Background
The African Climate Foundation (ACF) is the first and only African-led climate change re-granting organisation on the continent. Through a combination of grant making, fellowships, transformational research, technical assistance, coalition building and advocacy the ACF seeks to support interventions at the nexus of climate change, and development that have the greatest potential to deliver long-term socio-economic transformation and inclusive development.

Purpose

The African Climate Foundation (ACF) has established a growing and influential presence in Malawi working at the nexus of climate and development to support the country in building climate resilience across its economy. Building on the solid foundations laid by our programme team, ACF is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and highly networked individual to serve as Malawi Country Manager.

This role will lead ACF’s Malawi Programme, oversee the delivery of a country strategy, and manage a growing portfolio of grants, partnerships, and engagements. The Country Manager will report to the Deputy Head of Programmes and serve as the primary representative of ACF in Malawi.

ACF’s work in Malawi to date has focused on support for building climate resilience across the economy. This has included research to assess the impacts of climate change on critical economic sectors in Malawi, support for the identification and preparation of priority adaptation and resilience projects and support to the Government of Malawi for the establishment of an Adaptation and Resilience Investment Platform.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

Country Strategy Development and Implementation:

• Lead the development and periodic review of ACF’s approach to supporting the Malawian government in achieving their climate change goals, including establishing their country-led adaptation and resilience investment platform.
• Lead the development and periodic review of ACF’s overall Malawi Strategy, including sectoral strategies.
• Translate relevant strategies into actionable, budgeted implementation plans with measurable outcomes.
• Oversee key research and analytical work to inform programming and decision-making.
• Ensure integration with other ACF regional and thematic strategies and foster cross-programme and cross-country learning.
• Ensure that proper Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks for the country programme and various projects are in place and effectively used.

Partnerships and Representation:

• Identify and map key partners and stakeholders at national and local levels in Malawi.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with government institutions, civil society, financial institutions, donors, and the private sector.
• Represent ACF in high-level platforms, dialogues, and forums in Malawi and the broader Southern Africa region.
• Create linkages with other in-country, regional and international programmes, as well as information sharing initiatives to maximize synergies and visibility.

Grant-Making and Programme Delivery:

• Develop a country strategy, and guide the design, review, and implementation of a pipeline of grants aligned with the Malawi strategy.
• Work with the grants and MEL teams to ensure quality control, compliance, learning, and adaptive management across the grant portfolio.
• Provide oversight to project implementation and technical support to grantees and partners.
• Manage or supervise flagship projects and initiatives under the Malawi portfolio.
• Ensure coordination with ACF’s ARIP Programme team (and the broader Programmes Team), MEL, Grants, and Communications teams to deliver on strategic goals.

Fundraising, Resource Mobilisation and Reporting:

• Support ACF’s fundraising team and the ACF’s broader ARIP programme team in identifying and pursuing funding opportunities for Malawi and regional initiatives.
• Contribute to donor proposals and lead donor engagement.
• Ensure high-quality and timely reporting to donors and internal governance bodies.

Thought Leadership and Strategic Advisory:

• Provide insights on the political economy of climate and development in Malawi.
• Contribute to ACF’s research, advocacy, and communication efforts, positioning the Foundation as a key thought leader in Malawi.
• Advise the Senior Management Team and the ACF ARIP team on key developments and opportunities in-country and across the region.

Other Duties:

• Undertake other responsibilities relevant to the role as required by the Head of Programmes or Executive Management.

Requirements include but are not limited to:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, environmental sciences, development studies, public policy, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of professional experience across all or several of the following areas: climate change, project finance, project preparation, climate adaptation and resilience, or development finance.
• Minimum 8-10 years in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• Demonstrated experience working on or supporting government institutions, donors, or private sector actors in policy or programme development.
• Proven track record of strategy design, grant management, and partnership development.
• Experience with financial institutions such as commercial banks, insurers and/or reinsurers, central banks, or development finance institutions is a plus.
• Familiarity with climate policy, sustainable development, and climate finance in the Malawian context.
• Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (verbal and written).
• Fluency in English; additional local or regional languages are an advantage.
• High levels of professionalism, integrity, and diplomatic acumen.
• Ability to work independently while engaging with cross-functional teams and managing stakeholder relationships.
  

Start date: Position available immediately

Location: Malawi

Contract duration: 12 months (renewable based on mutual agreement)
Closing date: 12 January 2026

For further information about the ACF, visit www.africanclimatefoundation.org.

Should you not hear back from us by 31 March 2026, please consider your application to be unsuccessful.

The ACF strives to be an equitable organisation with a team which reflects the diversity of Africa.

In compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), The ACF assures all applicants that any personal information provided during the recruitment process will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and used solely for recruitment purposes. Your privacy and data security are of paramount importance to us. By applying for this position, you consent to the collection, processing, and storage of your personal information for recruitment-related activities only. The ACF is committed to safeguarding your privacy and maintaining the trust you place in us.