DescriptionWhat We Can Achieve Together:

The Angola Forestry and Woodlands Policy Specialist supports implementation of TNC’s Angola Miombo woodlands strategy by advancing policy reform, forest governance, institutional coordination, and integrated forest-water approaches across Angola’s priority Miombo woodland landscapes. The role will help strengthen enabling policy and institutional frameworks for sustainable woodlands, peatlands, freshwater systems, community forestry, forest reserves, carbon and sustainable finance, and nature-based development. Working with government, communities, civil society, donors, NGOs, private sector actors, and TNC teams, the position will support nationally relevant dialogue and decision-making across southeastern Angola and forest-water systems linked to the Cubango, Cuito, Cuando, Upper Zambezi, peatlands, headwaters, and wider woodland systems. The position reports to the relevant TNC Angola and Africa Forestry leadership and will be based in Luanda, with regular travel to provincial landscapes and partner sites.

We’re Looking for You:

The Angola Forestry and Woodlands Policy Specialist establishes TNC as a trusted conservation and policy partner in Angola’s Miombo agenda by supporting policy analysis, advocacy, institutional engagement, and partnership development. The position will connect science, community experience, and governance priorities so that decisions on Miombo woodlands, peatlands, freshwater systems, land and forest tenure, carbon, forest concessions, community-based natural resource management, and sustainable finance are better coordinated and more actionable. The role is not primarily a technical field forestry position; rather, it focuses on translating technical knowledge into policy uptake, institutional alignment, and practical decisions with government and partners.

The Angola Forestry and Woodlands Policy Specialist will be responsible for the following:

• Provides policy analysis, advisory support, and strategic guidance to TNC and partners on Angola’s Miombo woodlands, peatlands, freshwater systems, forest governance, land and resource tenure, carbon, biodiversity, climate, and rural development policy landscape.
• Prepares policy briefs, white papers, decision papers, technical notes, and partner-facing materials that translate evidence and field experience into practical recommendations for government, civil society, communities, donors, and private sector actors.
• Supports implementation of the Angola Miombo woodlands strategy, including work planning, budget inputs, partner coordination, and alignment with TNC Africa Forestry, Freshwater, Climate, and Angola program priorities.
• Supports development and improvement of policy and institutional frameworks for forest reserves, community forests, community-based natural resource management, sustainable woodlands, forest concessions, voluntary carbon finance, and nature-based enterprise models.
• Promotes integration of Miombo woodlands, peatlands, freshwater, and headwater systems into national and provincial planning, including forest-water coordination linked to the Cubango, Cuito, Cuando, Upper Zambezi, peatlands, watersheds, and broader woodland systems.
• Facilitates inter-ministerial, provincial, and multi-stakeholder coordination among forestry, environment, water, land-use planning, agriculture, climate, carbon, biodiversity, and rural development institutions.
• Builds and maintains strategic partnerships with national and provincial government agencies, NGOs, civil society organizations, community representatives, donors, research institutions, and private sector actors to advance Angola’s Miombo policy and governance agenda.
• Supports community forestry and tenure-related dialogue by helping partners identify enabling policy pathways, governance models, benefit-sharing options, and safeguards that strengthen community rights and participation.
• Contributes to policy uptake of scientific evidence, spatial analysis, freshwater and peatland information, and local knowledge so that technical information informs institutional decisions and practical implementation.
• Supports environmental and social safeguards, monitoring, learning, and adaptive management processes for Angola Miombo work, ensuring they inform policy dialogue, partner accountability, and implementation decisions.
• Coordinates consultants, partner inputs, contracts, knowledge products, and learning processes that advance forest governance, sustainable finance, and integrated Miombo-peatlands-freshwater policy objectives.
• Supports fundraising and donor engagement by developing concept notes, partnership materials, budgets, and evidence-based narratives for Angola’s Miombo woodlands, forest-water systems, carbon, and sustainable finance opportunities.
• Travels regularly within Angola, including to provincial landscapes and remote partner sites, while maintaining a primary base in Luanda to support national policy engagement.

What You’ll Bring:

• BA/BS degree and at least 7 years’ experience in public policy, environmental governance, law, natural resource management, development studies, forestry, conservation, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience supporting policy reform, government engagement, institutional coordination, or natural resource governance processes.
• Experience managing complex or multi-partner initiatives, including work planning, budgets, consultants, deliverables, and deadlines.
• Experience developing partnerships with government agencies, non-profit partners, community groups, donors, research institutions, and/or private sector actors.
• Experience preparing policy briefs, decision papers, technical notes, presentations, or advocacy materials for institutional decision-makers.
• Professional fluency in spoken and written Portuguese and working proficiency in English.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong knowledge of Angola’s forestry, land, water, biodiversity, climate, carbon, and rural development policy landscape.
• Master’s degree in public policy, environmental governance, law, natural resource management, development studies, forestry, conservation, or a related field and 10 years’ relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience in influencing, developing and implementing conservation policy and plans.
• Experience working at the nexus of Miombo woodlands, peatlands, freshwater systems, forest-water planning, ecosystem services, voluntary carbon finance, or sustainable finance.
• Ability to translate scientific, legal, institutional, and community-based evidence into clear recommendations for policy and implementation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Portuguese, including the ability to engage government and senior partners professionally.
• Strong written and spoken English preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in fundraising.
• Politically savvy, diplomatic, and able to build trust across government, civil society, community, donor, and private sector relationships.