Carbon Finance Manager (Fixed-Term)

Role Overview

You will build and maintain financial models for agroforestry carbon projects that aim to generate income for smallholder farmers while delivering measurable emissions reductions. Your daily work involves analysing project economics, cash flow needs, and investment returns, then using those insights to support fundraising with carbon buyers and impact investors. This role is central to structuring a separate investment vehicle that will pre‑finance pilot projects, bridging the gap between project design and scaled implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, maintain, and stress‑test three‑statement financial models (covering an SPV and local project entities) to assess project economics, cash flow requirements, and returns; produce external versions for negotiation with carbon buyers and investors.
• Run sensitivity analyses to inform carbon credit pricing strategies and risk management approaches throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support the structural design, setup, and ongoing administration of a dedicated carbon finance special‑purpose vehicle (SPV) that secures pre‑finance for payment‑for‑ecosystem‑services pilots.
• Prepare and manage centralised dashboards and reporting systems (e.g., Salesforce) to track fundraising pipelines and ensure timely reporting to existing and prospective funders.
• Identify and cultivate new funding prospects – including impact investors and carbon credit buyers – to expand the pipeline, and develop high‑quality pitch decks and investment memos.
• Coordinate with country programme teams and core functions (finance, legal, impact) to align budgets with fundraising models for carbon projects.
• Liaise with grant fundraising teams to identify philanthropic prospects that can support eligible carbon project costs, and prepare materials for senior leadership calls to update on fundraising progress and financial health.
• Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to review term sheets and financing agreements between investors, the SPV, and the organisation.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience, with at least 3 years in climate finance, project finance, accounting, or a directly related field.
• At least 1 year of professional experience in one of the organisation’s countries of operation (particularly Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, or Tanzania).
• Demonstrated experience in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) or familiarity with carbon project development and similar project finance lifecycles.
• Experience supporting fundraising rounds or managing relationships with institutional donors and investors.
• Advanced proficiency in financial modelling – able to build dynamic models from scratch in Excel and, more predominantly, Google Sheets for project finance or structured finance across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.

What We Offer / Why Join

We invest in continuous learning and development. You will have weekly check‑ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programmes, and regular performance feedback. Career reviews occur every six months, with dedicated time to discuss your aspirations and professional goals. The role offers the chance to shape a growing organisation and build a long‑term, rewarding career at the intersection of climate finance and agricultural impact.