Senior Program Officer - Forestry and Restoration job at Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

BACKGROUND

Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is seeking an experienced Senior Program Officer - Forestry and Restoration to spearhead the implementation of the Uganda Forestry and Restoration Challenge Fund, a flagship project funded by the European Union (EU), with a total budget of EUR 7.5M and implemented by GGGI in consortium with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). The project seeks to strengthen sustainable forestry enterprises, mobilize climate and private sector finance, and promote inclusive, restoration-based economic development across Uganda, in alignment with national strategies, NDC commitments, and EU action priorities.

The Senior Program Officer will play a pivotal role in overseeing the project’s life cycle, from stakeholder engagement and workstream implementation to donor compliance, results-based management, financial oversight, and team leadership. Reporting directly to GGGI Country Representative based in Kampala, the Senior Program Officer will play a crucial role in ensuring effective communication and collaboration within the project team, with GGGI leadership, consortium partners, and the European Union.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Program Officer - Forestry and Restoration will spearhead the implementation of the abovementioned project and actively support the country office in developing a sustainable forestry, promoting a forest-based bioeconomy, restoration, and nature-based solutions program in Uganda. The role requires close engagement with government counterparts, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector actors, ensuring effective communication, coordination, and high-quality reporting to the European Union and other key stakeholders.

As Senior Program Officer, he/she will provide strategic leadership to the project team, offering guidance, feedback, and coaching as needed. Overseeing both internal and external reporting processes, he/she will play a pivotal role in managing implementation, tracking progress against agreed indicators, ensuring compliance with EU contractual obligations, and implementing corrective actions as necessary. In addition, he/she will be instrumental in identifying and managing risks, as well as in developing new project pipelines in forestry, restoration finance, and climate investment.

PURPOSE

• Manage a complex, multi‑partner program involving government, EU, UNCDF, private sector, and financial institutions, ensuring coordinated and effective delivery.
• Translate sustainable forestry, bioeconomy and restoration objectives into practical, high‑impact, and bankable business and investment models.
• Provide strategic oversight across workstreams, including technical leadership, financial management, compliance, and results‑based performance.
• Drive innovation and opportunity identification in forestry, restoration finance, and climate‑related investment pipelines to expand program impact and sustainability.

ENGAGEMENT

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with government agencies, private-sector actors, financial institutions, and development partners to ensure coordinated delivery and alignment with national priorities.
• Serve as the primary technical and operational focal point for engagement with the EU Delegation, UNCDF, and other consortium partners.
• Represent GGGI in Steering Committees, technical working groups, monitoring missions, and donor coordination meetings.
• Foster coherent collaboration across consortium partners to ensure complementarity, transparency, and efficient joint implementation.
• Promote a team culture aligned with GGGI’s values of Trust, Transparency, Respect, and Partnership.

DELIVERY

• Oversee end-to-end implementation of the Forestry & Restoration Challenge Fund, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, timelines, and budget.
• Oversee results-based management systems, including indicator tracking, logical framework updates, and annual work planning.
• Ensure compliance with EU contractual obligations, including reporting, visibility, documentation requirements.
• Identify, monitor, and manage program risks, irregularities, and implementation challenges, and implement timely mitigation measures.
• Ensure the successful completion of deliverables outlined in the Contribution Agreement.
• Provide effective team management, ensuring GGGI’s core values are integrated into daily operations and that staff wellbeing is promoted.
• Mainstream environmental and social safeguards, poverty reduction, gender equality, and social inclusion across all outputs and outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with national legal frameworks and alignment with national strategies, Agenda 2030, and NDC frameworks.
• Support donor monitoring missions, evaluations, and audits, ensuring continuous audit readiness.
• Contribute to the development of a robust and sustainable pipeline of forestry, restoration, and climate finance initiatives.

REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in Forestry, Environmental Management, Climate Change, Economics, Finance, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline (additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a postgraduate degree).
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience, preferably in developing countries, with experience in forestry, bioeconomy, restoration, climate finance, or nature-based solutions.
• Proven track record in managing large-scale donor-funded projects (EUR 5 million+), including budget oversight and the delivery of high-quality narrative and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with government counterparts, donors, financial institutions, and private sector actors.
• Strong team leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate staff and manage diverse teams and consultants.
• Solid knowledge of monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management systems within a results-based management framework.
• Familiarity with EU-funded project compliance, reporting standards, and financial rules is considered an asset.
• Familiarity with Uganda’s forestry, restoration, and climate policy landscape is an advantage.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification is an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.

FUNCTIONAL

• Strong ability to interpret and implement guidelines, policies, and procedures effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to manage diverse stakeholder needs and foster collaboration.
• Strategic thinker with capacity for joint problem-solving and decision-making.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize under time constraints.
• Demonstrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial mindset in achieving outputs.
• Comfortable working independently and within a team environment.
• Proven experience in mainstreaming safeguards, gender, poverty reduction, and social inclusion in project delivery.
• Skilled in managing activities and deliverables involving both international and local consultants.

CORPORATE

• Understand and actively support GGGI’s mission, vision and values.
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.
• Excels at problem solving, asks questions and seeks support when needed, shares easily information and knowledge with others both internally as externally.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily.
• Strong ability to work independently and/or remotely, while maintaining productivity.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills; including public speaking.

• Manage a complex, multi‑partner program involving government, EU, UNCDF, private sector, and financial institutions, ensuring coordinated and effective delivery.
• Translate sustainable forestry, bioeconomy and restoration objectives into practical, high‑impact, and bankable business and investment models.
• Provide strategic oversight across workstreams, including technical leadership, financial management, compliance, and results‑based performance.
• Drive innovation and opportunity identification in forestry, restoration finance, and climate‑related investment pipelines to expand program impact and sustainability.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with government agencies, private-sector actors, financial institutions, and development partners to ensure coordinated delivery and alignment with national priorities.
• Serve as the primary technical and operational focal point for engagement with the EU Delegation, UNCDF, and other consortium partners.
• Represent GGGI in Steering Committees, technical working groups, monitoring missions, and donor coordination meetings.
• Foster coherent collaboration across consortium partners to ensure complementarity, transparency, and efficient joint implementation.
• Promote a team culture aligned with GGGI’s values of Trust, Transparency, Respect, and Partnership.
• Oversee end-to-end implementation of the Forestry & Restoration Challenge Fund, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, timelines, and budget.
• Oversee results-based management systems, including indicator tracking, logical framework updates, and annual work planning.
• Ensure compliance with EU contractual obligations, including reporting, visibility, documentation requirements.
• Identify, monitor, and manage program risks, irregularities, and implementation challenges, and implement timely mitigation measures.
• Ensure the successful completion of deliverables outlined in the Contribution Agreement.
• Provide effective team management, ensuring GGGI’s core values are integrated into daily operations and that staff wellbeing is promoted.
• Mainstream environmental and social safeguards, poverty reduction, gender equality, and social inclusion across all outputs and outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with national legal frameworks and alignment with national strategies, Agenda 2030, and NDC frameworks.
• Support donor monitoring missions, evaluations, and audits, ensuring continuous audit readiness.
• Contribute to the development of a robust and sustainable pipeline of forestry, restoration, and climate finance initiatives.

• Strong ability to interpret and implement guidelines, policies, and procedures effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to manage diverse stakeholder needs and foster collaboration.
• Strategic thinker with capacity for joint problem-solving and decision-making.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize under time constraints.
• Demonstrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial mindset in achieving outputs.
• Comfortable working independently and within a team environment.
• Proven experience in mainstreaming safeguards, gender, poverty reduction, and social inclusion in project delivery.
• Skilled in managing activities and deliverables involving both international and local consultants.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.

• Advanced degree in Forestry, Environmental Management, Climate Change, Economics, Finance, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline (additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a postgraduate degree).
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience, preferably in developing countries, with experience in forestry, bioeconomy, restoration, climate finance, or nature-based solutions.
• Proven track record in managing large-scale donor-funded projects (EUR 5 million+), including budget oversight and the delivery of high-quality narrative and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with government counterparts, donors, financial institutions, and private sector actors.
• Strong team leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate staff and manage diverse teams and consultants.
• Solid knowledge of monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management systems within a results-based management framework.
• Familiarity with EU-funded project compliance, reporting standards, and financial rules is considered an asset.
• Familiarity with Uganda’s forestry, restoration, and climate policy landscape is an advantage.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification is an asset.