Global Portfolio Manager, Partnerships for Forests (P4F) (Maternity Cover) in Bristol

About Palladium:

Operating in over 50 countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address some of the world’s most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,100 staff worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organisations achieve measurable, sustainable impact.

Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.

About the Project:

Partnerships for Forests (P4F) is one of the flagship programmes in the Climate and Environment practice area at Palladium. P4F is a grants and technical assistance facility that supports businesses and investment models in which the private sector, public sector and communities can achieve improved returns from forests and sustainable land use whilst protecting existing forest, restoring degraded land and improving agricultural land management and production practices. All this work is focused across the tropical forests belt.

P4F is a 5-year programme that began in February 2025. Depending on performance and subject to funding, the programme may be extended for a further 5 years (up to 2035). The programme is funded by the UK government.

This Opportunity:

Palladium and Partnerships for Forests (P4F) are seeking a Global Portfolio Manager (Maternity Cover) to lead the programme’s cross-cutting global work, including the Demand Side Measures (DSM) and Enabling Conditions (EC) portfolios. The role will further develop a focused investment portfolio aligned with regional priorities and designed to drive systemic change in sustainable land-use markets. Based primarily in the UK, you will manage grants that advance policy and market change, engage the global private sector, and strengthen regional delivery through collaboration and scalable models. You will oversee projects against the programme strategy and results framework, ensuring value for money, additionality, and measurable impact. Working with corporates, investors, governments, civil society, and regional teams, you will build partnerships, unlock finance, support inclusive value chains, and promote learning across P4F’s priority themes: policy and market access; carbon and corporate claims; smallholder inclusion and risk; resilience; and capital mobilisation.

This is an 11-month, full-time maternity cover role (40 hours per week with benefits), with an anticipated start date of 1 November 2026. The contract could be extended for a further 2 months depending on return-to-work agreement.

Location:

The position will be based in either Palladium’s London or Bristol office. Please note that applicants must have the right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Palladium follows a hybrid working model, with three days in the office and two days remote. Flexible working arrangements are available to help staff balance work and personal commitments.

Reporting Lines:

The Global Portfolio Manager reports to the Team Leader, P4F, who is based in Bristol, UK. The Global Portfolio Manager will line manage at least 1 staff member and task manage a further 2 team members.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the identification, development, and approval of grant projects aligned with programme, regional, and results frameworks, ensuring annual delivery targets are met.
• Build and manage relationships across civil society, public, and private sector stakeholders to inform strategy and source high-impact project opportunities.
• Develop and oversee a strategic cross-cutting portfolio, driving innovation, replication, scaling, and alignment with regional priorities across Latin America, Africa, and South-east Asia.
• Oversee grant proposal development and project implementation, ensuring milestones, results, budgets, and timelines are achieved while resolving delivery challenges.
• Supervise and develop Project Officers, providing guidance on project design, approvals, contracting, delivery, and professional growth.
• Lead client engagement and external representation, facilitating high-level meetings and participating in conferences, panels, and industry forums.
• Monitor policy, finance, and market trends in forests and sustainable land use, applying insights to portfolio strategy, transformational change, Value for Money, Theory of Change, and GESI approaches.
• Lead programme learning, MEL coordination, client reporting, knowledge sharing, impact storytelling, and lessons learned across the portfolio.
• Any other reasonable requests.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in international development, climate, nature, forestry, sustainable land use, or related sectors.
• Experience working with sustainable supply chains and key commodities, including coffee, cocoa, palm oil, rubber, timber, soy, NTFPs, and carbon/PES markets.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate insights, data, and stakeholder engagement into effective programme strategies.
• Understanding of trends, challenges, and opportunities in financing sustainable land use, forest conservation, and nature-based solutions in tropical regions.
• Knowledge of international forest policy, conservation finance, and mechanisms supporting sustainable land use and forest protection.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop team members, fostering high performance and professional growth.
• Strong project and portfolio management skills, including the ability to review work, provide constructive feedback, and ensure high-quality delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with experience working across public, private, donor, and civil society sectors.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage diverse audiences both virtually and in person.
• Fluency in English, with exceptional written, verbal, and report-writing skills.
• Adaptable and agile, with the ability to thrive in a dynamic and evolving environment.
• Innovative and solutions-oriented, demonstrating intellectual curiosity and strong problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including collaboration, networking, diplomacy, and the ability to build trusted relationships.
• Demonstrated commitment to climate, nature, forestry, and sustainable development outcomes.
• Highly organized, accountable, and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work.
• Previous line management experience, including responsibility for performance management and professional development of staff.
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally as required.
• Experience overseeing large, complex delivery portfolios with multiple stakeholders.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in an organisation or private company running FCDO-funded or other large international development programmes.
• Educational background with a qualification(s) in a subject relevant to the sector, including Environmental Studies, Economics, Public Policy, International Development or Relations etc.
• Experience with development financial institutions and banks.
• Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and/or Bahasa Indonesia.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status. Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made during the recruitment process (due to disability, neurodiversity, or for any other circumstance), please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.