View Vacancy - Forest and Climate Programme and Policy Manager (x2)

Main Purpose of Job:

The successful applicant will play a key role in shaping the UK Government’s work to help protect Peru’s rainforests and develop the country’s bio-economy. This is an exciting position within the Embassy’s expert Climate, Nature and Infrastructure Team and will involve collaborating with national stakeholders as well as UK government officials in London and across Amazon countries. We work in line with the Embassy’s core values:  respect, innovation, collaboration, and enjoyment.

The Climate, Nature and Infrastructure Team works towards achieveing a permanent fall in deforestation and biodiversity loss, bedding in sustainable livelihoods and respect for indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) while reducing vulnerability to environmental crime in the Peruvian Amazon. We provide technical and political guidance to programmes managed by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London, manage a portfolio of projects directly (funded by internal Challenge Funds or the UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions - UK PACT programme), offer expertise to the Peruvian government, and engage in policy advocay. The focus is on mitigation activities through halting deforestation in the lowland Amazon, especially in high biodiversity and carbon storage areas, such as peatlands.

Our work is divided into 3 priority themes:

1. Development of bio-businesses to create economic incentives for forest and land users to halt deforestation (e.g. through the commercialisation of bio-business products).

2. To do so at scale, this requires attracting private sector investment into green products and activities (green finance), especially in the forest and land use sector.

3. This in turn depends on improvements in the investment climate, such as better connectivity in the Amazon through “greener, fairer and faster” infrastructure.

There are 2 cross-cutting themes:

1. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) with a particular focus on IPLCs – ensuring we mainstream their inclusion as active partners in a meaningful way where appropriate.

2. Biodiversity – ensuring that we consider biodiversity in all our forest related work.

We are hiring 2 Forest and Climate Programme and Policy Managers, one more focused on managing programmes/projects and leading on the Embassy’s bio-economy work and the other one more focused on policy advocacy under the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) – a best-in-class approach on payment for results for reduced deforestation, with Norway, Germany, and the USA as partners. Both roles will report to the Head of the Climate and Forest Portfolio. They will be supported by a Forest Associate (with line management responsibility for one) and administrative Programme Manager.

The job holders will work as part of a 12-person team, which includes green finance, biodiversity and infrastructure leads. The Forest and Climate Programme and Policy Managers will be responsible for driving the UK’s strategic objectives to protect the Peruvian Amazon in the run-up to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COPs) 29 and 30. It will be important to ensure that our longer-term work tackling deforestation in Peru complements diplomatic action to support the successful delivery of post-COP26 commitments (e.g. Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade - FACT Dialogue). The policy paper “International Development in a Contested World” will serve as a guide, especially the partnership approach, focus on mobilising private finance, and linking the people, climate and nature agendas.  

Building strong relationships and engagement with external stakeholders will be key, including with all levels of government, the private sector, indigenous organisations, civil society, multilaterals, and other international cooperation partners. The job holders will also collaborate closely with other colleagues in the British Embassy in Lima, UK embassies throughout the Amazon region and officials from the UK’s International Forests Unit and other parts of the British government in London, particularly the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

In addition, the roles will contribute to the Embassy’s wider climate and environment agenda, including strategic reporting on developments in the UK, Peru, the region and globally for example related to the bio-economy, bringing together the big picture on politics, programming and policy influencing to analyse trends. Occasional national and international travel will be required.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Programme management (from a technical point of view) 25%

Project delivery of current UK PACT and Investment of Forest and Land Use (IFSLU – Partnership for Forests) projects (5 in total): 1. Sustainable livestock project. 2.  Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) peatlands project. 3. MRV cacao project. 4. Indigenous peoples in isolation and in initial contact (PIACI) project. 5. Reforestation. Including oversight, reporting and engagement with implementers and other stakeholders.

Lead on the bio-economy 20%

• Replication of business models with impact at scale like that of Aje (corporates), with a focus on market development for bio-business products (e.g. palm fruits) through IFSLU phase 2.
• Organisation and follow-up of the Bio-economy Task Force – an annual meeting to report on progress regarding solutions to improve market access, finance, and regulatory capacity.
• Support IPLC-owned bio-businesses in the Amazon through small initiatives like roadshows (with a focus on linkages with buyers, especially from the UK).
• Improvement of enabling conditions, with a focus on land rights (through the JDI) and MRV.

Policy advocacy under the JDI 25%

By acting as the Embassy’s main focal point for the JDI (attending technical and Lima group meetings) and working closely with the JDI secratariat, ensure that this agreement works well in terms of:

• A multi-sectoral and inclusive platform that delivers payments for results for verified reduced deforestation (will require the set-up of an effective governance structure/results reporting)
• Articulation of how the UK’s portfolio contributes to the priority themes in the implementation plan and linking results to Peru’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
• Reflecting UK priorities for tackling deforestation and addressing climate change in the next version of the implementation plan post-2025 (e.g. carbon markets and bio-economy)
• Using moments like the 10-year anniversary in 2024 (September TBC) to strategically follow up on commitments made in both the Pucallpa and Belem Declarations in 2023

Linking programming with policy development 20%

• Galvanise the momentum created by Peru signing up to the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP), co-hosting the working group on IPLCs and taking over the presidency of the LAC Forum of Environmental Ministers/APEC with plans for OECD accession to push for reforms to raise the ambition on the JDI and deliver the 30by30 target (a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30% of earth's land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030).
• Disseminate learning from programmes/projects within the Peruvian government and other stakeholders to promote models that have been proven to work (from a mitigation or biodiversity protection perspective), especially from the first generation of UK PACT initiatives.
• Engagement on harmful law changes proposed by Congress related to forests and IPLCs.

Other 10%

• Deliver wider mission critical work as required as part of the team at British Embassy in Lima.
• Summarise meetings, missions, correspondence, and reports, and compile written documents.
• To manage Ministerial and official visits from the UK related to forests in Peru. This could include planning and advising on visit agendas, coordinating with media colleagues, and supporting in events as required and in line with the Embassy’s priorities.
• To play an active part in the corporate life of the Embassy to maximise the overall well-being of staff, and to contribute to the Embassy’s response in case of a crisis.
• Manage own workload, including emails and diary management, to meet deadlines.
• Participate in self-development to continually improve performance and systems.

The above is an indicative outline of likely tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the roles. The job holders will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Embassy. These responsibilities may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Management of small-scale project funding
• Line management of the Forest Associate

• Good team player. Excellent interpersonal skills. Experience of managing diverse relationships. Demonstrate both resilience and flexibility to respond to evolving priorities.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Proven ability to write fluently and persuasively in English about technical and policy issues for a senior audience. Ability to form coherent arguments and persuade someone of their point of view.
• A minimum of 3+ years of experience working for an organisation in a relevant field, for example, working with government or international organisations on environmental policy.
• Strong understanding of international and Peruvian climate and environment policy, especially on forests. Willing and capable to continuously expand their knowledge.