Expert in Mining Standards and Responsible Sourcing

A global nonprofit with experience in more than 60 countries, Pact fosters thriving, resilient communities that chart their own development paths. We deliver solutions that are rooted in evidence and driven by data.

Programs - Pact strives for a world where all people are heard, capable, and vibrant. The Programs Team helps realize this objective by bridging program management, technical support, and business development, enabling Pact to achieve its global strategy. We ensure program excellence through continuous learning, monitoring and evaluation and provide organizational and industry-wide thought leadership by leveraging a complementary set of cross-functional, multi-disciplinary skills, expertise, and experiences. The Programs team: influences progressive change through the development and implementation of global and regional strategies and business plans; supports advancement of innovative solutions; pursues new business opportunities; and drives effective internal and external engagement to maximize Pact’s impact across the globe. Across all aspects of its role, the Programs Department adheres to and promotes a culture of inclusion, accountability, and respect.

The Mining Standards and Responsible Sourcing Expert provides technical leadership for the project in areas such as responsible mining, due diligence, mining governance, and human and labor rights within critical mineral supply chains in the DRC.

The incumbent supports government institutions, industrial and artisanal mining companies, cooperatives, professional organizations, and civil society in aligning their policies, procedures, systems, and practices with national and international standards regarding responsible mining, the prevention of child and forced labor, traceability, transparency, anti-corruption measures, freedom of association, and due diligence.

They also play a key role in bridging national reforms and their operational implementation at the provincial level to ensure the effective application of public policies and international standards in targeted mining areas. This position is a designated part of the project's technical team, tasked with supporting government and supply chain stakeholders in aligning their policies, protocols, and systems with global responsible mining standards.

They collaborate closely with the Capacity Building Officer and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the Madini Safi project.

Technical leadership on mining standards and due diligence

• Provide high-level technical expertise regarding national and international standards applicable to the mining sector.
• Advise stakeholders on the application of national and international frameworks concerning human rights, labor rights, and responsible sourcing, with specific expertise in issues related to child labor and forced labor in the DRC mining sector.

Promote the adoption of best practices regarding:

• due diligence;
• risk management;
• transparency and traceability;
• community engagement;
• grievance mechanisms;
• responsible business conduct.

Support the continuous improvement of internal policies and systems for mining operators and cooperatives, ensuring their alignment with national and international standards.

Collaborate with the capacity-building officer to identify priority technical needs for integration into capacity-building activities, in accordance with the overall capacity-building strategy and instructional design.

Support for mining sector reforms and governance

• Provide technical support to ministries, public agencies, and provincial bodies involved in mining sector governance as they identify the best reforms to adapt existing legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Support the drafting, revision, and operationalization of regulatory texts, guidelines, procedures, and implementation tools.
• Contribute to strengthening coordination among government institutions involved in enforcing labor standards and responsible mining practices.
• Develop tools for self-assessment and monitoring of regulatory and sectoral compliance, enabling public institutions to measure their alignment with applicable frameworks and identify relevant technical corrective measures.
• Assist the Capacity Development Officer in identifying institutional capacity gaps related to standards enforcement by providing a technical sectoral analysis that informs capacity assessments and institutional change action plans.

Technical support and guidance for supply chain stakeholders

• Provide direct technical assistance to industrial mining companies, artisanal mining cooperatives, processing entities, traders, and exporters to align their systems with responsible sourcing standards, particularly regarding the prevention of child labor and forced labor.
• Assist sector stakeholders in establishing and improving due diligence systems (procedures, record-keeping, internal control mechanisms, reporting).
• Organize, lead, and facilitate training sessions, practical workshops, and coaching sessions on mining standards, due diligence, and labor rights, in collaboration with the capacity-building officer.
• Support initiatives enabling mining operators to meet the requirements of international markets and responsible buyers, particularly by improving their compliance and traceability systems.

Support for provincial implementation of reforms

• Ensure regular dialogue with and technical assistance to provincial and local authorities regarding mining standards, labor rights, and due diligence.
• Ensure that legal and regulatory reforms are translated into concrete, actionable measures on the ground.
• Identify implementation obstacles and propose solutions tailored to the local context (simplified procedures, practical tools, coordination mechanisms).
• Support provincial bodies in the effective enforcement of standards regarding child labor, forced labor, workers' rights, and responsible mining.
• Facilitate exchanges between national and provincial authorities and operational stakeholders in the mining sector, in support of the project's coordination efforts.
• Collaborate with the capacity-building officer to identify—based on provincial findings—capacity-building needs among local stakeholders and thematic priorities for capacity-building activities.

Promotion of national/international standards and responsible sourcing

Facilitate the progressive adoption of international standards such as:

• IRMA;
• OECD Due Diligence Guidance;
• UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
• ILO Core Conventions;
• Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
• Facilitate the progressive adoption of responsible sourcing standards by cooperatives, such as EGC standards, RMI’s CRAFT standards, CTC standards, etc.
• Support interested companies and institutions in their self-assessment, certification, or audit processes by providing technical assistance regarding standards and compliance requirements.
• Monitor developments in international standards and requirements applicable to the mining sector and regularly update the project team and key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the capacity-building officer to integrate standard-related updates into training materials and capacity-building tools intended for partners.

Knowledge Management and Reporting

• Contribute to the preparation of project work plans, technical reports, and strategic documents, particularly regarding mining standards, due diligence, and governance.
• Document best practices, lessons learned, and innovations in the fields of mining standards and responsible sourcing.
• Produce technical analyses and recommendations aimed at improving project performance and impact regarding compliance and mining governance.
• Contribute to tracking indicators related to the adoption of standards and the improvement of governance systems, in collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and the Capacity Building Officer (for indicators related to partner capacities).
• Provide the Capacity Building Officer and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer with technical data and analyses to support knowledge capitalization, the drafting of success stories, and the adaptation of the capacity-building strategy.

Any other assigned tasks

• Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as mining, geology, natural resource governance, political science, or law.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated professional experience in the mining sector in the DRC.

Proven experience in the following areas:

• responsible mining;
• due diligence;
• mining governance;
• formalization of artisanal mining;
• human rights and labor rights;
• supply chain compliance or certification.

 

Additional Qualifications:

Technical Skills

• Good knowledge of the DRC Mining Code and its institutional framework.
• Knowledge of the SSRTE tool and mechanism.
• Proficiency in international extractive industry standards.
• Strong capacity for facilitation, negotiation, and multi-stakeholder consultation.
• Solid analytical and writing skills.
• Experience in developing tools, guides, procedures, and training programs.

Languages

• Excellent command of French.
• Good professional proficiency in English.
• Knowledge of Swahili is a major asset.

Behavioral competencies

• Technical leadership.
• Influence and advocacy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Diplomacy and negotiation skills.
• Results-oriented.
• Analytical and problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to work in complex, multicultural environments.
• Strong awareness of human rights, governance, and sustainable development issues.