(This is a 24 month fixed term contract based in WWF-SA Head office in Newlands, Cape Town)
WWF is the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisation, with over 6 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
WWF South Africa is a national office that is part of the WWF network. We are a local NGO that has worked for 50 years with the aim of inspiring all South Africans to live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of our country and the wellbeing of all our people. WWFs work is for nature, for you .
Our work is challenging and exciting and we love what we do. To join our team, you need to be brilliant at what you do, passionate, results-orientated and have a positive attitude.
Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD)
The DFCD mobilizes investments for private sector profit-making (bankable) climate adaptation and nature projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Investments will seek to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups – particularly women and children – and enhance the health of critical ecosystems. The DFCD’s Origination Facility (OF), managed by WWF-NL and SNV, is responsible for project identification and feasibility development activities. It provides grant funding and Technical Assistance (TA) to support projects in becoming viable investment cases for the two DFCD Investment Facilities - Water (managed by CFM) and Land Use (managed by FMO) - or third-party investors. In Africa, the OF focuses on bankable opportunities in South Africa, Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and is open to opportunities from other eligible countries. More information can be found here:
Background:
WWF is looking for a Regional Manager to manage all activities for the Origination Facility in Africa. You will manage a small regional team of part-time bankable experts and jointly focus on developing green business propositions and catalyzing bankable projects to become viable investment cases. The focus sectors are climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water management, food security and ecosystem restoration. These solutions should contribute to climate-resilient and inclusive developments in the landscapes where they are proposed.
The Regional Manager will support priority WWF offices in Africa in the process of identifying and supporting these projects. WWF facilitates public-private collaboration and attraction of investments that will scale up such climate action projects at the landscape level and attract investments both from investors within and outside of the landscape, while tackling the impacts of climate change. The Regional Manager will also analyze business opportunities and existing bottlenecks in order to promote private sector investment in climate adaptation and nature. By identifying the right type of projects and supporting those through the process towards getting realized (incl. connecting to appropriate funders), WWF helps to create a direct positive impact on vulnerable river basins and forestry or agricultural landscapes.
Team integration and reporting line:
The Regional Manager will be based in South Africa as part of the Sustainable Finance team and has a dual reporting line. Line management will be to Senior Manager of Sustainable Finance in WWF South Africa. The operational project management reporting line is to the Programme Manager of DFCD who is based in WWF NL. You will work closely with the colleagues from the DFCD team in NL, the Africa regional team as well as the WWF offices in the focus countries.