Agroforestry Director – DevelopmentAid

Location: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and
Zambia

Deadline: March 19, 2025

Job Description

Job Title: Agroforestry Director

Location: Kigali, Rwanda (Please see below)* Contract

*Location: The location for this position is Kigali, Rwanda (a Rwandan work permit will be provided). However, candidates based in other countries of operation (Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Tanzania) can work from their respective countries.

Duration: Indefinite contract Travel: Travel will be required (approximately 25%)

DRS is looking for an Agroforestry Director for an INGO who will help address three key challenges facing smallholder farmers – extreme poverty, climate change, and biodiversity loss – through agroforestry and Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). Specifically, you will strengthen and improve existing programs that serve more than 2 million farm families and produce over 70 million seedlings per year through a network of over 2,500 local nurseries. You will also have ample opportunity to improve new approaches to generate positive change for farm families and the environment, working on a variety of complex challenges, including strengthening our supply of quality tree seedlings, improving training for nursery managers, and diversifying our species offerings.

The Director of Agroforestry will directly supervise a dedicated international agroforestry team, will co-lead embedded agroforestry teams in each country program in collaboration with senior program leaders, and will report to the Impact Director.

Key Responsibilities

Build a vision and implement impactful FLR programs aimed at planting 1 billion trees by 2030 in a way that generates meaningful impact:

• Work with leaders and teams across 10 markets to develop and refine the strategy in each country to strengthen existing programs and maximize the impact (outcomes for landholders and the environment) from the tree planting programs.

• Assess the main levers for reaching primary goals, including scale (1 billion trees by 2030), cost-effective impact (SROI), climate resilience, and ecological restoration.

Lead engagement and build relationships to accelerate scale and impact:

• Lead external engagement related to our client’s agroforestry work. You will help build their network in the agroforestry and the climate sector. You will work with senior leaders to expand the network of funding partners and secure funding to grow operations.

• Explore new programmatic and technical partnerships to expand the network of farmers, improve the quality of programs, and identify new opportunities.

Develop and Oversee New Initiatives to Broaden and Deepen Impact for Farmers and the Environment:

• Identify, pilot, and scale new investments to improve program impact and reach. You could bolster growing Payments for Ecosystem Service programs, explore additional economic opportunities associated with non-timber forest products, or launch entirely new programs.

Career Growth and Development Our client has a strong culture of constant learning, and they invest in developing their people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. They hold career reviews every six months and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding, long-term career.

Qualifications

Experience in Agroforestry and Landscape Restoration

• 5+ years of leadership experience in a regional context as a country or regional director or similar, and demonstrated results in agroforestry, restoration, or related domains in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• University or advanced degree in agroforestry, ecology, restoration, or related fields.

• Familiarity with nature-based carbon projects, including implementation and certification, is an added advantage.

External Relationships

• Engage a range of audiences, including rural farmers, internal staff, external partners, and organizational leadership.

• History of collaboration with primary actors in the forestry and landscape restoration sectors, including implementers, technical resources, and policy-makers.

• Experience launching new programs or building successful partnerships.