Carbon Finance Manager (Fixed-Term) at One Acre Fund

About the Role

• Seeking an exceptional climate finance professional with 5+ years of experience to drive financial modelling and fundraising for our agroforestry carbon pilots, preferably based in Nairobi or Kigali.
• You will help develop cutting-edge carbon projects that will unlock impact for smallholder farmers while developing a deep expertise in blended finance strategies.
• You will report to the Carbon Finance Senior Manager.

Responsibilities

Essential function #1: Drive Financial Modelling and Analysis (40%)

• Build, maintain, and stress-test complex financial models (3-statement financial models across an SPV and local project entities) for agroforestry carbon projects to assess project economics, cash flow needs, and return on investment. This includes maintaining internal models while producing external versions to guide negotiations with carbon buyers and investors.
• Analyze sensitivity scenarios to inform pricing strategies and risk management for carbon credit generation.
• Provide support to the structural design and setup of a new carbon finance SPV lead on components of structural design, setup, and administration. The SPV is a dedicated separate vehicle dedicated to securing pre-finance for PES pilot projects. 

Essential function #2: Support External Fundraising and Partnerships (30%)

• Support behind-the-scenes on external fundraising and partnership efforts with existing or new carbon funders, ensuring timely reporting and continued alignment with project goals.
• Manage centralized dashboards and reporting systems (using tools like Sales Force) to monitor fundraising pipelines.
• Identify and cultivate new prospects, including impact investors and carbon credit buyers, to expand the funding pipeline.
• Develop high-quality pitch decks and investment memos that articulate the value proposition of One Acre Fund’s carbon projects.

Essential function #3: Coordinate Internal Stakeholders and Strategy for Carbon Finance (30%)

• Interface with country program and core function teams (finance, legal, impact, etc) to ensure alignment between budgets and fundraising models for carbon projects.
• Liaise with grant fundraising teams to develop a pipeline of philanthropic prospects to support carbon project costs that align with project requirements
• Prepare materials for leadership calls to update senior stakeholders on fundraising progress and financial health of the carbon projects.
• Collaborate with the legal and compliance teams to review term sheets and financing agreements between investors, the SPV and One Acre Fund.
• Support the carbon finance senior manager in administrative elements of developing the carbon fund SPV.

Career Growth and Development

• We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• 5+ years of professional experience with 3+ years in climate finance, project finance, accounting, or a related field.
• 1+ years of professional experience in one of our countries of operation (particular focus on Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania).
• Demonstrated experience in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) or familiarity with carbon project development or similar project finance lifecycles.
• Experience supporting fundraising rounds or managing relationships with institutional donors and investors.
• Advanced proficiency in financial modelling (Excel but predominantly in Google Sheets), with a proven ability to build dynamic models from scratch for project finance or structured finance across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.