Full-Time
Africa, Angola
Posted 6 months ago

Strategic Talent Solutions is recruiting on behalf of a leading organisation delivering high-impact climate adaptation and mitigation programmes across Africa.

Our client is establishing a flagship carbon programme in Angola and is seeking a Programme Director: Carbon Implementation (Angola) to manage the full setup and delivery of this large-scale initiative. This appointment is critical to the successful mobilisation, operational control, and long-term performance of the programme.

This is a senior executive role, suited to an operational leader with a strong track record in building and scaling land-based, agricultural, forestry, or environmental programmes in challenging, remote contexts. The role carries full accountability for delivery outcomes, operational performance, verification readiness, and cross-site coordination.

The Programme Director will report into the client’s senior climate leadership team and will function as the operational head of the Angola programme, ensuring delivery aligns with internationally recognised carbon standards while maintaining efficiency, quality, and discipline across all field operations.

Role Purpose

The Programme Director will oversee the end-to-end implementation of the Angola carbon programme, encompassing large-scale planting operations, landscape restoration, sustainable land-use interventions, and integrated monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems.

This role holds executive authority over programme planning, seasonal delivery cycles, nursery capacity, workforce mobilisation, and cost performance. A key focus will be establishing the foundational systems, governance structures, and operational teams required to deliver consistently across multiple, geographically dispersed sites.

Success in this role requires strong operational leadership, sound financial judgement, and the ability to enforce structured delivery frameworks in dynamic field environments. The Programme Director will also act as the senior point of engagement with government bodies, partners, and institutional stakeholders.

Key Accountabilities

      • Programme Leadership & Start-Up Execution

        • Lead the design, mobilisation, and full implementation of the Angola carbon programme

        • Establish programme governance, operating models, and delivery systems for a multi-site, remote environment

        • Convert feasibility studies and approved carbon methodologies into practical implementation plans

        • Define performance standards, delivery benchmarks, and operational priorities across all programme functions

        • Oversee rapid establishment of logistics, procurement, planning, reporting, and coordination systems

        • Provide structured progress updates to senior leadership, highlighting readiness, risks, and constraints

        Operational Oversight & Delivery Performance

        • Maintain executive oversight of planting cycles, nursery throughput, labour deployment, and output targets

        • Ensure production plans and seasonal milestones are achieved across all operational sites

        • Direct the rollout of systems for transport, equipment, field bases, and input distribution

        • Resolve delivery bottlenecks and approve operational trade-offs where required

        • Ensure alignment between nurseries, field teams, logistics, and monitoring functions

        • Drive performance reporting focused on outputs, efficiency, and implementation readiness

        Technical Alignment, MRV & Quality Control

        • Retain overall accountability for technical integrity and carbon methodology alignment

        • Ensure compliance with applicable VCS and CCB requirements across all programme components

        • Approve MRV frameworks, data collection tools, and monitoring structures

        • Implement quality assurance systems to support internal review and third-party verification

        • Oversee preparation of validation and verification documentation

        Financial Oversight & Cost Discipline

        • Hold accountability for a large-scale programme budget (USD 10m+)

        • Approve procurement strategies, resource plans, and cost-control measures

        • Monitor expenditure trends, unit costs, and seasonal spend patterns

        • Drive productivity and value-for-money across all workstreams

        • Work closely with finance leadership to align operational delivery with financial planning and risk

        Risk Management, Compliance & Safeguards

        • Lead programme-wide risk identification and mitigation across operational, financial, environmental, and community domains

        • Ensure compliance with Angolan labour, environmental, health, and safety regulations

        • Oversee community engagement processes, safeguards, and grievance mechanisms

        • Maintain readiness for audits, reviews, and external oversight

        • Provide clear risk reporting to senior leadership and programme stakeholders

        Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

        • Act as the senior programme representative with government authorities, partners, and institutional stakeholders

        • Lead high-level engagements and manage key contractual relationships

        • Ensure external communications accurately reflect programme progress and performance

        • Delegate representation appropriately while retaining final accountability

        Team Leadership & Performance Culture

        • Build and lead a high-performing management team across central and field operations

        • Set clear expectations and hold senior managers accountable for delivery and quality

        • Drive a disciplined, results-oriented culture suited to remote programme delivery

        • Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and development of senior operational staff

        • Manage implementation partners to ensure alignment with programme standards

Candidate Profile

This role will suit a senior operational leader with demonstrated experience in launching and scaling complex, land-based programmes in challenging environments. The successful candidate will be structured, decisive, and comfortable managing scale, complexity, and risk.

Qualifications & Experience

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Agriculture, Forestry, Environmental Science, or a related discipline

  • Minimum 10 years’ experience in large-scale programme or operations management

  • At least 5 years in a senior leadership capacity

  • Proven experience establishing new operations or scaling greenfield programmes

  • Track record managing large operational budgets (USD 10m+)

  • Strong understanding of logistics, infrastructure, and workforce mobilisation

  • Experience leading large, multidisciplinary field teams

  • Exposure to carbon programmes, sustainable land-use initiatives, or environmental restoration

  • Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills

Angolan citizens are preferred. South African nationals with extensive experience delivering similar programmes across Africa will also be considered.

Advantageous Experience

  • Experience working in rural African landscapes

  • Portuguese language proficiency

  • Exposure to carbon validation and verification processes

  • Familiarity with GIS, remote sensing, or spatial data systems

Employment Details

  • Start Date: Negotiable
  • Salary: To be discussed
  • Work Model: Fully office-based
  • Employment Equity: In line with the client’s Employment Equity plan

SALARY

Negotiable dependent on experience, qualification and work time

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 7 working days of submitting your application, please consider your application unsuccessful. We thank you for your interest and effort in applying for this opportunity.

Job Features

Job Category

Agriculture, Consulting, Environmental, Finance

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