South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

Our Project Development team is at the forefront of developing and managing climate mitigation activities. By working closely with project owners and developers as well as their local communities, we manage the complete registration, verification and evaluation of carbon projects to enable the issuance of emission-reduction certificates, in line with official carbon standards. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!

Job summary:

ThicketGrowth (Pty) Ltd (TG) was incorporated in early 2022 to catalyse landscape-level restoration in the Eastern Cape Province through the deployment of carbon finance. As a fully-owned subsidiary of South Pole Group, TG has developed its business plan and a fully-costed operational strategy and is now seeking to fill a number of key positions to oversee the start-up and growth of operations.

In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, historical land clearance and overgrazing of domestic livestock has caused widespread degradation of the Subtropical Thicket biome, with commensurate impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The Senior Implementation Manager will coordinate the activities of TGs implementing partners, develop a team of Monitoring & Evaluation specialists and lead on adaptive management processes to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of restoration activities.

Initially the role will oversee activities at pilot scale (500-2,000 ha). However, it is anticipated that the role will develop with the programme, which has ambitions to catalyse restoration across a landscape in excess of 1 M ha. 

 
Main tasks & responsibilities:

• In close coordination with TGs implementing partners, oversee the inception of pilot field activities, including nursery establishment and the harvesting, propagation and planting of thicket species. The initial focus will be on Spekboom however, as operations develop, the programme will work with a wide diversity of thicket species.
• In close collaboration with TGs implementing partners, develop and hone standard operating procedures for nursery, field planting and M&E activities
• In close coordination with TGs implementing partners, strategically identify landowners and support negotiations to acquire and/or lease land for restoration activities and oversee the process to bring land under biodiversity stewardship
• In coordination with the Climate Projects Implementation team, Africa become the main go-to-person and relationship manager of key project partners and establish an active communication with them on matters related to technical and commercial issues linked to ThicketGrowth activity
• Identify possible partners and collaborators for the development and implementation of project activities including planning and development of site visits and other types of business trips/trainings
• Develop a Roster of Experts and a full-time technical team which will be responsible for ensuring effective implementation of activities
• Support the development of TGs business strategy, focused on rapid growth and positioning of TG as a world leader in landscape-level ecosystem restoration
• In close collaboration with South Pole’s regional implementation team, develop TGs Monitoring & Evaluation Framework to define and monitor activities, outputs and outcomes and to adaptively manage risk
• Setting up an efficient communication and workflow with regular meetings and information sharing with key project partners on the ground and support collecting data for technical and financial reporting and due diligence.
• Contributing to client presentations for supporting project implementation.

Requirements:

Essential -

• Bachelors’ degree in natural resource management, forestry, agriculture or similar
• Extensive work experience, including several years’ experience in landscape-level forest restoration projects and programmes
• Experience in establishing clear performance targets and metrics, with proven track record of meeting or exceeding challenging targets
• Strategic mindset
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders (e.g. government, communities, academia, business) on natural resource management issues
• Outstanding interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills to partner effectively with key internal and external stakeholders
• Experience working closely cross-functional, high-performing, in diverse, remote and global teams
• Professional proficiency in English language skills, both oral and written.
• National, or holder of a valid work visa in South Africa

Desirable -

• Masters’ degree in natural resource management, forestry, agriculture or similar
• Previous experience working within the land management sector in the Eastern Cape
• Understanding of the carbon asset development project cycle
• Practical experience of other innovative finance models including biodiversity offsets and payment for watershed services

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation. 

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.