Kawari Fund Director

The Kawari Fund was launched in 2023 to promote and secure the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in jurisdictional forest carbon finance initiatives. Kawari envisions a carbon market that respects and upholds land rights by supporting social integrity, adequate representation and informed participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in carbon negotiations. Kawari channels philanthropic, private and public sector funds to support processes that achieve high integrity and benefit communities and nature. 

Kawari is an independent, trusted source of funds for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, NGOs, and governments working to achieve social integrity in land-based carbon markets, with a particular focus on Jurisdictional REDD+. It supports capacity building and technical assistance to key stakeholders, enabling them to make informed decisions about whether and how to engage in Jurisdictional REDD+ programs in a manner that honors rights and respects safeguards. Additionally, it supports the essential participatory processes required for high integrity forest carbon finance initiatives. The fund is designed to be swift, flexible, and adaptable, standing out in a financial landscape often constrained by restrictive funding and extensive bureaucracy. 

Kawari’s first call for letters of interest in October 2023 yielded more than 100 applicants, revealing significant demand for support of this kind. The fund has dispersed roughly USD$1million to date and is looking to make larger investments in priority jurisdictions in the next 2-3 years. The Kawari Fund is operated, and its Secretariat hosted, by Re:wild.

Re:wild is seeking a Director to help grow, lead and oversee this multi-donor Fund to support high-integrity carbon market readiness processes in the world’s most important tropical forest jurisdictions.  This is an opportunity for a dynamic, entrepreneurial individual to scale up an innovative mechanism to support front-line leaders in tropical countries to halt and reverse deforestation. The position will offer opportunities to interact with coalitions of actors from public agencies, private companies, and IPs and LCs seeking to achieve aligned objectives. Success in the position will require sound, values-based judgment, calculated risk-taking, and ability to project integrity of purpose and process.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic direction for deploying resources to Indigenous Peoples, local communities, non-governmental organizations, and governments to help ensure the social integrity of jurisdictional forest carbon finance initiatives, and to improve conditions of rights and forest governance in tropical forest landscapes. 
• Develop, oversee and manage a diverse multimillion-dollar portfolio of grants over multiple years and funding cycles.
• Grow Kawari to meet the scale of demand through dedicated fundraising and recruiting additional donors to the Fund, in collaboration with Re:wild’s Development team.
• Oversee Fund governance, working work closely with the Advisory Council to ensure Kawari’s grant-making remains highly strategic, additive, and responsive. 
• Lead interaction with key stakeholders and donors, including Indigenous Peoples, local community organizations, subnational and national forest jurisdictions, and other technical assistance providers (e.g. UN-REDD, JTAP).
• Work closely with the broader Re:wild network to identify catalytic opportunities to support the advancement of rights in jurisdictional carbon finance initiatives. 
• Manage the Kawari Fund team, recruit additional staff and consultants as needed.
• Meet regularly with leaders of other jurisdictional REDD+ readiness initiatives globally, to share information, identify gaps, and ensure that grantmaking is complementary. 
• Work with the Fund team to monitor the progress of grantees on the ground and provide technical support to grantees as needed.
• Lead communications around Fund activities and strategy, in collaboration with Re:wild’s Communications team. 
• Represent the Fund at key international meetings.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Advanced degree and 15+ years of experience in tropical forest conservation climate finance and policy, or related field. Experience managing, funding, or working within a diversity of conservation projects and/or programs. 
• Significant experience in rights-based approaches or engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• Strong knowledge and significant experience related to jurisdictional carbon finance (REDD+) safeguards and readiness in tropical forest geographies.
• Demonstrated fundraising ability.
• Committed to principles of human rights, demonstrated ability to work in the complex environments of tropical forests and REDD+ with a pragmatic, humble, and even-handed approach.
• Experience leading a Fund and/or grant-making to a variety of partners, including Indigenous Peoples and local community organizations.
• Experience managing effective teams and able to work with a diverse team and set of partners from tropical forest countries, efficiently communicating and sharing knowledge and ideas, advancing organizational positions and seeking advice when needed.
• Strong commitment to collaborative and participatory approaches. Skilled at bringing together groups to coordinate resources and efforts and in managing diverse opinions effectively.
• Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail. 
• Persistence and ability to overcome obstacles and to take calculated risks to accomplish goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills. 
• Fluency in English required. High level of Spanish, Portuguese and/or French proficiency strongly preferred.
• Ability to undertake regular international travel and work across time zones.
• Commitment to and passion for Re:wild’s mission, vision, and values. 

 Compensation and Benefits:

• This is a full-time, exempt position. 
• Position location is flexible/remote, with strong preference for candidates based in North, Central or South America. 
• Projected salary range of $100,000-130,000 with the final determination to be made commensurate with the candidate’s experience. 
• Re:wild also offers an excellent benefits package, including a generous leave policy. 

About Us 

At Re:wild, we work with partners, Indigenous people and communities in more than 80 countries to protect and restore the diversity of life on Earth. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities. 

Qualified candidates are asked to submit a cover letter and résumé (one PDF document) to careers@rewild.orgno later than May 31, 2024. Please include “Kawari Fund Director” in the subject line.