Director, Carbon Finance Origination

**Director, Carbon Finance Origination & Deal Lead (Africa)**

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

** - This position is based in South Africa**

Amid growing consensus that the protection, restoration, and improved management of ecosystems can provide at least 30% of the climate mitigation needed to limit warming to 1.5°C, Conservation International (CI) has set ambitious targets to realize the potential of natural climate solutions (NCS) worldwide. The Carbon Finance (CF) team within CI’s Nature Finance Group (NFG) is working across CI to source and finance a portfolio of high-quality NCS carbon projects, creating industry-leading partnerships with the private sector and connections with CI field programs to ensure delivery of ambitious climate and conservation targets. The CF team prioritizes impact through community engagement, biodiversity, safeguards, and high-quality carbon credits, as well as through projects which are located in “Irrecoverable Carbon” and Biodiversity hotspots. Each member of this team plays a critical role in making this impact mission a success.

**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 Division, 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 Division to ensure that the goals of the Africa Field Division 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
- May involve staff supervision.
- 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.
Travel within the region will consist of approximately ~30% of the person's time; often, this will entail travel to remote locations with rustic conditions.
- Flexibility in work schedule is required in order to accommodate time differences between the Arlington, VA office and international field offices located in multiple time zones.

**QUALIFICATIONS**

**Required**
- Bachelor's degree in finance or business, environmental science field, or another relevant discipline.
- 7 or more years of relevant working experience
- Experience and understanding of Natur