Natural Climate Solutions Director- Africa Region at Nature Conservancy

YOUR POSITION WITH TNC

The Africa Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Director (NCS) provides strategic leadership and coordination of climate policy and field execution teams for all aspects of the TNC’s climate mitigation and adaption work in Africa. The role will deliver the development and implementation of a NCS strategy for Africa that aligns with TNC global 2030 goals and global NCS strategy, and provide oversight for the delivery, monitoring and reporting of all TNC Africa NCS work, and lead fund raising efforts. Building upon the TNC’s foundational NCS science, they will lead a team of colleagues and support TNC Africa and partners around the region to deploy and scale natural climate solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. They  will further the work of The Nature Conservancy and its conservation partners through direct interaction with governments, multilateral agencies, and businesses focusing on policy, practice, and funding initiatives that provide climate mitigation opportunities in line with TNC’s 2030 goals. They identifies climate mitigation policy and funding opportunities, evaluates the potential for strategic partnerships, and develops and implements strategies to influence corporate practice, public policy, and public funding for climate mitigation at a large scale, national and/or global level. They will work closely with the Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst Director, Africa Carbon Market Director and other Africa Strategy Directors for Indigenous Land Protection, Ocean Protection and Freshwater Protection. They will also collaborate with TNC’s Global Director on NCS, as well as the International Climate Policy team and the Global Carbon Markets team to ensure coordination and alignment and to elevate lessons learned from Africa into global fora. They will represent TNC Africa with donors and partners to raise the profile of NCS as a powerful climate solution. The NCS Director will report to the Africa Conservation Director and work closely with the Africa strategy leads and with the Global climate solution teams. This position will ideally be based at TNC Regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, but other locations may be considered.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Africa NCS Director will lead the development and execution of TNC’s NCS strategy in Africa, including a robust and scientifically sound theory of change to accelerate and scale the deployment of NCS to help realize TNC Africa’s 2030 climate mitigation and ecosystem conservation goals. They will provide thought leadership and guidance on policy, prioritizations and scaling of NCS pathways in Africa including avoided deforestation, improved forest management, reforestation, regenerative agriculture, improved rangeland management and blue carbon, and identifying policy, finance, and science opportunities to scale and accelerate the deployment of NCS pathways. They will liaise with counterparts within the organization including TNC’s global strategy teams, Science and Field Conservation staff, External Affairs departments and TNC’s Operating Units to provide and extract useful lessons and experience and to coordinate on joint policy/practice approaches.  They will partner with the Africa Indigenous Landscapes Director and team to build an equitable, inclusive, positive, collaborative, integrated, and disciplined approach to achieve NCS program impact at a scale and pace that matter and to ensure that the Africa NCS work and environmental impacts contribute positively to climate justice and equitable conservation.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE

• Provide strategic leadership for all aspects of TNC Africa’s climate mitigation and adaptation work.
• Design and implement TNC Africa NCS Strategy including a robust and scientifically sound theory of change, to accelerate and scale the deployment of NCS.
• Build and manage a regional NCS team to provide high-level support and coordination for the TNC’s NCS work through science and other policy and finance levers. Build and manage a team that supports the deployment of NCS programs and approaches around the region and engage in levers of scale for NCS – including forest and restoration economies, and other financial, market and policy incentives.
• Design, fundraise for, coordinate, collaborate, implement, support and/or direct complex and diverse projects, encompassing multiple  programs and coordinating the work of other professionals, inside and outside the organization. Incorporate cross-disciplinary knowledge to support program objectives.
• Prepares and presents project proposals and negotiates with governmental, bilateral, and multilateral agencies and/or the business and corporate sector, to achieve program goals. 
• Develops and implements, in conjunction with Africa region colleagues, a policy engagement strategy for each country program around UNFCCC and climate policy. Engage closely with TNC Africa’s philanthropy team to engage partners and donors in fundraising discussions to support our NCS work in Africa. Articulate a vision with colleagues, peers, donors, and partners resulting in dedication to Natural Climate Solutions work.
• Maintain and build on TNC’s role as a major conservation partner within the Region’s NCS community
• Serve as the principal NCS contact and coordinate closely with External Affairs and our Regional teams, in establishing productive collaborations with governments, other conservation organizations, and foundations.
• Collaborate with platforms such as Nature4Climate to build regional awareness and momentum for NCS implementation and develop, service, and maintain a strong network of global colleagues in regions where NCS projects are deployed.
• Build and manage a team that supports the deployment of NCS programs and approaches around the region and engage in levers of scale for NCS – including carbon markets, forest and restoration economies, and other financial, market and policy incentives.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with regional and global priority teams, Communications and External Affairs to maximize contributions to the Conservancy’s 2030 goals.
• Build capacity internally and externally for NCS implementation, including strategies for understanding and addressing barriers, and support the build out of extensive outreach and training opportunities.
• May require frequent travel domestically and/or internationally and evening and weekend hours

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS degree and 10 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of climate and natural based solutions policies (UNFCCC, REDD+, NDCs, NAPAs) and international initiatives (AFR100, Bonn Challenge, Nature4Climate.) and substantial networks and experience in the UNFCCC process.
• Extensive understanding of the science and experience of implementing climate change and natural climate solutions.
• Experience designing, implementing, and directing complex or multiple projects of strategic importance, including managing finances, supervising multidisciplinary professionals from diverse backgrounds and coordinating the work of partners while meeting deadlines.  
• Fundraising experience, including identifying donor prospects and donor cultivation.
• Experience working with current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and geographic regions.
• Experience of leading high-performance teams including ,motivating,  supervising, setting objectives and managing performance.
• Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies.   
• Experience networking with high level conservation contacts.
• Experience working with methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives.
• Experience conceiving and implementing strategic and creative initiatives.
• Experience negotiating.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi- lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Master’s degree and 10-12 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience developing practical applications of scientific concepts and technical innovations for conservation purposes.
• Knowledge of non-carbon markets-based financing mechanisms such as green supply chains product certification
• Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental affairs. 
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
• Politically savvy.