Senior Program Officer

The Senior Program Officer - Forestry and Restoration will spearhead the implementation of the abovementioned project and actively support the country office in developing a sustainable forestry, promoting a forest-based bioeconomy, restoration, and nature-based solutions program in Uganda. The role requires close engagement with government counterparts, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector actors, ensuring effective communication, coordination, and high-quality reporting to the European Union and other key stakeholders.

As Senior Program Officer, he/she will provide strategic leadership to the project team, offering guidance, feedback, and coaching as needed. Overseeing both internal and external reporting processes, he/she will play a pivotal role in managing implementation, tracking progress against agreed indicators, ensuring compliance with EU contractual obligations, and implementing corrective actions as necessary. In addition, he/she will be instrumental in identifying and managing risks, as well as in developing new project pipelines in forestry, restoration finance, and climate investment.

• Manage a complex, multi‑partner program involving government, EU, UNCDF, private sector, and financial institutions, ensuring coordinated and effective delivery.
• Translate sustainable forestry, bioeconomy and restoration objectives into practical, high‑impact, and bankable business and investment models.
• Provide strategic oversight across workstreams, including technical leadership, financial management, compliance, and results‑based performance.
• Drive innovation and opportunity identification in forestry, restoration finance, and climate‑related investment pipelines to expand program impact and sustainability. 
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with government agencies, private-sector actors, financial institutions, and development partners to ensure coordinated delivery and alignment with national priorities.
• Serve as the primary technical and operational focal point for engagement with the EU Delegation, UNCDF, and other consortium partners.
• Represent GGGI in Steering Committees, technical working groups, monitoring missions, and donor coordination meetings.
• Foster coherent collaboration across consortium partners to ensure complementarity, transparency, and efficient joint implementation.
• Promote a team culture aligned with GGGI’s values of Trust, Transparency, Respect, and Partnership.
• Oversee end-to-end implementation of the Forestry & Restoration Challenge Fund, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, timelines, and budget.
• Oversee results-based management systems, including indicator tracking, logical framework updates, and annual work planning.
• Ensure compliance with EU contractual obligations, including reporting, visibility, documentation requirements.
• Identify, monitor, and manage program risks, irregularities, and implementation challenges, and implement timely mitigation measures.
• Ensure the successful completion of deliverables outlined in the Contribution Agreement.
• Provide effective team management, ensuring GGGI’s core values are integrated into daily operations and that staff wellbeing is promoted.
• Mainstream environmental and social safeguards, poverty reduction, gender equality, and social inclusion across all outputs and outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with national legal frameworks and alignment with national strategies, Agenda 2030, and NDC frameworks.
• Support donor monitoring missions, evaluations, and audits, ensuring continuous audit readiness.
• Contribute to the development of a robust and sustainable pipeline of forestry, restoration, and climate finance initiatives.

• Advanced degree in Forestry, Environmental Management, Climate Change, Economics, Finance, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline (additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a postgraduate degree).
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience, preferably in developing countries, with experience in forestry, bioeconomy, restoration, climate finance, or nature-based solutions.
• Proven track record in managing large-scale donor-funded projects (EUR 5 million+), including budget oversight and the delivery of high-quality narrative and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with government counterparts, donors, financial institutions, and private sector actors.
• Strong team leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate staff and manage diverse teams and consultants.
• Solid knowledge of monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management systems within a results-based management framework.
• Familiarity with EU-funded project compliance, reporting standards, and financial rules is considered an asset.
• Familiarity with Uganda’s forestry, restoration, and climate policy landscape is an advantage.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification is an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.
• Strong ability to interpret and implement guidelines, policies, and procedures effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to manage diverse stakeholder needs and foster collaboration.
• Strategic thinker with capacity for joint problem-solving and decision-making.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize under time constraints.
• Demonstrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial mindset in achieving outputs.
• Comfortable working independently and within a team environment.
• Proven experience in mainstreaming safeguards, gender, poverty reduction, and social inclusion in project delivery.
• Skilled in managing activities and deliverables involving both international and local consultants.
• Understand and actively support GGGI’s mission, vision and values.
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.
• Excels at problem solving, asks questions and seeks support when needed, shares easily information and knowledge with others both internally as externally.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily.
• Strong ability to work independently and/or remotely, while maintaining productivity.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills; including public speaking.