Country Director, Ghana

Position summary:

At the Rainforest Alliance, we are looking for a pro-active, collaborative, and innovative Country Director who will provide strong leadership to manage the strategic planning, fundraising, and implementation of the Rainforest Alliance’s activities in Ghana. The Country Director, Ghana harnesses the institutional strategy of driving landscape and sector transformation to develop and execute a national strategy and country plan that responds to local needs, ensures excellence in all aspects of our mission delivery (technical, financial, and compliance), and safeguards Rainforest Alliance’s reputation and the quality of implementation of our certification programs. The postholder will guide and lead a high-performing team, creating a culture that is aligned with Rainforest Alliance’s values and maintaining deep collaboration bonds with colleagues in other countries and functional areas such as Markets; Communications; Standards & Assurance; Institutional Relations (IR); Global Administration, HR and Finance & Accounting. This position will be responsible for ensuring the financial viability and sustainability of the country programs and will be responsible for building functional alliances to scale-up our impacts. The Country Director Ghana also play a supervisory role for RA interventions in Nigeria.

Responsibilities:  

The Rainforest Alliance’s Core Values are Impact, Change, Collaboration, Openness and Trust and as such they form the basis of the behaviours we demonstrate:

Leadership and Management

Build a high-performing, results-oriented and mission-driven team that reflects the Rainforest Alliance’s vision and culture, creating a positive work environment for personnel;

Guide, motivate and develop personnel, seeking opportunities for professional advancement and ensuring they understand how their work relates to Rainforest Alliance’s global mission and strategy;

Delegate authority to staff, ensuring that they are supported and connected to the broader organization, and ensure planned objectives are met in line with organizational policy and budgets;

Update and oversee the successful execution of the Ghana Country Strategy and corresponding annual workplans focusing on strengthening the existing work and its escalation;

Update and oversee Rainforest Alliance certification development plan in Nigeria and support the successful execution of the Nigeria annual workplans focusing on strengthening the existing certification work and its escalation;

Deliver effective and impactful implementation of Rainforest Alliance’s mission by fostering a culture of implementation excellence and ensuring that Rainforest Alliance attains its technical, financial, and contractual commitments;

Foster structures and processes for effective collaboration within Ghana and with all other relevant Rainforest Alliance units, at the regional and global level;

Ensure the timely and high-quality completion of organizational and donor annual workplans, budgets, reports, and audits;

Foster and supervise compliance with Rainforest Alliance and donor policies and procedures;

Proactively identify and manage risk, escalating key issues to the supervisor where appropriate and;

Support the organization to address institutional crises and conflicts relevant to our work in Ghana and Nigeria.

Advocacy and External Engagement

Develop and maintain results-based, long-term partnerships with Rainforest Alliance clients, partners, donors, NGOs, governments, certification bodies and other stakeholders;

Enhance Rainforest Alliance’s reputation, credibility, and positioning in Ghana and Nigeria;

Actively promote the use and consumption of Rainforest Alliance Certified products, and other endorsed certifications (i.e., RSPO; FSC), in collaboration with the Markets department;

Represent Rainforest Alliance at key events, presentations, policy forums and roundtables;

In collaboration with the Communications department, develop and disseminate communications and marketing materials on work in Ghana and Nigeria.

Fundraising and Business Development

Develop and implement a long-term integrated Ghana and Nigeria financial plan, in collaboration with Finance, IR and other relevant units;

Proactively identify funding opportunities and cultivate long-term relationships with senior leads and decision makers from governments, companies, aid agencies and other donors;

Lead and/or provide key contributions to multilateral and bilateral fundraising proposals;

In coordination with Markets colleagues, support organizational efforts to grow supply and demand for certified products from Ghana and Nigeria to increase royalty revenues;

Identify and advance potential innovations in Rainforest Alliance’s business model in Ghana and Nigeria (i.e., unrestricted funding opportunities; fee-for-service partnerships), in collaboration with supervisors and other relevant units.

General & Administrative

Oversee the management of country office resources, including human resources, as applicable, in a matrix-management set-up with Rainforest Alliance’s global support departments;

Serve as designated bank account signatory for local accounts, delegating where approved;

Ensure compliance with policies & procedures and internal controls, and their appropriate local adaptation;

Co-maintain power of attorney for the legal entity; delegated authority for executing legal documents, including taxation, subject to review and approval;

Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position will oversee a team of about 25 staff, with high growth prospects;

This position carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees, planning, assigning, and directing work, appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications:  

MSc in natural resources management, development, business administration, project management or any related discipline;

At least 10 years’ experience in the development and execution of market-based conservation initiatives, landscape management, community-based forestry, climate smart agriculture, climate change and value chains transformation;

At least 3 years of direct experience managing a team of staff and in preparing and implementing grants funded by bi-lateral and multi-lateral organizations and companies;

Strong organizational skills to manage multiple priorities in a time sensitive manner;

Experience with country strategy development and implementation;

Knowledge and understanding of Rainforest Alliance’s Theory of Change, Rainforest Alliance certification and/or other certification and verification standards and systems;

Strong knowledge and network of philanthropic landscape for institutional funders and demonstrated track-record securing large grants;

Demonstrated success building partnerships and business with the private sector strongly preferred;

Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships of trust and confidence with national and international stakeholders and relevant platforms;

Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal in English;

Ability and willingness to travel at least 30% of the time nationally and internationally;

Demonstrated commitment to the Rainforest Alliance mission and values.

Job level: 1