P4F Global Portfolio Manager, Maternity Cover

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 2,100 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

The Opportunity: Palladium is looking for a Global Portfolio Manager (Maternity Cover) on the Partnerships for Forests Programme. The role is based primarily from the UK, working on a global sustainable land-use programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). You will lead the development and management of our global cross-cutting work, including our Demand Side Measures (DSM) / Enabling Conditions (EC) portfolios, shaping a coherent and transformative set of cross-cutting investments that align regional priorities and accelerate system wide change across sustainable land-use markets.

Key responsibilities and tasks will include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the identification and development of grant projects that align with the programme strategy, regional strategies and results framework, ensuring that targets are met for number of projects assessed, presented and approved during each year of delivery.
• Build relationships across a wide range of stakeholders including civil society organisations, the public and private sectors to inform the portfolio and programme strategy, and to identify project ideas.
• Build a strategic cross-cutting portfolio, in line with P4Fs regional strategies, bringing in new insights and innovations from the portfolio for replication and scaling.
• Oversee the development of proposals for grant funding, including working with Project Officer(s) and project partners to develop ideas and content and problem-solve challenges.
• Oversee the implementation of projects approved for funding, including working with Project Officer(s) to ensure that milestones and results are delivered within agreed timelines and budgets, and helping to problem-solve challenges that arise during delivery.
• Supervise Project Officer(s) allocated to the global cross-cutting portfolio, supporting them to develop project proposals, facilitate approvals and contracting, and manage delivery, while also supporting their growth and professional development.
• Regularly align the cross-cutting portfolio strategy with the programme’s regional teams and strategies in Latin America, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and South-east Asia, ensuring that the cross-cutting portfolio supports and enables impact in the regions.
• Keep abreast of the relevant trends in policy, finance and industry activity related to forests and sustainable land use and use this information to inform the development of the cross-cutting strategy and portfolio.
• Participate in relevant events and conferences, raising the profile of the Programme and supporting the Team Leader and Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Lead as required.
• Develop transformational change and additionality assessments, with a strong understanding of Value for Money, project level theory of change and GESI principles for projects.
• Chair the internal policy learning group and lead coordination of key outputs in support of P4F MEL targets.
• Work with grantees and the MEL team to identify, log and share lessons and impact stories for projects under implementation.
• Contribute to regular client reporting, including quarterly, annual and extraordinary reporting.
• Lead on bringing knowledge and learning from the portfolio into the wider P4F programme.

The ideal candidate is adept at building relationships, analysing complex problems, and working with others to develop ideas to deliver impact. They should have experience working on policy, finance or industry action for forests and sustainable land use.

Essential qualifications include:

• Experience in international development, climate, nature, forestry, or relevant industry / commodity sectors.
• Experience working with sustainable supply chains, particularly with key P4F commodities (NTFP’s, coffee, cocoa, palm oil, rubber, timber, soy, carbon/PES).
• Strategic thinker able to analyse data and consult with networks to develop a strategy for a programme of work.
• Good understanding of the current trends, challenges and opportunities relating to the financing of projects and businesses working toward sustainable land use in the tropics.
• Good understanding of international forest policy and forest financing.
• Ability to support, manage and mentor team members to deliver quality work and support professional development.
• Strong presentation skills, both online and in person.
• Fluency in English - excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Adaptable (keen to try new approaches, employs agile thinking, flexible and open to change).
• Innovative (intellectual curiosity, solution-based problem solving).
• People skills (communication, follow through, respect for individual, interpersonal relationships, networking).
• Passionate and committed to the sector.
• Accountable (ensures work quality, organisational skills).
• Line management experience.
• The right to work in the United Kingdom without sponsorship.

Desirable qualifications include:

• 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.

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.

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.