The Carbon Finance team collaborates with CI’s global field programs and partner organizations to secure and finance a robust pipeline of top-tier Nature-based Solutions (NCS) carbon projects, alongside creative financing strategies that guarantee long-term sustainability and robust private sector engagement. Leveraging CI’s extensive expertise and technical insights, the team accelerates the development and enhancement of gigaton-scale emission reductions and removals within both voluntary and compliance carbon markets. A key focus of the Carbon Finance team lies in maximizing impact through meaningful community involvement, equitable benefit-sharing, biodiversity and environmental preservation, and the rigorous implementation of safeguards.
The Senior Manager, Carbon Projects Delivery will oversee the execution of a diversified portfolio of Nature Climate Solutions (NCS) carbon projects across Africa, ensuring on-the-ground implementation adheres to established timelines while complying with approved work plans, certification benchmarks, and CI’s stringent quality standards. Integral to the Keystone Protected Area Financing (KPF) team, this position will collaborate closely with the Rob Walton Foundation to mobilize investment for protected areas. The role will cultivate partnerships with key stakeholders, coordinate with cross-functional teams to advance critical milestones—such as drafting and submitting Project Descriptions (PDs) and Monitoring Reports (MRs)—and guide projects through validation and verification phases. Effective liaison with internal project teams and country offices is essential to maintain alignment, uphold accountability, and ensure timely delivery, including conducting periodic field assessments at various stages of project development to evaluate implementation progress, identify risks, and provide hands-on support to teams.
The Senior Manager will play a pivotal role in executing Keystone Protected Area Financing in partnership with the Rob Walton Foundation. Responsibilities include fostering early-stage pipeline development, leading project scoping and due diligence efforts, delivering Technical Assistance—such as conducting feasibility assessments—undertaking field visits, and guiding project partners in advancing priority opportunities to full-scale implementation. The individual will ensure transparent communication of project progress to internal stakeholders via established reporting mechanisms, maintaining clear visibility of critical milestones, potential risks, and key achievements throughout the portfolio.
The Senior Manager will oversee the evaluation of financial and grant reports submitted by project partners, verifying that funds are allocated in strict alignment with approved budgets and maintained with rigorous financial oversight. Additionally, this role will facilitate the development of progress reports for the Rob Walton Foundation and other funding entities, ensuring all reporting obligations are fulfilled promptly and with precision. Furthermore, the position will assist in establishing robust systems, governance frameworks, and operational procedures to uphold project integrity and optimize delivery efficiency.
This role does not include direct oversight of personnel.
Responsibilities
Experienced professionals in project management and delivery play a pivotal role in overseeing initiatives from inception to completion, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and organizational standards. Responsibilities include planning, executing, and finalizing projects within defined timelines, budgets, and quality benchmarks while mitigating risks and addressing stakeholder needs. Collaboration with cross-functional teams, vendors, and clients is essential to drive seamless coordination and foster productive working relationships. Additionally, this position demands strong leadership, analytical acumen, and proficiency in project management tools to optimize workflows and deliver measurable outcomes.
Oversee and facilitate the implementation of a diverse portfolio of nature-based carbon initiatives throughout Africa, collaborating closely with Conservation International field programs, pertinent CI project teams, external partners, and service providers to guarantee alignment with approved work plans, allocated budgets, and established timelines.
Support the facilitation of Keystone Protected Area Financing (KPF) initiatives in partnership with the Rob Walton Foundation. This encompasses:
The process involves identifying and defining potential project opportunities, assessing their feasibility, and determining the scope to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and resource availability.
We are seeking a skilled professional to oversee the development and execution of Technical Assistance (TA) packages, ensuring timely and effective delivery to meet organizational objectives. This role involves comprehensive scoping of TA requirements, meticulous planning of implementation strategies, and seamless coordination with stakeholders to facilitate smooth project progression.
Securing project investments by actively supporting project initiatives is a key responsibility. This involves collaborating with stakeholders to identify funding opportunities, preparing comprehensive investment proposals, and ensuring projects meet financial criteria. Strong analytical skills are essential to evaluate project viability and potential returns, while effective communication is crucial for presenting proposals to investors and securing necessary approvals.
Collaborating with Co-Management Partners and Protected Area Management initiatives to develop and enhance local carbon finance capabilities represents a core aspect of this role.
In close partnership with key stakeholders, craft tailored project work plans and clearly define deliverables, establishing roles and responsibilities to uphold accountability throughout every stage of the project lifecycle.
Monitor project progress, detect potential delivery risks, and execute corrective measures to uphold schedule adherence and quality benchmarks.
Develop and sustain frameworks for monitoring and evaluating projects to ensure consistent performance tracking and assessment.
Collaborate effectively with the finance, grants, and contracts team to monitor project budgets and ensure the consistent achievement of project deliverables throughout the entire project lifecycle.
Develop and maintain strong collaborations with project partners, consultants, Validation & Verification Bodies (VVBs), and external service providers to uphold accountability and ensure on-time project delivery.
Regular field visits will be performed to evaluate the progress of implementation, the capacity of partners, the effectiveness of safeguards, and the overall preparedness of the project.
Collaborate effectively with carbon-focused staff and teams across field and global programs to ensure alignment with Conservation International’s Nature, Climate, and carbon crediting strategies and priorities.
Prepare progress reports for the Rob Walton Foundation and other donors, ensuring that all reporting obligations are fulfilled with accuracy and punctuality.
A dedicated professional in carbon project development is sought to lead initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing sustainability efforts. The role involves identifying, structuring, and implementing carbon offset projects, ensuring compliance with international standards and methodologies. Key responsibilities include conducting feasibility analyses, engaging with stakeholders, securing necessary approvals, and managing project documentation. Proficiency in carbon accounting, familiarity with carbon markets, and strong analytical skills are essential, alongside excellent communication abilities to collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners. Experience in renewable energy, forestry, or industrial decarbonization projects is highly advantageous.
Serve as the technical lead for Carbon Finance, overseeing the preparation and delivery of Project Descriptions (PDs), Monitoring Reports (MRs), and associated documentation to facilitate project validation and verification while ensuring adherence to relevant carbon standards. Provide project teams with guidance on work planning, technical contributions, review processes, monitoring and evaluation, and coordinate the efforts of consultants, Validation & Verification Bodies (VVBs), and other external service providers.
Provide tailored carbon project development training to CI countries, projects, and partners based on identified needs.
Conducting pipeline assessments and performing comprehensive due diligence entails evaluating the integrity, efficiency, and compliance of existing or proposed pipeline systems to identify potential risks, optimize performance, and ensure regulatory adherence. This process involves detailed technical reviews, risk analysis, and data-driven evaluations to support informed decision-making regarding maintenance, upgrades, or investments. Professionals in this role must possess expertise in pipeline engineering, regulatory standards, and risk management, along with strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex operational and compliance challenges.
You will facilitate initial scoping efforts, evaluate feasibility, and conduct comprehensive due diligence for prospective carbon projects. This involves performing thorough desktop research and technical evaluations of project-related documentation, including design frameworks, as well as engaging directly with project stakeholders and, when necessary, carrying out on-site due diligence assessments.
Assess anticipated emission reductions and removals, evaluate governance preparedness, review safeguard frameworks, and analyze implementation risks to guide investment choices.
Deliver well-defined insights regarding the feasibility and preparedness of projects for advancement.
We are seeking a forward-thinking individual to spearhead our pursuit of cutting-edge solutions, driving the development and implementation of novel technologies that enhance our operational efficiency and competitive edge. The ideal candidate will possess a robust technical background, with proven expertise in identifying emerging trends and translating them into actionable strategies. Responsibilities include leading cross-functional teams to design and deploy innovative systems, ensuring seamless integration with existing frameworks while maintaining rigorous standards of performance and scalability. Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for continuous improvement are essential, as is the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
Support the creation of carbon-related tools, frameworks, and templates designed to enhance efficiency in data collection, analysis, and the narrative components of feasibility assessments, due diligence reports, project designs, and monitoring reports. This includes developing emissions reduction or removal models, biodiversity and community monitoring systems, stakeholder engagement strategies, work plans, and theory of change models.
Offer expert technical evaluations and feedback on revisions to carbon market standards and methodologies spearheaded by the Carbon Finance team.
Protects organizational assets and ensures adherence to ethical standards throughout project execution.
Qualified professionals, robust systems, and effective governance frameworks must be established to maintain safeguards, ensure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (EPIC), honor benefit-sharing agreements, and uphold carbon integrity standards.
Seeking a candidate with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, coupled with at least three years of experience in software development. Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, or C++ is required, along with a strong understanding of data structures and algorithms. Familiarity with web development frameworks, databases, and cloud services is highly desirable. The ideal applicant will demonstrate excellent problem-solving skills, the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, and a commitment to writing clean, efficient, and maintainable code. Strong communication skills and a passion for continuous learning are also essential.
Required
A Bachelor’s degree in forestry, rangeland management, ecology, natural resource management, climate science, environmental science, or a closely related discipline is required.
With a minimum of five to seven years of hands-on experience in the design, evaluation, or implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) projects, you will bring a proven track record of delivering impactful and sustainable outcomes.
Proven expertise in validating and verifying NCS crediting initiatives—such as VCS, Gold Standard, and CCBS—with hands-on involvement in crafting Project Descriptions (PDs), preparing Monitoring Reports (MRs), and conducting Validation and Verification Body (VVB) audits.
Proven capability in constructing and evaluating carbon models in strict adherence to relevant carbon standards, supported by strong analytical expertise.
Experienced in leading project initiatives with a proven track record of overseeing cross-functional teams and ensuring accountability for deliverables from both oneself and project stakeholders.
Professional experience collaborating with local partners, demonstrating an awareness of the practical realities and obstacles encountered during project development and execution.
Demonstrates a proven ability to collaborate effectively with individuals and groups from varied economic, cultural, religious, gender, and professional backgrounds, as well as across diverse geographic regions and countries.
Proficient in clear and effective written and verbal communication in English.
Proven capability to thrive in high-pressure environments while effectively managing multiple tasks, prioritizing responsibilities, and consistently producing high-quality outcomes.
Proven expertise in troubleshooting, coupled with a talent for leveraging established knowledge to devise innovative solutions.
Preferred
A master’s degree in a pertinent discipline is required.
Proficiency in either French or Swahili is required.
Accomplished professional with extensive hands-on expertise in diverse Nature-based Solutions (NBS) pathways and project categories, such as forest conservation initiatives including RED+, native ecosystem restoration through afforestation/reforestation/revegetation (ARR), enhanced forest management practices (IFM), sustainable rangeland and grassland stewardship, and blue carbon ecosystem projects.
Proven track record in overseeing diverse carbon project portfolios spanning multiple countries, with a particular focus on Africa and other emerging market regions.
Skilled in conducting carbon accounting for soils, including peatlands, wetlands, and rangeland.
Proficient in the financial structuring of carbon projects, encompassing revenue forecasting, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and the development of carbon project financial models.
Proven expertise in instructing field teams on the creation and execution of monitoring plans focused on forestry, carbon accounting, and biodiversity conservation.
Proficiency in collaborating with private-sector organizations on climate initiatives and Nature-based Solutions (NCS) projects is required.
Applicants should possess hands-on experience collaborating with indigenous groups and traditional communities, coupled with a deep understanding of safeguards frameworks, Free Prior and Informed Consent (EPIC) protocols, grievance mechanisms, and benefit-sharing frameworks as they relate to carbon initiatives.
Skilled in collaborating with governmental entities and facilitating policy formulation across diverse African nations.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
5 - 7 years
