Program Manager, East Africa Forest Restoration (4-5 Month Contract)

Job Mission

The Program Manager in East Africa is a temporary contract position tasked with overseeing a portfolio of international forestry projects in Terraformation’s Seed to Carbon Forest Accelerator for a 4 to 5 month period while the permanent Program Manager is away on parental leave. The Program Manager will manage Terraformation’s working relationship with forestry partners in Kenya and Tanzania working to scale their forest restoration operations. This will include interfacing with partners virtually and in-person to carry out due diligence, support the creation of feasibility studies and PDD writing, coordinate training, and support the implementation of forest restoration carbon projects.

This position will co-create key materials with forestry partners and will project manage timelines and deliverables to guarantee critical milestones and objectives. Working cross-functionally with Terraformation’s internal teams and experts, the Program Manager will streamline existing internal processes, collect and aggregate partner data for internal/external use, analyze partner reporting and key learnings, and ensure a high-quality partner experience.

Job Type: Contractor - 40 hours per week for 4-5 months (Maternity Cover)

Location: Kenya based, Remote

Salary: $25–$35 per hour USD

General Responsibilities

• Oversee a portfolio of global carbon forest restoration projects, serving as the primary point of contact for regional partners operating primarily in East Africa from project design through implementation and monitoring.
• Lead internal and external coordination of deliverables with partners, including restoration training via Terraformation experts and external consultants.
• Set strategy and experience for global forestry partners, ensuring a collaborative working relationship and driving positive partner outcomes.
• Work closely with global partners to co-create work plans and key project documentation, including feasibility studies and project design documents.
• Oversee complex partner operations, tracking against project milestones, carbon standard requirements, budgets, and restoration objectives.
• Iterate upon existing internal partner processes - including onboarding, partner delivery, and reporting - to improve the efficacy of Terraformation’s partner operations.
• Detail reporting requirements, train teams where needed, and ensure quality data output.
• Travel frequently (expected to be up to 33%) to partner locations to assist in initial vetting, build relationships, liaise with government and community members, proactively identify risks and challenges, oversee training, and support the implementation of restoration projects.
• Build a network of regional stakeholders who can further Terraformation’s objectives, including government officials, NGO partners, and contractors.

Expected project level deliverables during the contracted period

• Support with preparation of Feasibility Study reports for ongoing projects 
• Coordinate partners training, including scheduling, organizing and reporting for Kenya & Tanzania projects
• Work closely with partners and Terraformation experts to deliver written technical deliverables for each project, including restoration plans, social impact plans, financial / budgeting inputs, and others as required
• Continuously collect more information from the partners to substantiate information provided during application and update project information details in Terraware (Budgets, stakeholder mapping, updating of species listing, workplans, etc)
• Support the partners with follow-up on government requirements, and initial application/registration of projects with the government. 

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of proven experience in relevant project management and operations roles
• Prior experience implementing forest restoration projects and/or carbon projects preferred, with a strong track record of working with local partners
• Experience in preparing written materials for the listing of voluntary carbon market projects is highly desirable
• Bachelor’s degree in related field; master’s degree preferred
• Experience using project management software, familiarity with CRM platforms, and ability to create and manage complex spreadsheets or databases
• Partner-first mentality; ability to empathize and work closely with diverse stakeholders including local partners, government officials, researchers, and global team members
• English language fluency; proficiency in local dialects preferred
• Demonstrated ability to drive complex initiatives in a leadership role across teams
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with the ability to build narratives and provide recommendations and learnings based on data 

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience conducting site visits, partner assessments, and creating documentation for VCM projects (feasibility studies, FPIC / stakeholder engagement, PDD writing, etc)
• Previous government relations experience in Forestry or another regulated sector which required sensitive conversations / negotiations with officials
• Contacts / network of forestry and community based organizations in Kenya or elsewhere in East Africa 

About Terraformation

Terraformation is committed to addressing climate change through the power of native forest restoration. Our portfolio of high-quality projects is designed to restore forests that will remove high quantities of carbon, renew ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and create sustainable long-term community income and benefits. Our project teams have planted over one million biodiverse and native trees, stored 131 million seeds, supported 19 forestry projects, and created over 700 jobs through reforestation efforts worldwide. 

Our innovative approach not only equips local forestry teams with training, technology, and access to capital, but also empowers businesses to be a part of the solution to climate change. By investing in our projects, businesses can directly address climate change, offset carbon emissions, meet net zero commitments, and enhance corporate sustainability initiatives. 

Terraformation’s mission-driven global team, which includes experts in forest science, carbon markets, operations management, and business development, demonstrates how diverse backgrounds drive innovation and create significant impact.

Learn more at terraformation.com

We are an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where relevant.