Overview

Position Summary

The Directorprovidesstrategicleadershipalong withprogrammatic andoperational oversight for a multi-year, Africa-wide initiative advancing climate resilience, expanding clean energy access, and accelerating climate finance. The role will play a key part inbuilding outthis nascent program,strengtheningand operationalizing lines of effort already underway. This includes incorporating lessons learned from the first phase of grant implementation, helpingconsolidateand refine the priority list of program countries, and advancing core operational elements needed to scale the initiative. The Director will work collaboratively across teams and with external partners to ensure effective coordination, execution, and continuous improvement of program activities.

This role requires a comprehensive understandingofclimate, nature and development landscape, andthebroaderenergyindustrialtransitionenvironment.A strong project management backgroundwithexperienceinitiatingprogramsis essential.

Reporting directly tothe Senior Vice President of International Programs, theDirectorwillalsoact as the initiativescoordinator, ensuring coherence acrossworkstreams, fostering strong African-led partnerships, and driving measurable impact for communities, ecosystems, and financial systems.

If this role is inDCthis will be a limited term2 yearrole. If this role is in Londonit will be a2 yearlimited term hire through a professionalemployer organization.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Functional Accountability

• Supportthe development andevolutionofthe initiativesstrategic vision, multi-yearroadmapand annual workplansfor NRDCs Africa Initiative.
• Work with leadership to translate institutional goals intoregional strategies, annualplansand resourcing decisions
• Implementmonitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptive management to ensure evidence-based decisions.
• Manage day-to-daydeliveryofoverall program performance, includingoutcomesacross climateandnatureresilience, clean energy, andsustainablefinance workstreamsinto a cohesive, high-impact portfolio.
• Identifyemerging operational challenges and propose practicalsolutions to helpteamadapt to changing circumstances.

Leadership & Organizational Influence

• Contribute to shaping the programs evolvingorganizational structureas it growsto be high-functioning and tightly coordinateddespite its regional distribution.
• Collaborate closely with teams across the organization to coordinate activities, shareinformation, and support effective implementation withina highly matrixed organization.
• Strengthenteamcapability by coachingstaffand enhancingcross-functional collaboration, andfosteringa high-performance, inclusive culture.
• Partnerwithsenior leadersacross the organization and with external stakeholdersto align priorities, secure resources, anddrive successful advancement of programobjectives.
• Provide operational andanalytical supportto the Senior Vice President of International Programs,Chief Program Officerand other executive stakeholders.
• Supervise and support asmall but growing team that will bedistributedover multiple continents,in the U.S.,Africa and potentially Europewho supportthe various programworkstreams

Partnership Development & External Engagement

• Establish andmaintainhigh-impact partnerships with African-led organizations, governments, regional institutions, and multilateral entitiesand other global partners.
• Represent NRDC atselectedglobal and regional forums (e.g., COP, Africa Climate Week, Mining Indaba),contributing todiscussionsaligned with program.
• Facilitate strategic South Southand South-South-Northcollaboration, including India Africa knowledge exchange.

Financial Stewardship & Resource Mobilization

• Manage thefinancial performance and stewardship of amulti-million andmulti-year budgetensuring strong financial discipline.
• Support fundraising to close the existing budget gap and sustain work beyond theinitialterm.
• Prepare grant reports, donor updates, and impact summaries.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+years of progressive leadership experience in climate resilience, clean energy, climate finance, or sustainable development.
• Demonstrated successbuilding andleading large, complex, multi-country programs, preferably across Africa.
• Strong operational background,includingdevelopment,deploymentand monitoring of project budgets;designing organizational structures; and recruiting and managing talent.
• Deepunderstanding of community-driven development, energy systems,and/or natural climate solutions.
• Proven ability to lead through managers and influence senior stakeholders across organizations.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with experience navigating complex and ambiguous environments.
• Exceptional communication, diplomacy, and cross-cultural leadership capabilities.
• Willingness and ability to travelfrequentlyacross Africa and globally.

Preferred

• Experience andexpertisein one or more of themajor program lines of effort, namelyenergy transition minerals andartisanal small-scale mining,climate finance instruments, blended finance, or green bank development.
• Advanced degree in climate policy, environmental science, public policy, international development, or related field.
• Fluency in Englishrequired; French and/or Portuguese strongly preferred.

We offer competitive salaries,excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and iscommensuratewith skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered todeterminea final offer. For this position, the salary range is $110,000to $150,000.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employeesare required tocome to the office 8 days per month.

To apply, visitwww.nrdc.org/careersand upload your rsumand cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload anyadditionalmaterials thatshowcaseyour abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person rsum drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and needassistanceapplying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visitwww.nrdc.org.