Regional Carbon Projects Director

Nairobi, Nairobi City Kenya

Reports to: Regional Director, Africa + Asia 

Department: International Programs  

Position classification: Full-time 

Location: Kenya MUST HAVE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION TO LIVE AND WORK IN KENYA (local applicants only)

Employment type: through CC Africa (Kenyan-registered subsidiary of Eden: People+Planet) 

COMPANY INFORMATION

We believe the social foundation of basic human needs can be met for all people within the Earth’s ecological limits. By collaborating with communities to restore degraded environments and protect essential ecosystems, we foster a resilient foundation that supports both people and planet, recognizing the health of both are inseparable and interdependent. Our work de-risks the future by designing and implementing holistic systems that address the foundational needs of people, restores essential biodiversity, and directly impacts the effects of climate change through collaboration with local stakeholders, regional authorities, and global partners. 

Eden: People+Planet works in developing regions of the world to facilitate landscape restoration and community development through nature-based solutions. Eden’s mission is to foster healthy relationships between communities and the land on which we all depend, through landscape restoration and conservation. We envision a world where communities thrive in healthy and restored environments. 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Regional Carbon Projects Director is a senior regional program specialist who plays a crucial role in overseeing the design, implementation, and operation of landscape restoration projects and carbon projects across various locations in the Africa/Asia Region in conjunction with country teams. This position requires dynamic leadership, exceptional project management skills, and a deep commitment to community engagement and environmental management. The Regional Carbon Projects Director is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of Eden’s mission in Kenya and other countries, with a focus on developing and delivering a comprehensive suite of project development activities in the forest carbon and restoration space, aligned with carbon project development standards.  

The role requires a proven track record of designing and operationalizing complex environmental and community development projects, and a deep understanding of carbon dynamics, landscape restoration, and sustainable development practices. Excelling in strategic planning and project management capabilities, the Director ensures that initiatives are executed with precision and in alignment with Eden's mission as well as country-level regulations and rigorous external Standards, including the VCS, Gold Standard, and Plan Vivo, among others. The Regional Carbon Projects Director collaborates with diverse teams and stakeholders, driving innovation and ensuring that all projects contribute to the overall goals of ecosystem restoration, climate change mitigation, and community resilience.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Strategy Development  
    • Develop and design carbon project development processes in alignment with Eden’s global objectives and local context to maximize impact.
    • Identify opportunities for innovation and expansion of Eden’s programs in Africa and Asia.  
    • Ensure integration of best practices and lessons learned into program design and implementation.  
  • Project Development and Delivery 
    • Support country teams in ensuring timely and effective delivery of Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) and REDD+ initiatives in collaboration with the country offices.  
    • Ensure compliance with relevant environmental regulations, international Standards, best practices and project-specific requirements.  
    • Coordinate with project teams to ensure adherence to carbon project timelines, outputs, budgets, and quality standards.  
    • Foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning. This will include working with the country teams, and the global technical team to refine project development processes. 
    • Support investor engagement, including development of financial modeling and other key documents. 
    • Support validation and verification events in collaboration with technical and country teams. 
  • Community Engagement  
    • In conjunction with country teams, technical teams and project leads, design and implement effective efforts to engage with local communities and stakeholders to build trust, foster collaboration, and ensure their meaningful participation in project planning and decision-making. This includes, ensuring Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes are conducted to ensure the rights and interests of indigenous peoples and local communities are respected. 
    • Advocate for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge and traditional practices in project design and implementation.  
  • Monitoring and Evaluation  
    • In conjunction with the global technical team, develop and implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track project progress, measure impact, and identify areas for improvement.  
    • Analyze data and prepare regular reports to inform decision-making and demonstrate accountability to stakeholders on project performance.  
    • In conjunction with the technical team, develop monitoring reports for submission to standards organizations. 
    • Use monitoring and evaluation findings to inform adaptive management and programmatic adjustments as necessary.  
  • Partnership and Risk Management  
    • Support country directors in cultivating and maintaining strong partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, community-based organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to leverage resources and maximize impact. 
    • Represent Eden in relevant forums, conferences, and meetings to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing when requested.  
  • Other duties as assigned. 

EDUCATION + WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Masters’ Degree or higher in Environmental Sciences, Evaluation, Project Management, or relevant international development field.  
  • Seven or more years of relevant experience in hands-on forest restoration projects, and large complex program management, preferably in environmental conservation and sustainable development, or community engagement.  
  • Proven track record of successfully leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects in developing country contexts. 
  • Operational experience in carbon project development, implementation, and ongoing operational requirements, including the development and submission of key reporting requirements. 
  • Experience working in Kenya or East Africa required.  

SKILLS + ABILITIES

  • Models the Eden Ethos in all professional interactions, demonstrating a commitment to the organization’s values, vision, and conduct standards.
  • Strong understanding of landscape restoration principles, including ARR and REDD+ and direct implementation experience of successful carbon projects. 
  • Deep understanding of ecological processes, including forest succession, environmental goods and services, and biodiversity conservation. 
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.  
  • Proven commitment to providing accurate, defensible, and demonstrable results in field-based environments.
  • Demonstrates a drive and determination to achieve both results and success. 
  • Has an interpersonal style that engages others from various cultural contexts and encourages trust.  
  • Energetic, flexible, and collaborative; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical initiatives; can nimbly learn and adapt based on experience and evidence.  
  • A firm understanding of local customary practices and community engagement processes in natural resource management and restoration.  
  • Fluency in English required, proficiency in Kiswahili or other local/regional languages preferred.  

WORK ENVIRONMENT + PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Requires a commitment to work in a global asynchronous team with atypical hours.  
  • Occasional exposure to prevalent weather conditions during travel.  
  • Required to move about in an office environment, sit for extensive periods working on a computer, and frequently use hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping. It also includes bending, twisting, regular walking, and reaching with hands and arms.  
  • Required to move about in project sites, must have sufficient balance to navigate rugged terrain, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and grabbing with hands. Overall mobility is essential.  
  • May be required to lift up to 25 pounds above should height.  
  • Legal authorization to live and work in Kenya, and ability to travel regionally, when required. 

Eden: People + Planet is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.  

Disclaimer: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with it. Responsibilities may evolve and change over time based on organizational needs, programmatic priorities, and/or reasonable accommodation. 

Safeguarding: Eden: People+Planet holds strict safeguarding principles and does not tolerate behaviors that harm others, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and other injustices. Employees are expected to abide by Eden’s Safeguarding and compliance policies. Candidate selection is based on technical competence, recruitment, selection, and hiring criteria, subject to a thorough background, police clearance, and reference check process.  

Compensation: Salary will be commensurate to experience and employment track record; Eden provides a competitive benefits package, including comprehensive international medical insurance.