Practice Lead, Climate and Environment

About Palladium

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.

This Opportunity

Palladium’s UKEA Partnership is seeking a Practice Lead, Climate and Environment to help shape its Climate & Environment Practice to consolidate and build on its global leadership in forest governance, nature and climate action, and to strengthen its offer including climate adaptation and resilience. The practice’s mission is to support governments, donors and the private sector to deliver climate-resilient, nature-positive development through policy and institutional reform, landscape- and jurisdiction-level approaches, mobilising private capital and large-scale delivery that strengthen forest governance, sustainable land use and climate resilience.

The practice offer includes:

• Forest governance and sustainable land use: Supporting effective forest management, tackling illegal deforestation, strengthening land and tenure systems and enabling sustainable agriculture and commodity supply chains.
• Nature and biodiversity programmes: Delivery of nature-based solutions, biodiversity conservation and restoration and integration of nature into development planning.
• Climate adaptation and resilience: Helping governments and communities anticipate, plan for and respond to climate risks, including adaptation planning, climate resilient systems and locally led adaptation.
• Climate policy and institutional strengthening: Supporting national and sub-national governments to design and implement climate, environment and land-use policy and institutional frameworks.
• Linking climate, nature and development outcomes: Integrating climate and environmental objectives with livelihoods, inclusion and economic resilience.

The Practice Lead is responsible for shaping a compelling market-facing offer, growing a high-quality pipeline of work, and ensuring excellence in delivery across complex programmes commissioned by donors, governments or private sector clients. This role builds directly on Palladium’s position as a global leader in forest governance, including one of the largest portfolios of forest governance programmes worldwide, alongside its established reputation in climate and nature programming.

Location

The position will be based in Palladium’s London 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.

Reporting Lines

The Practice Lead, Climate and Environment will report to the Regional Director, UKEA. This role will have supervisory responsibilities. The Practice Lead will work closely with Palladium’s other teams, particularly Economic Growth, Finance & Investment and Health to ensure integrated and coherent client solutions.

Primary Responsibilities

• Practice strategy and leadership: Define and lead a clear strategic vision for the Climate & Environment Practice aligned with Palladium UKEA’s regional strategy and global priorities. Translate the practice’s strengths in forest governance, nature and climate adaptation into a coherent, differentiated market offer. Position Palladium as a partner of choice on forest governance, nature and climate adaptation, building on its global track record and delivery credibility. Contribute as a senior member of the UKEA team to wider organisational transformation and growth. Own and grow a strategic, diversified pipeline of new business opportunities. Lead bid strategies for major tenders, including opportunity shaping and positioning; commercial and pricing strategies; partnering strategies and leadership in pitching or bidding processes. Build and maintain senior-level client relationships with key government departments in the UK (e.g. FCDO, DESNZ, DBT) and overseas, DFIs and MDBs, Foundations, and other relevant organisations. Keep abreast of emerging market trends and opportunities.
• Delivery oversight and quality assurance: Provide senior oversight of the Climate & Environment portfolio to ensure technical excellence and impact, strong delivery and financial performance, and high client satisfaction. Act as programme director for selected programmes.
• Team leadership and management: Build and lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team, drawing on Palladium’s global expertise and external partners. Clarify roles and accountabilities within the team; provide regular feedback to team members. Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, delivery excellence and wellbeing.
• Market positioning and thought leadership: Represent Palladium at senior external forums, such as conferences and events. Drive the development of thought leadership within practice focus areas. Contribute to Palladium’s global teams in relevant areas.

Core skills

• Strategic, systems-level thinker with strong commercial judgement.
• Credible with senior government, donor and partner decision makers.
• Able to communicate complex climate and environmental issues clearly to technical and non-technical audience.
• Comfortable building and evolving a practice arena in a changing policy and funding environment.
• Strong people leader committed to performance and accountability.
• Experience working at the intersection of forest governance, climate adaptation and livelihoods.
• Existing relationships with DFIs, MDBs, climate and nature initiatives.
• Experience designing and delivering adaptation and resilience programmes, including locally led adaptation approaches.

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. 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.

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.