Head of East African Restoration Programs at Natural State

Job Description:

• As the Head of East African Restoration Programs at Natural State, you will lead our ambitious ecosystem restoration and reforestation projects, with a focus on rewilding and reforestation strategies to enhance biodiversity and support climate resilience in Kenya. This role oversees relationships with external teams and partners to drive measurable impact. In this highly cross-functional position, you will collaborate closely with teams across Natural State to ensure that projects are supported from design through implementation. 

Key Deliverables:

Lead and implement a strategy for scaling regional forestry and rewilding partner operations in East Africa. Oversee projects and establish consistency and best practices across projects to maximize ecological and community impacts.

Serve as a primary leadership liaison with reforestation partners, local communities, and government stakeholders.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with community leaders, government officials, NGOs, and strategic stakeholders to ensure that projects align with local values and operational needs.
• Facilitate accountability to agreements, ensuring transparency and mutual support with local partners to overcome challenges and drive success.
• Act as an advocate for Natural State’s impact on ecosystem restoration, representing 

Coordinate with the Natural State Impact Monitoring team to deploy and iterate on carbon and biodiversity restoration capabilities on the ground 

• Develop and iterate on monitoring and reporting processes in collaboration with our Impact Monitoring team to maintain accountability for milestones.
• Coordinate internal and external reporting to meet rigorous standards for biodiversity and carbon verification, supporting long-term ecosystem and financial outcomes.
• Iterate on monitoring technologies and processes with Impact Monitoring to develop science-based and field-informed processes for data generation.

Coordinate with Natural State Nature Finance team to identify potential buyers and gather feedback on project marketing. 

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum master's degree in environmental science (or similar).
• Proven expertise in ecosystem restoration and reforestation, with a strong understanding of nature-based carbon markets and biodiversity metrics preferred.
• 8+ years of experience leading teams and managing science-based projects across multiple geographic locations.
• Experience managing diverse partnerships, including local communities, NGOs, and government stakeholders, with a focus on trust-building and collaboration.
• Strong communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to coordinate across cultural and organizational lines.
• High emotional intelligence and respect for local cultures and ecological systems.
• Ability to travel internationally, including remote locations (up to 25%). 
• Excellent research and writing skills.

Compensation:

A competitive salary will be offered, commensurate with experience, qualifications and location.