Senior Director of Climate Change Initiatives

Employer: Village Enterprise

Industry: Nonprofit / International Development / Social Entrepreneurship / Philanthropy

Job Title: Senior Director of Climate Change Initiatives

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Position Type: Full Time

Location: Flexible- Candidates from East Africa (Uganda, Kenya or Rwanda) are eligible for hire. This position will require frequent travel to program sites in sub-Saharan Africa

About Village Enterprise:

Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. By empowering women, refugees, and youth to launch small businesses and savings groups, our cost-effective model provides dignified and sustainable pathways for people to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty—for good. To date, Village Enterprise has trained 287,000 first-time entrepreneurs, launched 87,000 businesses, and impacted more than 1.8 million lives across Africa. Village Enterprise has operations in four countries—Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—and works with partners in other sub-Saharan countries. As Village Enterprise continues to scale, our aim is to lift 20 million people out of extreme poverty by 2030.



About the Job: Village Enterprise is seeking an experienced and visionary Senior Director of Climate Change Initiatives to lead our efforts in integrating climate resilience and adaptation strategies into our poverty alleviation programs. Through strategic partnerships, you will co-design an adapted Climate Resilient Model to drive deeper impact. This senior leadership role is crucial for advancing our mission to create sustainable income opportunities for vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa while addressing the urgent challenges of climate change.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive climate change strategy that aligns with Village Enterprise’s mission and goals.
• Lead initiatives that help entrepreneurs protect and conserve ecosystems, gather evidence, and build partnerships to expand this approach.
• Lead the integration of climate resilience and adaptation measures into existing and new programs.
• Identify and explore innovative solutions to enhance climate resilience for our beneficiaries, following the innovations process established by the innovations team.
• Support the design and implementation of climate-related initiatives, ensuring they are evidence-based and context-specific.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate climate-smart practices into our entrepreneurship and economic development programs
• Manage a team of climate specialists, providing guidance, mentorship, and performance feedback.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Development:

• Cultivate and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, partners, government agencies, and other NGOs.
• Build and cultivate relationships with key climate stakeholders to co-design effective, scalable approaches that enhance resilience for our communities
• Represent Village Enterprise in external forums, conferences, and meetings to advocate for our climate initiatives.
• Secure the necessary funding and resources to support climate initiatives through grant writing, donor engagement, and strategic partnerships.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning:

• Coordinate with the VE MEL team to establish robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure the impact and effectiveness of climate initiatives.
• Coordinate with the VE Research team to rigorously measure the impact of climate initiatives when relevant
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, using data and insights to refine and scale successful programs.
• Disseminate learnings and best practices internally and externally to inform the broader development community.

Safeguarding

• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility at VE, and it begins with every individual in the organization.
• Continuously sensitize program participants on safeguarding
• Ensure compliance with VE’s safeguarding policies.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for this position:

 

Climate Change Strategy Execution:

• Successfully refine and implement a climate change strategy with clear goals, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
• Achieve strategic milestones within set timelines, demonstrating progress towards integrating climate resilience into our programs.
• Increase in meaningful collaborations supporting climate goals
• Regular and comprehensive reporting on progress and outcomes for climate initiatives

Program Impact and Scaling:

• Fully integrate climate-smart practices into all Village Enterprise program areas, ensuring 100% of businesses are climate-smart
• Through a key partnership with a leading climate actor, develop and scale a tailored climate resilience Graduation program in three counties within the current three years.

Stakeholder and Partnership Development:

• Establish and maintain key strategic partnerships, contributing to better outcomes for the communities, program funding, resources, or expertise.
• Secure the necessary funding required for funding climate initiatives within the first year.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning:

• Implement comprehensive M&E frameworks for all climate initiatives, with quarterly reports demonstrating program performance and impact.
• Facilitate at least three knowledge-sharing sessions or publications annually, disseminating learnings and best practices.

Education and Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in environmental science, Climate Change, International Development, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in climate change initiatives, program development, or a related role within the development sector.
• Proven track record of leading and scaling climate resilience projects or programs.
• Strong understanding of climate change adaptation, resilience strategies, and their application in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.

Interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to submit their detailed resume, a cover letter detailing their experience and portfolio of relevant work e.g. vision for climate change initiatives in development and successful initiatives implemented.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please do not contact Village Enterprise to enquire about the status of your application, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

 

Village Enterprise is an equal opportunity employer

• Insurance
• Pension