Head of Livelihood Restoration
How to apply
Please send your CV and a brief cover note describing relevant experience to valentina@rainforestbuilder.com
About Rainforest Builder
Rainforest Builder is the leading tropical forest restoration company in Africa. We bring together the world's best scientists and foresters to rebuild tropical forest at scale. We are backed by some of the biggest companies and investors in the world. We employ 2,500 people across our operations in Ghana and Sierra Leone. All of our projects are long-term (70+ years) and large-scale (aim 100,000+ hectares). We are fully integrated and design and execute all stages of the project lifecycle, including design, seed collection and storage, nursery management, silviculture operations, forest protection and carbon/biodiversity data collection. Our projects are developed under the Verra Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) & Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) standards.
Role Overview
Rainforest Builder’s livelihood restoration programs support smallholder farmers and other land users whose livelihoods are affected by our forest restoration projects. The programs focus on agricultural intensification, helping farmers maintain or improve yields on alternative lands across crops including cocoa, plantain, rice, groundnut, and cassava. The Head of Livelihood Restoration leads the project design, management and on-the-ground delivery of these programs, based at a project site in Ghana or Sierra Leone.
The Head of Livelihood Restoration works directly with teams on the ground to drive successful implementation, and is supported by the Social Performance Department at the Group level.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead the design and implementation of livelihood restoration programs, with a focus on smallholder agricultural intensification, for land users and communities affected by Rainforest Builder’s forest restoration projects
• Manage day-to-day project operations for the Livelihood Restoration team at the project site, including workplans, budgets, and timelines
• Provide technical oversight of agronomic interventions across target crops (cocoa, plantain, rice, groundnut, and cassava), enabling farmers to maintain or improve yields.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with affected land users, farmers, and community leaders to ensure programs are appropriate to the local context and needs.
• Work closely with the Social Performance Department at the Group level to align program design and data collection with VCS, CCB, IFC PS, and other reporting requirements.
• Monitor program delivery against targets, tracking farmer participation, adoption, and livelihood outcomes, and troubleshoot implementation challenges in the field.
• Recruit, train, and manage field staff and agricultural extension officers to build a strong local delivery team.
• Represent Rainforest Builder with local government, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders on livelihood restoration matters.
Required Experience & Skills
• Substantial experience in field operations, strategy & operations, or project management, with a track record of delivery in the field.
• Background in agriculture, agronomy, or agroforestry strongly desirable, ideally with exposure to tree or cash crop systems such as cocoa, plantain, rice, groundnut, or cassava.
• Experience designing or delivering smallholder agricultural intensification or livelihood restoration programs.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, workplans, and field teams to deliver results against targets and timelines.
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills — comfortable setting KPIs, tracking performance data, and adapting field delivery based on evidence.
• Strong interpersonal and community engagement skills, with the ability to build trust with farmers and local stakeholders.
• Willing and able to be based at a project site in Ghana or Sierra Leone, with regular travel in between project sites.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred (Nice to have)
• Experience within structured, metrics-driven agricultural delivery organizations is a strong plus.
• Knowledge of the community context in Ghana or Sierra Leone.
• Experience working on carbon, forestry, or land restoration projects.
• Familiarity with IFC Performance Standards (particularly IFC PS5) and/or VCS/CCB requirements.
• Local language skills relevant to Ghana or Sierra Leone.
Location
Full-time position based at a Rainforest Builder project site in Ghana or Sierra Leone, with regular travel between project sites and close coordination with the Social Performance Department at the Group level.