Conservation International is seeking a Carbon Finance Origination & Deal Lead for Africa. This role is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and developing high-quality carbon project opportunities in alignment with strategic objectives. The incumbent will lead regional carbon finance strategies, conduct financial modeling, negotiate commercial terms, and manage the end-to-end deal transactions.
Key Responsibilities
Origination
- Identify and evaluate potential carbon project opportunities in line with CI’s strategic objectives. Build a high-quality project pipeline with key external partners, including NGOs, governments, local communities, and private developers.
- Lead the development of the regional carbon finance strategy in coordination with Africa’s Field Management Unit, CI regional country offices, and the Global Carbon Origination lead.
- Keep track of the pipeline and portfolio of all NFG Carbon Finance projects in the region and report to the Carbon Portfolio Delivery and Global Origination leads.
- Lead the coordination and preparation of Project Idea Notes (PINs) summarizing the project's early-stage design and submit for internal review and approval.
- Work with the various project stakeholders and CI teams to gather inputs for the feasibility phase budgets.
- Work closely with CI’s Africa Field Management Unit to ensure that the goals of the Africa Field Management Unit and the priorities of CI’s Carbon Finance Team are aligned and complementary.
- Stay up-to-date with market trends, regulatory changes, and industry developments related to carbon finance and project development.
- Represent CI at industry conferences, seminars, and events to promote the organization's expertise and build relationships with potential partners and investors.
Deal Lead
- Financial modeling and analysis of pipeline and portfolio projects to assess project economics, including revenue streams, costs, and returns on investment.
- Negotiate commercial terms with project development partners and key stakeholders that enable cost recovery for CI, while ensuring high-quality project implementation and maximizing community return.
- Work with the various project stakeholders to gather inputs for the implementation budget, while feasibility work is underway.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with the upstream project development partners, serving as the primary point of contact and managing ongoing communications and negotiations.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including legal, finance, and technical experts, to ensure all commercial aspects of the project are thoroughly understood and that a strong business case is constructed.
- Prepare and present carbon finance business cases to potential investors.
- Work with the sales and marketing team on materials to present to potential credit buyers.
- Manage timelines and deliverables of the transaction, ensuring adherence to established milestones and deadlines.
- Build and maintain data rooms for various projects.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Will involve staff supervision.
- Act as a technical or subject matter expert to peers and other staff across CI Africa and global teams.
- Will be responsible for managing project-related budgets, consultants, and vendors, but decisions that bind or commit CI are approved by the immediate supervisor.
- May lead project teams.
Working Conditions
- This is a full-time position.
- Ability to work outside the normal work schedule to meet project deadlines.
- This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some days remotely.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in finance, business, environmental science, or another relevant discipline.
- 7+ years of relevant working experience.
- Experience and understanding of Natural Climate Solutions or conservation projects, and long-term success drivers, both financial and non-financial.
- Experience working with countries in the Africa region.
- Hands-on experience with carbon transactions (origination, structuring, valuation, buyer engagement). Knowledge and expertise in environmental markets, especially in voluntary carbon markets. Experience with analysis, structuring, and valuation of natural resources and/or other investments.
- Strong business acumen, with the ability to structure and negotiate commercially sound and profitable deals.
- Experience working with local partners in Africa, with an understanding of the on-the-ground realities and challenges of project development and delivery.
- Excellent project management and coordination skills, and strong attention to detail.
- Proven ability to collaborate across cultures and diverse teams.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Proficiency in Microsoft PPT and Excel.
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to build on existing knowledge to develop new approaches.
Preferred
- Graduate degree.
- Fluency in French and Portuguese.
- Experience working with or within the private sector on climate and NCS-related issues.
- Experience working with indigenous peoples and traditional communities.
- Experience communicating about NCS and carbon finance mechanisms to technical and nontechnical audiences.
- Citizenship, residency, or other legal permit to work in Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar, Angola, Liberia).
