Data Ethics & Sharing Officer at Rainforest Alliance

Position summary:

• At Rainforest Alliance, we believe in the value of data. The Data Management and Intelligence department is paving the way for enabling data-based decisions by focusing on the delivery of scale-able data products to the market, supporting internal decision-making by unlocking the value of data, and creating a solid data foundation on which we can continue to build out our data offering.
• The Data Ethics & Sharing officer reporting into the senior Manager, Data Management will develop data sharing and ethics approaches organizationally.

Responsibilities:

• Optimize, maintain, and oversee the organization’s data sharing and ethics policy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, compliance standards, and evolving best practices.
• Collaborate with Legal, Subject Matter Experts, and other key stakeholders to ensure adherence to and integration of the principles defined in the policy across all data-related activities.
• Evaluate the ethical implications of proposed data science and AI initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational values, legal standards (e.g., GDPR, DPA), and frameworks for responsible data use.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of relevant legislation and emerging standards to ensure compliance and proactively address potential risks in data management practices.
• Provide expert guidance on ethical considerations for data projects, leveraging existing ethics frameworks to support stakeholders in making responsible, informed decisions.
• Facilitate collaboration and build consensus among diverse teams and external stakeholders, ensuring ethical data practices across shared initiatives.
• Apply social science theories and critical analysis to provide strategic oversight of data projects, policies, and products, challenging assumptions to enhance their impact and robustness.
• Develop and deliver training programs for employees and stakeholders, empowering them to address data ethics and sharing concerns confidently and effectively.

Qualifications: 

• A professional degree in fields such as Computer Science, Statistics, Information Systems, or a related discipline, with extensive knowledge of data sharing principles, ethical data use, and compliance frameworks.
• Proven ability to lead and facilitate discussions among diverse stakeholders, including management, to shape and implement strategies for ethical and transparent data management practices across the organization.
• 3–5 years of demonstrated experience in data reporting, analysis, and ethical oversight of data usage, ensuring adherence to relevant legal and organizational guidelines.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills in English, with the ability to engage effectively in multi-cultural settings and communicate complex ethical considerations at all organizational levels.
• Experience in supply chain traceability systems or similar data ecosystems (3–5 years preferred), ensuring ethical data handling throughout the supply chain.
• Advanced Excel skills for data manipulation and analysis, with a strong emphasis on ensuring data integrity and compliance with ethical standards.

The candidate should be able to:

• Effectively manage and navigate consequential or complex risks, ensuring informed decision-making and appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Lead and guide others in making sound design decisions, fostering collaboration and alignment with organizational goals and ethical principles.
• Apply varied risk assessment methodologies, tailoring the approach to the scale and nature of the risks involved.