The Regional Nature-based Solutions (NBS) Advisor will oversee the development, implementation, and management of WCS’s NBS programme across Eastern Africa, Madagascar, and the Western Indian Ocean (EAMWIO) region. The Advisor will collaborate closely with WCS country teams and the Global NBS team to:
Advance WCS’s portfolio of voluntary carbon projects and jurisdictional programmes. Act as a bridge between WCS’s country-level initiatives and WCS’s global pool of subject matter experts. Engage with investors and partners to secure long-term funding and establish enabling conditions for carbon market participation. Serve as a regional project manager and advisor, offering strategic input to global NBS efforts and guiding regional implementation to align with broader WCS NBS goals.
Major Responsibilities:
• Project Development
o Collaborate with country teams to design and structure identified projects grounded in a clear theory of change, including the development of intervention strategies and approaches for community and government engagement.
o Build and manage existing in-country NBS technical teams and coordinate with external consultants.
o Oversee all technical components of new and existing VCM project development, ensuring alignment with relevant standards and methodologies.
o Advise country teams on monitoring systems, community engagement, and jurisdictional alignment.
o Support the development of benefit-sharing mechanisms.
o Oversee the development of life-of-project financial scenarios
• Feasibility and Design
o Oversee feasibility assessments for early-stage project opportunities, drawing on existing WCS staff expertise, including GHG mitigation potential, governance models, project budgets and financing needs.
o Establish a fact base that will facilitate an investor’s decision on the potential for cost-effective credit generation over the long term.
• Validation and Verification
o Be fully accountable for the execution of all validation and verification processes for active carbon projects.
o Prepare and finalise Project Descriptions and Monitoring Reports.
o Coordinate directly with third-party VVBs and manage audit processes.
o Coordinate audit site visits with WCS staff and oversee any required updates to project documents based on VVB findings.
• Investor Engagement
o Liaise with investors, credit buyers, and marketing partners.
o Develop and present investment proposals and support deal structuring.
• Monitoring, Reporting, and Financial Oversight
o Guide the development of monitoring and knowledge management systems for compliance with standard requirements.
o Oversee internal project budgets and financial tracking with WCS finance teams.
o Provide timely reporting to donors, investors, and WCS leadership.
o Support country program and finance teams to track carbon credit sales and revenue flows, including through benefit-sharing mechanisms.
General
Strengthen partnerships and secure resources to expand the WCS NBS portfolio across the region:
• Regional and internal coordination
o Act as a bridge between regional teams, country programs, technical consultants, and the NBS team.
o Serve as an expert advisor to the global WCS NBS team on regional trends, events, and barriers affecting the carbon finance portfolio.
o Collaborate with WCS’s technical and finance teams to align fundraising with strategic priorities.
• Fundraising, donor engagement, and reporting
o Identify funding opportunities aligned with regional carbon and NBS strategies.
o Lead or support the development of high-quality grant and investor proposals for project and program funding.
o Contribute to the cultivation and maintenance of strong relationships with bilateral, multilateral, philanthropic, and private sector partners.
o Contribute to regular engagement with donors to communicate progress, share lessons learned, and discuss funding priorities.
o Ensure timely preparation of donor reports, project updates, and financial reports by grant agreements.
o Track deliverables and milestones to ensure compliance with donor expectations and contractual obligations.