Job Title: Programme Director
Level: Level 6
Location: Angola
Reporting to: Deputy Director – Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
Role Overview
On behalf of our client, we are seeking an experienced and highly operational Programme Director to lead the design, establishment, and full delivery of a large-scale Carbon Project in Angola.
This senior leadership role serves as the operational head of the programme, with full accountability for delivery outcomes, quality standards, verification readiness, financial discipline, and multi-site performance. The Programme Director will establish systems, teams, and field infrastructure from inception, mobilising large-scale restoration operations across remote and logistically complex environments.
The role requires rigorous oversight of planting cycles, nursery throughput, labour productivity, logistics, and cost efficiency, while ensuring full compliance with VCS and CCB standards. The Programme Director will oversee restoration of degraded catchments through large-scale tree planting, sustainable land-use interventions, and integrated monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems.
This position demands a seasoned executive who has successfully built and scaled complex agricultural, forestry, or environmental operations, and who can enforce disciplined delivery systems in dynamic field conditions.
Key Responsibilities Executive Leadership & Programme Establishment
- Lead end-to-end programme design, operationalisation, and implementation.
- Establish governance structures, systems, workflows, and reporting frameworks for a remote, multi-site ARR and IALM programme.
- Translate feasibility studies and carbon methodologies (e.g., VM0047, VM0042) into operational delivery systems.
- Define performance standards, delivery targets, and cross-functional accountability.
- Provide regular executive-level reporting on progress, risks, and implementation readiness.
Operational Command & Delivery Oversight
- Exercise executive control over planting seasons, nursery throughput, labour deployment, logistics, and site coordination.
- Ensure daily, weekly, and seasonal output targets are achieved across all field locations.
- Approve resource allocations and resolve operational bottlenecks.
- Oversee establishment of remote field bases, access planning, and infrastructure deployment.
- Ensure strong coordination between nurseries, sustainable land management teams, logistics units, and monitoring teams.
Technical Governance, MRV & Quality Assurance
- Hold executive accountability for technical integrity, methodology compliance, and verification readiness.
- Ensure full compliance with VCS and CCB standards, including monitoring, sampling, and documentation requirements.
- Approve MRV systems, data structures, and monitoring tools.
- Lead internal quality assurance and ensure validation and verification readiness.
Budget Accountability & Financial Oversight
- Hold full accountability for a programme budget exceeding USD 10 million.
- Approve procurement plans, cost structures, and long-term financial strategies.
- Enforce cost-efficiency, labour productivity targets, and value-for-money principles.
- Monitor expenditure trends and cost-per-unit outputs in collaboration with the Programme Finance Director.
Risk, Compliance & Safeguards
- Lead programme-wide risk management across operational, environmental, financial, and social domains.
- Ensure compliance with Angolan labour, environmental, and safety legislation.
- Oversee grievance redress mechanisms and community safeguard systems.
- Maintain audit and due diligence readiness.
External Representation & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as senior representative to government authorities, client institutions, donors, partners, and community leadership.
- Lead high-level negotiations and manage contractual interfaces.
- Ensure accurate and transparent reporting to external stakeholders.
Leadership & Organisational Development
- Lead and hold senior managers accountable for performance, quality, and timelines.
- Build a disciplined, results-driven culture suited to remote field environments.
- Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and development of senior operational personnel.
- Ensure alignment and cohesion across all departments, field sites, and implementation partners.
Key Requirements Essential
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Agriculture, Forestry, or related field.
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in large-scale project or operations management, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
- Proven experience establishing and scaling complex field operations (e.g., plantation forestry, agriculture, or large-scale restoration).
- Experience managing budgets exceeding USD 10 million.
- Strong understanding of operational systems, logistics, infrastructure, and workforce mobilisation.
- Experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams in remote rural contexts.
- Familiarity with carbon project implementation (VCS/CCB) or sustainable land-use programmes.
- Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving capability.
- Willingness to relocate to Angola.
Desirable
- Experience working in African rural landscapes.
- Portuguese proficiency.
Experience with validation and verification cycles. - Familiarity with GIS, remote sensing, or modelling workflows.