Program Officer, Colombia & Peru Initiative

The Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA) is a collaborative of foundations seeking to amplify the power of people and the potential of forests for a just and climate-resilient world. The CLUA member foundations are the Climate Works Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Good Energies Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies also awards grants in alignment with the CLUA strategy. By bringing together our resources and diverse expertise, CLUA supports policies, practices, and partnerships that halt and reverse forest loss, advance sustainable land use and development, and secure the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous and forest communities. For more, please visit climateandlandusealliance.org

Position Description

Working closely with the CLUA Colombia & Peru Initiative Lead and other program officers at CLUA’s member foundations, the Colombia & Peru Program Officer will coordinate grantmaking as well as convenings and funder collaboration activities to implement the CLUA strategy in Colombia and Peru. Activities will include interactions with a range of stakeholders, including current and potential grantees/partners, government agencies in Peru, and in some cases Colombia, as well as civil society organizations (CSOs) and leaders.

Specifically, our new Program Officer (PO) will focus most substantially on CLUA’s grantmaking in Peru, enhancing collaboration with organizations, allies and partners in Colombia. The PO will review the current portfolio and identify additional grantees in alignment with existing grants and CLUA member foundations’ grantmaking in the region. In addition to Peru, they will be responsible for implementing and coordinating grantmaking activities in Colombia, depending on the field, including prioritizing, reviewing, and responding to comments on grant and contract proposals. The Program Officer will also prepare recommendations for funding according to CLUA’s grantmaking policies and procedures and implement learning strategies for the Initiative.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Colombia & Peru Initiative Lead, the Program Officer will be primarily responsible for the following:

• Contributing to the implementation of the Colombia & Peru Initiative strategy, with a focus on Peru, as well as on strengthening civil society organizations and the broader regional ecosystem of CSOs that represent or work with Indigenous Peoples, rural Afro-descendants, and traditional peoples and their organizations and movements.
• Ensuring the Colombia & Peru Initiative’s operational milestones, including grantmaking benchmarks, are achieved in a timely manner.
• Coordinating grantmaking activities in Peru and, depending on the field in Colombia, which include:
  • Guiding proposal development to meet technical and administrative requirements
  • Leading the internal grantmaking processes, in accordance with CLUA’s operational policies and guidelines
  • Monitoring grantmaking and sharing learning
• Engaging in and facilitating regional convenings, including networking and learning activities, to further implementation of CLUA’s Colombia & Peru Initiative strategy.
• Contributing to the implementation process of the 2024-2030 Colombia & Peru Initiative strategy. 
• Supporting convenings and/or participating in learning events to facilitate exchanges and learning within and across CLUA’s geographical Initiatives and identified cross-programmatic priorities for collaboration and exchange with other teams.
• Organizing, preparing for, and facilitating regular advisory team meetings, in collaboration with the rest of the Colombia & Peru Initiative team.
• Preparing Initiative planning and reporting documents and strategy updates including annual strategic workplans and updates on the Initiative strategies.
• Working closely with the Strategic Communications team in Perú and Colombia.

Preferred Experience & Competencies

Applicants will have many of the following competencies and experiences:

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience working in some capacity with movements of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendents and Local Communities in tropical forest regions  
• An advanced degree or equivalent experience in relevant field of study 
• Deep understanding of the regional context and political landscape of Colombia-Peru region, including the landscape of IP, AD, LC movement organizations
• Experience, and capacity to operate, within international (UN) and multilateral policy contexts related to climate change and/or biodiversity, Indigenous rights, and human rights
• Strong network with CSOs and other actors that engage with IP, AD, LC organizations and social movements in and beyond relevant CLUA geographies
• Understanding of and experience with unbranded strategic communications work 
• Fluency at a professional level in written and oral English 
• Additional language skills (Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian) will be highly valued 
• Exceptional communications skills – strong active listening skills, constructive verbal and written skills, and good public presentation and facilitation skills
• Experience in grantmaking, including knowledge of project cycles, proposal development, and grant evaluation and monitoring
• Experience in the implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks and/or institutional learning programs to encourage exchange, accountability, and development of best practices
• Demonstrated ability to be a productive member of an international, multi-cultural and highly collaborative work environment
• Ability to travel up to 25% time, and to work outside of typical work hours (i.e. early mornings and/or late evenings) when required to accommodate various time zones

Location

The ideal candidate will be based in Peru. The Program Officer must be able to participate in regular meetings, either remotely or in-person, which may be outside of typical working hours to ensure coordination at times suitable for grantees, colleagues, and partners. The position will require work across multiple time zones (especially Pacific, Central, and Eastern time zones of the United States) and close collaboration with colleagues in Bogota, Colombia.

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is USD $72,500 to $82,500 per year, depending on experience and geography.

Equal Opportunity and Access

Equal staffing opportunity is a fundamental principle at the Climate and Land Use Alliance, where staffing 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. The Climate and Land Use Alliance does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.

Application Process

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. CLUA will complete an initial review of applications received by October 15, 2025 and on a rolling basis thereafter until the position is filled. To be considered, please apply online and submit a cover letter and resume in English.