Overview
Forests, People, Climate (FPC) is a collaborative of philanthropic donors, civil society, and community-based organizations seeking to halt and reverse tropical deforestation while supporting just, sustainable development. It focuses on equitable and enduring solutions that safeguard tropical forests and support those stewarding them, in particular Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and Afro-descendants in tropical forest countries. The Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA) hosts FPC and coordinates with other grantmakers to ensure funding through the Forests, People, Climate effort reaches those doing the work.
Position Description
FPC’s new Strategy Lead will play a key role in supporting the FPC Enabling Conditions Strategy and its objectives with stakeholders and partners, while ensuring FPC upholds its values and principles.
The Strategy Lead will report to the FPC Director of Engagement and be accountable to the Enabling Conditions Strategy Committee. The successful candidate will be primarily responsible for coordinating strategy implementation through a collaborative process with the Strategy Committee members, ensuring decisions reflect the Committee's inputs. The Strategy Lead also oversees the Monitoring and Learning (M&L) processes associated with the Strategy, along with continuous improvement of the Strategy.
This position will serve as the primary liaison for strategic matters and funding-related issues, working closely with the FPC Engagement, Communications, Development, and Operations teams to ensure alignment and effective collaboration. The Strategy Lead should have a deep understanding of the Strategy, be able to serve as an effective spokesperson, and help to identify and mitigate risks.
Primary Responsibilities
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of FPC’s Enabling Conditions Strategy
and serve as its primary representative as well as one of the strategy’s spokespersons, helping to raise FPC’s profile among its key strategy partners.
- Stay informed about key developments and new data relevant to the strategy to seize opportunities and manage risks related to strategic priorities.
- Engage with other Strategy Leads to identify and coordinate on complementary agendas, joint partners and opportunities.
- Facilitate the Strategy Committee by ensuring regular engagement and clear communication. Once committee member terms are agreed, oversee the rotation of members to maintain continuity and balanced representation.
- Coordinate Grantmaking to partner regrantors, ensuring alignment with committee recommendations and FPC’s values.
- Support the Development team in fundraising efforts, including strategy briefing meetings, connection with potential grantees and engaging with peer donors who support the collaborative.
- Support the Engagement team in building trusted relationships with grantmaking entities and partners critical to FPC’s success, including by connecting new partners with the experienced members of the collaborative.
- Support the Communications team in identifying key stories to showcase FPC’s strategic priorities and their results, and in developing content and materials related to the strategy, as well as participating in speaking engagements and serving as a spokesperson on behalf of the strategy team.
- Contribute to FPC-wide engagement efforts, including participation in team meetings, retreats, and collaborative planning spaces.
- Carry out additional tasks as mutually agreed with CLUA to support strategy-aligned funders and partners.
Additional Activities
- Facilitate the Enabling Conditions Strategy Committee:
- Coordinate the Committee work to maintain it as a cohesive entity. Foster regular engagement with committee members, including at least four general meetings per year, and periodic communication on issues and updates related to the Strategy and FPC.
- Oversee and manage the rotation of committee members, ensuring continuity and balanced representation.
- Coordinate the stipend distribution process.
- Support the execution of the strategy implementation plan by working closely with regrantors, committee members and tracking progress toward agreed priorities. strategy implementation plan based on committee recommendations
- Manage the grantmaking process for the strategy regrantors, ensuring alignment with the strategy objectives and support to effective implementation.
- Support the development of communications and fundraising materials for use during key engagement occasions, such as NY Climate Week, FPC events, COP30 and others.
- Develop bullet points related to the Strategy to support strategic meetings, presentations, and donor meetings related to FPC.
- Oversee the progress of the Strategy’s monitoring and learning indicators and the related grants. Where required, assist with monitoring grantmaking designed to further indicator development and data collection.
- Help to design and facilitate sessions at FPC convenings.
- Support the development of FPC’s annual report, including liaising with grantees and the FPC Communications Officer to summarize stories of impact.
Preferred Experience and Competencies
- A minimum of 7 years’ experience working with civil society organizations, especially in tropical forests and on climate, conservation, and rights issues.
- Proven background in one or more of the Enabling Conditions strategic pillars: improving funding accessibility; organizational and movement strengthening; protection of civic space; and collective learning and innovation.
- Good understanding of philanthropy, including grantmaking strategy and partner relationship management.
- Demonstrated experience with facilitation, including over video conference.
- English writing and speaking proficiency.
- Commitment to FPC’s values.
Also good to have:
- Experience with Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation.
- Professional fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Bahasa Indonesia.
Location
The Strategy Lead is a 6-month, temporary, full-time, and remote-based position. This position shall be based anywhere in the Americas or Western Europe. The position will require work across multiple time zones, and with colleagues around the world.
Compensation
The compensation range for this position is US $80,000 to $92,500 gross or more, per year, depending on experience and geography.
Equal Opportunity and Access
Equal employment and staffing opportunity is a fundamental principle of FPC and CLUA, where consultancy selection, employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.
Application Process
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. All individuals, whether disabled or a member of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and/or LGBTIQA+ communities, are encouraged to apply. CLUA will complete an initial review of applications received by June 12, 2025, and on a rolling basis thereafter until the position is filled.