm, soy, sugarcane, rubber, beef and cotton at a range of scales that includes smallholders, communities and forest-dependent people through to multinational businesses. 

Proforest is made up of a non-profit arm (Proforest Initiative Africa) which focuses on long-term support for small producers and wider capacity building, particularly in developing countries and a consultancy arm (Proforest Limited) which provides direct support and services to the private sector companies

Job Description

Proforest is seeking motivated, flexible and qualified young professionals with excellent GIS skills and a high potential to quickly develop other skills required for taking on a leading role in sustainable sourcing and responsible production work in Africa. This is an exciting opportunity to join Proforest’s growing team and take on substantial responsibilities under the supervision of sector experts.  

Programme overview
Our Graduate Trainee Programme develops leaders to ensure our continued success as well as the success of our partners and clients. It will give you a thorough induction into various topics that are essential in the fields of Sustainable Sourcing and Responsible Production such as policy and strategy development, field audits and assessments, community and stakeholder engagement, and many more.

What makes our Graduate Trainee Programme so special is the fact you will be taking on substantial responsibilities under supervision of sector experts in an international setting, enabling you to tackle challenges at a global scale, rapidly build up an international network, and prepare you in the best possible way for cooperation with our overseas colleagues, partners and clients.

What can you expect
Over a period of 12 months, you will get the exposure you would expect from a global leader, experienced mentors and supportive colleagues. You will find yourself supporting senior consultants on a range of exciting projects and you will be able to acquire professional, methodological and technical skills, on the basis of which you will subsequently be able to assume a position of responsibility at Proforest. On successful completion of our Graduate Trainee Programme, you will be offered a permanent position as Project Manager with our Africa Regional Office in Accra.

Other terms and conditions

• Location: Accra, Ghana (candidate will spend the first 2-3 months working from our UK office)
• Salary: GHS 72,000/annum (GHS 6,000/month)

Required Skills or Experience

We expect all our Graduate Trainees to have

• An above average qualification (Masters or equivalent) in a GIS related course or relevant discipline
• Excellent GIS and spatial data management skills
• About 1-2 years of professional work experience
• A proven interest in environmental and social sustainability issues affecting forest products and agricultural commodities sectors
• Awareness of the motivations and drivers relating to sustainable sourcing and responsible production in international agricultural and forest product supply chains
• Highly developed organisational and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to operate in a multi-cultural environment
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills, including presentation skills.  
• Working knowledge of another language (especially French, Spanish, Portuguese) would be a strong advantage.