[Hiring] Country Manager @The African Climate Foundation

Role Description

ACF is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and highly networked individual to serve as South Africa Country Manager. This is a senior programme management role with significant leadership responsibilities, encompassing:

• Strategy implementation
• A complex and growing portfolio of grants and partnerships
• High-level stakeholder engagement
• Support to fiscally hosted and incubated initiatives

The Country Manager will report to the Head of Programmes and serve as ACF's primary representative in South Africa.

Responsibilities

• Country Strategy Implementation:
  • Lead the implementation and periodic review of ACF's South Africa Strategy.
  • Translate the strategy into actionable, budgeted implementation plans with measurable outcomes.
  • Work closely with ACF's thematic leads for coherence and integration.
  • Ensure effective use of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks.
• Partnerships and Representation:
  • Build and manage strategic relationships within South Africa's climate and development ecosystem.
  • Represent ACF on high-level platforms and support international climate diplomacy.
  • Foster learning and knowledge-sharing across ACF's country programmes.
  • Create linkages with other programmes to maximise synergies and impact.
• Grant-Making and Programme Delivery:
  • Set grant-making priorities and guide the design and implementation of grants.
  • Ensure quality control and compliance across the grant portfolio.
  • Support fiscally hosted entities and incubated initiatives in alignment with the South Africa Strategy.
• Fundraising, Resource Mobilisation, and Reporting:
  • Support fundraising efforts for the South Africa Programme.
  • Contribute to donor proposals and engagement.
  • Ensure high-quality and timely reporting to donors and governance bodies.
• Leadership and People Management:
  • Supervise and provide strategic guidance to the South Africa Programme team.
  • Provide mentorship and support to team members.
  • Ensure effective coordination across ACF's Programme teams.
  • Foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture.
• Thought Leadership and Strategic Advisory:
  • Oversee research and analysis on climate and development in South Africa.
  • Position ACF as a trusted thought leader through advocacy and communications.
  • Advise the Senior Management Team on key developments and opportunities.
• Other Duties:
  • Undertake other responsibilities as required by the Head of Programmes or the SMT.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Economics, Environmental Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, or related field.
• 10 years’ experience in climate change, just energy transition, project finance, or related areas.
• 5 years’ experience in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• Deep familiarity with South Africa's just transition landscape.
• Demonstrated experience in policy or programme development in the South African context.
• Experience with fiscal hosting or institutional capacity building is an advantage.
• Proven track record of strategy design, grant management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Familiarity with climate finance mechanisms and innovative finance instruments.
• Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Fluency in English; additional South African official languages are an advantage.
• High levels of professionalism, integrity, and diplomatic acumen.
• Ability to work independently while managing cross-functional teams.
• A genuine commitment to ACF's mission.

Requirements

• Position available immediately.
• Location: South Africa, with remote working considered for candidates based in South Africa.
• Contract duration: 12 months (renewable based on mutual agreement).
• Closing date: 18 October 2026.

Application Details

• Applicants must have the legal right to work in the country where they are based.
• For further information about the ACF, visit www.africanclimatefoundation.org .
• If you do not hear back by 30 November 2026, please consider your application unsuccessful.
• The ACF strives to be an equitable organisation reflecting the diversity of Africa.
• In compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), ACF assures confidentiality of personal information provided during recruitment.