Capacity Development Officer

Organization Background

WeForest is a global non-profit organization committed to restoring forests and landscapes to benefit the climate, people, and the planet. Operating in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal, and Zambia, WeForest harnesses a culturally and technically diverse team to implement scientifically grounded solutions that enhance carbon capture, water availability, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods, ensuring sustainable ecosystem restoration.

Role Purpose

The Capacity Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for leading organizational capacity enhancement for Forest Trusts, Village Resource Management Committees, and other community-based groups involved in WeForest's projects in Masaiti District, Zambia. The goal is to improve governance, management, financial accountability, program excellence, partnerships, and sustainability through community-led design and delivery of capacity-building interventions using participatory, asset-based, and behavior-focused methods to foster ownership and institutional maturity.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the creation and embedding of vision, mission, values, and strategic plans, strengthening governance, board functions, decision-making, accountability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Promote leadership development, succession planning, legal adherence, and community recognition.
• Enhance organizational structures, administrative and HR systems, risk and asset management, annual planning, conflict resolution, and record keeping.
• Fortify financial management including budgeting, controls, records, reporting, and banking, alongside mentoring finance staff and ensuring policy compliance.
• Improve program and project planning, execution, monitoring, evaluation, learning, reporting, and foster adaptive, evidence-based decision making.
• Develop and maintain partnerships, donor relations, advocacy, communications, media presence, and government/private sector connections, including beneficiary engagement and DEI mainstreaming.
• Support resource mobilization, diversify income, manage reserves and assets, and establish cost recovery systems to assure long-term sustainability.
• Conduct organizational assessments, develop capacity plans, provide coaching and mentoring to leadership and management, monitor progress, document lessons learned, and coordinate with projects and partners.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Community Development, Organizational Development, Public Administration, or a related discipline.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in organizational capacity building or institutional strengthening for forest trusts, community resource boards, or similar entities.
• Proven success working with community-based or forest and farm producer organizations, including resource mobilization.
• Experience in advocacy, media relations, and developing communication content such as videos, photos, and news articles is advantageous.
• Familiarity with monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes related to organizational development.
• Preferred: Interest or experience in Behaviour-Centred Design (BCD) or related behavior-focused methodologies.
• Strong skills in facilitation, system thinking, and stakeholder engagement.
• Fluent in both spoken and written English and Bemba.
• All relevant academic and professional certificates must be certified by the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA).
• A valid practicing certificate from an appropriate professional authority is required.

Key Competencies

• Expertise in organizational systems development and strengthening.
• Proficiency in coaching, mentoring, and facilitation.
• Commitment to transparent governance, financial accountability, and management.
• Ability to manage partnerships and interact effectively with stakeholders.
• Experience in strategic communication, advocacy, and media engagement.
• Incorporation of gender, equity, and social inclusion in all activities.

Terms and Conditions

• Position is full-time, requiring 5 to 5.5 working days per week.
• Work location is the WeForest Zambia Project Office in Masaiti District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia.
• Employment begins in February 2026.
• The compensation package is competitive within a small organizational setting and classified under level 2c.