Independent Consultant - Power-to-X & Advanced Biofuels

About Us

RSB – Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials is a global, multi-stakeholder organisation dedicated to driving the truly sustainable development of the bioeconomy. Frequently recognised as an industry leader in supply chain sustainability, RSB applies its best-in-class sustainability framework across sectors including aviation, chemicals, materials, and shipping.

Our small, dedicated team operates remotely from countries around the world, working collaboratively with a diverse base of member organisations, industry partners, and policymakers. For more information, please visit .

Purpose of This Call

RSB now invites eligible organisations and individuals to indicate their interest. Throughout this document, “Consultant” refers to both organisations and individuals. RSB is building a pre-approved External Consultant Roster: a qualified pool of selected specialists and organisations that will be called upon for project-based work over the next 2 years.

Consultants accepted onto the roster will complete a brief onboarding process to become familiar with RSB’s systems, ways of delivering services, and sustainability framework. When a specific project or capacity gap emerges, RSB will contact roster members whose profile best matches the assignment, share a defined scope of work, and invite them to submit a proposal.

Inclusion on the roster is an expression of readiness and fit and not a guarantee of immediate work or remuneration.

Requirements

The Service

The Power-to-X (PtX) & Advanced Biofuels Consultant will provide technical research, policy analysis and value-chain expertise on renewable hydrogen, PtX fuels and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) topics, to support RSB's work on PtX fuels, advanced biofuels, SAF policy, certification readiness, and related grant-funded programmes. Estimated time investment and budget are to be confirmed based on the agreed scope, daily rate, and project needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Support technical research, stakeholder mapping, policy analysis and drafting across RSB's PtX fuels and advanced biofuels work.
• Analyse renewable electricity, hydrogen and CO₂ sourcing, as well as biomass and waste feedstocks, relevant to PtX fuel and advanced biofuel pathways.
• Assess regional development opportunities, certification requirements, GHG accounting considerations, cross-sector resource dynamics, and international market access.
• Contribute to specific areas of roadmap development and policy briefing outputs, with initial work expected to focus mainly on India and potential targeted support for MENA-related activities.
• Support other team priorities across RSB’s PtX fuels and advanced biofuels portfolio as needed.

Indicative Outputs

Specific deliverables, estimated time input, and project duration will be clarified in the Terms of Reference (TOR) issued to shortlisted roster members when a project need is identified. Indicative output types may include, but are not limited to:

• Technical research reports, policy briefs and roadmap inputs on PtX fuels, advanced biofuels and SAF.
• Stakeholder mapping and consultation summaries.
• Resource and feedstock assessments covering renewable electricity, hydrogen, eligible carbon sources, biomass and waste feedstocks.
• Life-cycle GHG modelling and carbon accounting analysis relevant to PtX fuels.
• Market, regulatory and certification-readiness analysis, including market-access requirements under frameworks such as EU RED, ICAO CORSIA and UK SAF policy.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Strong written and spoken English proficiency.
• Ability to maintain regular availability overlapping with CET working hours of a minimum of 4 hours per day.
• Proven output/delivery track record in your area of expertise.
• Full compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations, including tax and social security obligations, and legal authorisation to perform consultancy services in the country of residence or operation.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, the ability to operate autonomously, and a proactive approach to communicating progress, risks, and opportunities in a clear and constructive manner.
• Self-sufficiency in a remote and fully digital working environment with reliable internet connectivity. Video calls and collaborative tools will be used for coordination.

For organisations:

• Ability to assign appropriately qualified personnel to assignments and to ensure continuity of delivery, including cover for absences.
• Confirmation that the named individuals proposed for RSB assignments meet the essential criteria above.

Desirable (will strengthen your expression of interest):

• Demonstrated technical expertise in PtX fuels, renewable hydrogen technologies, advanced biofuels, or sustainable aviation fuel pathways.
• Familiarity with EU RED or ICAO CORSIA regulatory frameworks, and with relevant regulatory and certification requirements more broadly, including UK SAF policy.
• Demonstrated understanding of global PtX fuel and advanced biofuels developments, including key project trends, market-access requirements, and the role of renewable electricity, hydrogen, eligible carbon, and sustainable feedstocks.
• Track record of producing original technical content, including resource assessments, policy analysis, roadmap inputs, applied sustainability analysis, or certification-related analysis, rather than literature summaries only.
• Knowledge of renewable hydrogen, PtX and advanced biofuel production routes and value chains.
• Understanding of key scale-up challenges, including renewable electricity, eligible carbon sources, sustainable feedstocks, hydrogen infrastructure, project bankability, certification readiness, and market recognition.
• Familiarity with life-cycle GHG analysis and accounting approaches relevant to PtX fuels.
• Awareness of PtX market and policy trends.

Benefits

For Consultants, this model offers a meaningful advantage: by completing the pre-qualification process once, you avoid repeated tender submissions and gain direct access to RSB’s pipeline of project-based opportunities as they emerge, with a relationship and context already in place.

Working with RSB offers the opportunity to contribute to a globally recognised organisation at the forefront of sustainability and systems transformation.

• Meaningful, mission-driven work: Contribute to advancing sustainability standards and real-world impact across global value chains, influencing how industries operate and evolve.
• High-impact assignments: Participate in intellectually engaging, project-based work that allows you to apply your expertise to real-world challenges.
• Opportunity for ongoing collaboration: Consultants on the roster may be engaged on multiple assignments, fostering longer-term professional relationships with RSB.

Engagement Terms

Type of Engagement: Project-based (as required) with an overarching Framework Agreement

Remuneration: Agreed day rate

Location: Remote

Working Hours / Time Zone: Minimum 4 hours per day overlapping with CET/CEST.

Framework Agreement Duration: Initially until September 2028 [2 years], unless a Consultant or RSB request removal or changes to Framework Agreement.

Roster Project Launch: October 2026

Originally posted on Himalayas