International Forests & Climate Managers

The International Climate Finance (ICF) Forests & Land Use Team is looking for two highly motivated managers to lead important programme areas that aim to halt and reverse the loss of tropical forests in developing countries.

The postholders will lead development of new ICF programmes that help these countries, private sector partners and local communities strengthen forest governance and grow sustainable food and land use economies.

They will also, directly or by managing staff in the Team, oversee the operational delivery of a number of BEIS' existing ICF programmes, using robust programme assurance approaches to ensure our delivery partners utilise funding effectively.

Postholders will also oversee international policy initiatives and relationships that complement these programmes and support the Team's overall aim: to increase the contribution of nature-based solutions to global climate, biodiversity, resilience and sustianable development goals.

About the Team:

The International Climate Finance (ICF) team in BEIS is a multidisciplinary team of over 80 people, which plays a central role in the UK’s international efforts to combat climate change. The team oversees a growing portfolio of over 30 international projects, to which the UK has committed £2bn to date. The UK aims to dedicate approximately 20% of this finance to forests and land use programmes.

Natural climate solutions could deliver up to 1/3rd of global greenhouse gas mitigation required in 2030, cost effectively, with significant resilience benefits for vulnerable rural communities. The ICF's Forest & Land Use Team comprises 12 London and overseas-based staff responsible for a growing portfolio of programmes that work in key developing countries, with public, private and civil society partners, to unlock this potential.

The ICF team has grown significantly in the last 18 months, which provides significant development opportunities for new joiners. The people in the team are passionate about what they do and aim to provide a supportive, inclusive environment to develop careers in the civil service, international climate change and sustainable development.

ICF programmes are delivered with Development Finance Institutions, the UK's embassies (for the Forests & Land Use Team Colombia and Brazil are a major focus) and other international delivery partners, which you will need to work closely with. Within BEIS the postholders will work closely with colleagues from a range of ICF sector and expert teams, and the International Climate Negotiations team. The post holders will also join our close collaboration with DFID, Defra and other government departments; as well as our coordination under the Germany, Norway and UK forests partnership.

Key Responsibilities:

The post holders will each lead a key pillar of the Forests and Land Use Team's approach: owning the strategy and work plan in that area; developing new finance and policy partnerships; and for operational programmes, directly or by managing staff, assuring effective delivery and overseeing the performance of BEIS' delivery partners.

One role will lead the Sustainable Supply Chains sub team. This team works from the bottom up, to incubate and help create the enabling environment for innovative and 'bankable' sustainable farming and forestry businesses, primarily in the Amazon region, e.g. through BEIS £19m contribution to the Partnerships for Forests programme. As well as from the top down, partnering with the Consumer Goods Forum companies worth over £2 trillion in annual sales that have committed to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains.

There may be scope to expand or replicate BEIS' ICF programmes in this area. BEIS is also ramping up related policy work e.g. through the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya and the Global Resource Initiative. And the postholder will also oversee, directly or by managing staff in the Team, one or more operational programmes from BEIS' existing ICF portfolio.

The second role will take forward another high-priority programme area for the Team, creating the strategy and work plan, and designing and initiating new finance and policy partnerships. Current programme areas include: bilateral partnerships with developing country governments, building on successful models from BEIS' work in Brazil and Colombia; REDD+ programming though the World Bank, KfW and other multilateral partners; blended finance approaches to increase the availability of private capital to innovative new sustainable land use impact funds; and support to build monitoring systems for detecting and responding to deforestation. The postholder will also oversee, directly or by managing staff in the Team, one or more operational programmes from BEIS’ existing ICF portfolio.

All Forest and Land Use Team members have a range of policy, finance and corporate responsibilities and work flexibly, at times, to help colleagues progress priority work. On potential requirement of this kind is several members of the Team will support the UK's role leading international efforts on climate resilience for the UN Secretary General's Climate in September.

In addition to appointing successful candidates to the two roles described here, a reserve list of candidates that met the minimum requirements for these roles will be maintained, and potentially used in future to make additional appointments.

Post holders may find that some, at times frequent, international travel is useful to help advance their work, but this is on a voluntary basis rather than a mandatory requirement of the role.

Person Specification:

Grade 7s in the Team lead work areas and sub teams with a significant degree of autonomy. They join up their own programmes with the wider ICF portfolio, efforts across government and internationally. Postholders are expected to apply judgement and creativity to identify the best approach to complex issues.

These roles require strong communication and influencing skills, and the ability to engage with senior internal and external stakeholders. Including investment committees, programme management boards, international delivery agents, fellow shareholders including other donor governments, embassy teams, private sector companies and the communities that the programmes support on the ground. You will need to have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships. The postholder will communicate credibly and confidently, and represent the UK in international discussions.

Postholders must see the big picture, building a strong vision and set of connections from their programme area. This will maximise the long-term contribution their work will make to advance Forests and Land Use Team, ICF, BEIS, UK and international objectives.

The roles require strong programme management skills and experience to deliver at pace, and ensure that BEIS has effective oversight of programmes. This requires an ability to extract learning, especially where things did not go to plan, and apply this to improve future programme delivery. And a robust approach to risk management in a challenging and dynamic international delivery context.

The postholders will need to source and interpret a range of different forms of evidence, and work closely with experts, to build convincing recommendations and make effective decisions, even in the face of evidence gaps, uncertainty and risks. They will need to rigorously explore different options and carefully consider their deliverability, costs and benefits in a developing-country context.

Addressing global deforestation is a significant challenge, requiring several different mutually-reinforcing efforts over several decades. Post holders will be motivated to make a lasting contribution to addressing this critical challenge, even if faced with difficulties and potential setbacks along the way.

Experience or qualifications in one or more of the following is desirable, but not an essential: environmental sustainability or climate change; forestry or agriculture; work with consumer goods companies or the financial industries; earth observation technologies and other monitoring systems; delivering programmes – particularly ODA initiatives or forests and land use sector programmes; project finance; international relations and diplomacy; and foreign languages (including Spanish and Portuguese).

About BEIS:

BEIS is a department at the heart of the Government’s agenda, with a vision of an economy that works for everyone. We are responsible for developing and delivering a comprehensive industrial strategy and leading the Government’s relationship with business; we work to tackle climate change and ensure that the country has secure energy supplies that are reliable, affordable and clean. Our role is vital to lead the Government’s vision in a context of momentous change, responding to both the short-term domestic impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and working to define the next stage.

We feel the department has an exciting remit, and we hope you agree.

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