Nature-Based Solutions Field Manager - Angola

Background: CQC is rapidly expanding its portfolio of nature-based carbon removal projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within the NbS portfolio, we have launched a series of pilots on assisted natural regeneration (ANR), afforestation, agro-forestry, farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) and regenerative agriculture. To support the development and implementation of an agro-forestry and ARR pilot in Angola, CQC is looking for an experienced agronomist, ecologist, or natural resources manager to manage implementing partners and oversee field-operations in Angola.

The Role: CQC is hiring a Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Field Manager, to support the implementation of our NbS programme, in collaboration with local Implementing Partners (IPs). This role will be an operations and project management focused role, ensuring the timely and high-quality implementation of the programme. It will provide project management oversight and identify requirements for technical support to partners in establishing field trials, piloting, and implementing these programmes. He/she will report to the Regional NbS Programme Manager, and work in close coordination with the local CQC operations team.

Responsibilities include:

Technical oversight, support, supervision of IP and project field teams:

Provide project management oversite and guidance to project IPs on technical and operational elements of project implementation, site selection, and field activities, and establishing and managing practices.
Work closely with the technical team (Carbon and Social Accounting Team) to ensure that project implementation is aligned with the technical requirements and project development for carbon asset development.
Ensure that there are clear work plans with a detailed timeline of all project events, and track and report against these.
Ensure that project activities comply with regulations and agreed action plans.
Supervise the establishment and management of relevant on-farm demonstrations and research trials.
Guide IPs in the management of local consultation processes (e.g., including Government Departments, traditional authorities, and communities) to ensure compliance with best-in-class standards, such as FPIC (Free Prior Informed Consent) & CCB (Climate, Community & Biodiversity) requirements.
Training

Identify training needs of the field team and ensure that IP and project participant training needs are addressed that covers all aspects of the project’s interventions.
Providing technical training, support and supervision to IPs, field extension staff and farmers on implementing project interventions, e.g., natural regeneration methods, nursery management, seed collection/handling, sustainable agroforestry, conservation agriculture, soil conservation, irrigation, other related practices, other agriculture/landscape interventions identified, including data collection procedures for monitoring and evaluation.
Coordination and training with cookstove operations and field staff to build capacity and extend NbS programmes through existing cookstove project areas.
Assessments, monitoring & reporting:

Overall responsibility for tracking IPs and project progress against agreed Key Performance Indicators and deliverables set in the management plan and contract, including ensuring that IP delivers quarterly and annual technical and financial reports.
Coordinate with IP staff and stakeholders on the identification of key indicators for each component of the project, specifying methods and frequency of data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Keep an inventory of project results; ensure appropriate tracking of project participants and results according the CQC’s systems and requirements of the relevant methodology.
Provide written and oral briefings of all project activities in selected field sites, ensure quarterly and other project progress reports are produced with IPs, highlighting key achievements, challenges and solutions/ actions taken to resolve the problems.
Working closely with CQC technical experts to support relevant baseline assessments and sampling to prepare for the carbon crediting project (these activities would be led by the carbon technical team, but support to coordinate or implement would be expected).
Managing any additional trials / research efforts required to test agroforestry/agriculture components in the pilot (these activities would be led by the carbon technical team, but support to coordinate or implement would be expected).

Location & Travel: The job is to cover NbS projects in Angola, and will require frequent travel to project sites in country with occasional (1-2 times per year) travel to other countries of operation.

Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Supervision: reports to the relevant Regional NbS Programme Manager and have a co-reporting line to the Country Manager.

Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

Extensive experience working in a similar role in rural community environments.
Minimum 5 years work experience in agricultural sciences, conservation, environmental management, natural resources and land management.
Diploma or degree in agriculture, forestry, natural resources, environmental/natural resources management, or related fields.
Preferable - operational and field experience with implementing farmer training, capacity building and extension programmes.
Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, along with a deep understanding of the cultural context and complexities involved with implementing such initiatives, while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and control.
Responsiveness to emails and other forms of communication is critical.
Fluency in Portuguese is required.
Practical knowledges and experience with MS Word, Excel and use of GPS devices, tablets and smart phones uploaded with software to collect data on households, villages and all interventions.

C-Quest Capital LLC (CQC) is a social impact project developer whose purpose is to transform the lives of families, particularly women, children and infants, in poor communities around the world. We do this by providing access to sustainable energy services and clean energy technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat global climate change, and improve the health of those in need. CQC was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Washington D.C., USA, with subsidiaries in India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia and on-ground teams in a host of countries around the world. CQC develops high impact carbon finance projects under four operational platforms: Cleaner Cooking, Efficient Lighting, Sustainable Energy, and Nature based Solutions (NbS). Currently, we have active carbon project operations in over 15 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and South and Southeast Asia that have improved the lives of over 20 million people.