Program Director, Tanzania

Reports to: Country Director
Department: Compassionate Carbon Tanzania
Position classification: Full-time
Location: Tanzania, preferred locations of Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Morogoro
Employment type: through Compassionate Carbon Tanzania Ltd (Tanzanian-registered subsidiary of Eden: People+Planet) LOCAL NATIONALS ONLY

Company Information
We believe the social foundation of basic human needs can be met for all people within the Earth’s ecological limits. By collaborating with communities to restore degraded environments and protect essential ecosystems, we foster a resilient foundation that supports both people and planet, recognizing the health of both are inseparable and interdependent. Our work de-risks the future by designing and implementing holistic systems that address the foundational needs of people, restores essential biodiversity, and directly impacts the effects of climate change through collaboration with local stakeholders, regional authorities, and global partners.

Eden: People+Planet works in developing regions of the world to facilitate landscape restoration and community development through nature-based solutions. Eden’s mission is to foster healthy relationships between communities and the land on which we all depend through landscape restoration and conservation. We envision a world where communities thrive in healthy and restored environments.

Position Summary
Compassionate Carbon Tanzania Ltd is a mission-driven organization launched by Compassionate Carbon LLC and Eden: People+Planet (Eden). Specializing in developing and implementing landscape-scale forest carbon projects through Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), we collaborate with local communities to restore landscapes, create jobs, protect ecosystems, and mitigate climate change.

Our projects integrate nature-based solutions to help meet global emissions targets while ensuring community ownership and long-term sustainability. The Rubeho Mountains Carbon Project, a significant initiative in Tanzania, focuses on native forest restoration and community-based conservation efforts.

The Program Director leads the overall implementation and strategic development of Compassionate Carbon’s Tanzania programs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, compliance with regulations, and delivery of high-impact climate mitigation projects. This senior leadership role requires overseeing multi-disciplinary teams, managing external partnerships, and driving the successful development, validation, and implementation of the Rubeho Mountains Project and other emerging initiatives.

Essential Responsibilities

• Program Leadership and Management
  • Lead the planning, execution, and oversight of all Compassionate Carbon programs in Tanzania.
  • Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive work plans and project timelines for ARR and REDD+ initiatives, ensuring integration of best practices and lessons learned into program design and implementation.
  • Ensure adherence to project budgets, timelines, and quality standards.
  • Coordinate cross-functional project integration, ensuring seamless collaboration across technical, operational, and field teams.
  • Conduct regular evaluations of program performance and propose strategies for continuous improvement and scalability.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships
  • Serve as the primary liaison with government agencies, local communities, donors, and other stakeholders.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with local authorities, international partners, and communities.
  • Represent Compassionate Carbon in forums, workshops, and conferences at local, national, and international levels.
  • Ensure that project activities align with community needs and priorities, fostering sustainable partnerships.
• Operational Oversight and Compliance
  • Ensure all project activities comply with national environmental laws and global carbon market requirements, as week as labor regulations and organizational policies.
  • Lead risk management strategies to mitigate operational and financial risks.
  • Support fundraising efforts by contributing to proposal development and donor reporting.
• Technical Support
  • Support project documentation, including the preparation of Project Design Documents (PDDs) for carbon standards.
  • Oversee Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) processes to ensure accurate tracking of carbon outcomes.
  • Collaborate with technical teams to ensure best practices in reforestation, carbon accounting, and biodiversity conservation.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to team members, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and fostering a collaborative and productive work environment. This includes overseeing performance management, problem-solving, addressing challenges proactively, and promoting open communication within the team, and may include hiring and employment-related decision-making.
• Manage and oversee the department’s budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources, monitoring expenditures, and adjusting as needed to meet financial objectives while maintaining alignment with organizational goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education + Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Environmental Science, or a related field; Master’s degree is an advantage, but not essential.
• At least 7 years’ experience in managing large-scale development or environmental programs, preferably with a focus on program management.
• Proven track record managing multi-disciplinary teams in cross-cultural and challenging settings.
• Experience delivering complex projects on time and within budget, including stakeholder engagement.
• Strong background in managing operational aspects of programs, including planning, reporting, and compliance.

Skills + Abilities

• Models the Eden Ethos in all professional interactions, demonstrating a commitment to the organization’s values, vision, and conduct standards.
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills.
• Excellent project management skills, including proficiency with project management tools and software.
• Exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in both English and Kiswahili
• Ability to manage complex partnerships and foster collaborative relationships.
• Capacity for adaptive management in dynamic environments.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Commitment to providing accurate, defensible, and demonstrable results in field-based environments.
• Demonstrates a drive and determination to achieve both results and success.
• Has an interpersonal style that engages others from various cultural contexts and encourages trust.
• Energetic, flexible, and collaborative; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical initiatives; can nimbly learn and adapt based on experience and evidence.
• A firm understanding of local customary practices and community engagement processes in natural resource management and restoration.
• Preferred knowledge and experience of landscape restoration principles, including ARR and REDD+ and direct implementation experience of successful carbon projects.
• Preferred knowledge and experience of ecological processes, including forest succession, environmental goods and services, and biodiversity conservation.

Work Environment + Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and using a computer are required, as role involves digital communication and document management.
• Regular field visits to project sites, including remote and outdoor settings, with exposure to varying weather conditions. Required to move about in project sites, must have sufficient balance to navigate rugged terrain, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and grabbing with the hands. Overall mobility is essential.
• Extended or irregular work hours may be required during critical project phases or deadlines.
• May involve travel within Tanzania and internationally to represent Compassionate Carbon at relevant forums.
• Legal authorization to live and work in Tanzania, and ability to travel internationally, when required.

Eden: People + Planet is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

Disclaimer: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with it. Responsibilities may evolve and change over time based on organizational needs, programmatic priorities, and/or reasonable accommodation.

Safeguarding: Eden: People+Planet holds strict safeguarding principles and does not tolerate behaviors that harm others, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and other injustices. Employees are expected to abide by Eden’s Safeguarding and compliance policies. Candidate selection is based on technical competence, recruitment, selection, and hiring criteria, subject to a thorough background, police clearance, and reference check process.

Compensation: Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Compassionate Carbon provides a competitive benefits package including annual leave, health insurance, and contributions to statutory funds.