About the Forestry Development Trust
The Forestry Development Trust was established by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation in 2013 as an independent Tanzanian institution with a long-term vision for development of the commercial forestry sector. The Trust aims to support the sector to improve the supply of higher-value wood products and energy from sustainable sources while securing the long-term competitiveness of smallholder tree production and medium-to-large scale processing.

The Role
Do you have the strategic vision, private sector development experience, and management skills to drive a programme taking on the challenge of transforming a key sector in Tanzania? Could you coach and develop a team to innovate and cultivate a range of partnerships and intervention strategies to make a real impact on Tanzania’s commercial forestry sector?

The Forestry Development Trust (FDT) is recruiting for a Head of Programme who will strengthen the team at a political, technical, commercial and management level. This role will provide strategic leadership and operational management across all programmatic areas of the Trust, ensuring successful delivery of FDT’s interventions while fostering strong collaborative relationships across the sector.

The successful candidate will have substantial experience in programme management and should be a strategic thinker with sound judgment, private sector DNA, and skills in designing robust sector programme interventions. A very strong people manager, s/he will have excellent coaching and communications skills and self-awareness. Experience and understanding of the commercial forestry sector would be an added advantage but is not essential.

 Person Specification

• A strong track record of successfully leading and managing projects with multiple stakeholders and multi-layered teams, handling annual budgets of at least $1m.
• Experience in implementing market-based solutions within large-scale sector development programmes; and/or excellent strategic leadership skills and experience of managing interventions to enhance the competitiveness of agricultural sectors.
• Experience of working with SMEs, large businesses and investors/government, including an understanding of business investment decisions and deal-structuring of investments.
• Strong leadership and people management experience, demonstrating the ability to translate ideas into action, monitor multiple workstreams, provide coaching and mentoring, and coordinate staff and contract partners in a consultative and collegiate decision-making style.
• Proven experience of influencing senior level public and private sector decision-makers and communicating to a variety of audiences and media.
• FDT would particularly welcome applications from suitably qualified Tanzanian/female candidates. Fluent Kiswahili is desirable.

Qualifications

• A minimum of ten years’ relevant work experience, some at a senior level, and at least five years’ experience in Africa at managerial level, with demonstrable understanding of smallholders.
• A higher education qualification in Economics, Business, Agriculture and/or Forestry. Experience in forestry economics, investment, and planning would be an advantage.