Job opportunity : PROGRAM OFFICER, Payments for Environmental Services (PES)

Job opportunity : PROGRAM OFFICER, Payments for Environmental Services (PES) at IDH Cameroon

JOB TYPES

Job opportunity : PROGRAM OFFICER, Payments for Environmental Services (PES)

Temps complet

A negocier

Localisation :yaounde-region-centre-cameroun Date de publication :03/03/2026  

Catégorie : Temps complet Salaire : A negocier © Cameroun

JOB ADVERTISEMENT : Senior PES Program Officer- IDH Cameroon

IDH Cameroon - Position based in IDH offices in Yaoundé. We are excited to be searching for a proactive and pragmatic Senior PES Program Officer with an interest to join our team, and we hope it’s you!

Your role.

As Senior PES Program Officer at IDH, you support the design, operationalisation, monitoring, and verification of the PES field projects in Cameroon. You ensure high-quality field implementation, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV), and stakeholder engagement to support project performance including on deforestation reduction. 

This role will support the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) funded program which seeks to catalyse and de-risk private sector investment across agricultural commodity value chains, enabling them to become deforestation-free, low‑carbon, and climate‑resilient, while improving farmer incomes and livelihoods in Cameroon. 

By combining targeted technical assistance, catalytic seed capital, and performance-based PES incentives, IDH aims to support local enterprises and farmers to adopt sustainable practices, generate verified environmental outcomes, and build credible financial and impact track records. These, in turn, crowd in commercial finance and long-term private-sector demand for environmental services, reinforcing policy objectives and national climate commitments. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Oversee field implementation of PES projects, in close collaboration with private sector and technical partner. Serve as the primary technical interface with local authorities, implementing partners, farmers and communities. Verify that farmer and community engagement activities, including Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC), are conducted according to plans, and report back to the IDH PES team on level of inclusiveness of field implementation. Support the complaints and Grievance Mechanism at local level, identifying and reporting on land-use conflicts. Collaborate with the MEL Advisor to conduct regular field monitoring, surveys, and site inspections; collect georeferenced data on land use, agricultural practices, forest cover change, and socio-economic benefits, including effective direct payments to farmers and community. In close collaboration with private sector and technical partners, support the pilot and management of community-based monitoring tools (including use of remote sensing, field surveys, and drones where applicable) to track indicators such as encroachment and fire occurrence. Collaborate with the MEL Advisor on the review and verification of partner reports. Develop high-quality, disaggregated technical progress reports; ensure data accuracy for reporting against IDH core indicators and the project results framework. Provide technical training and capacity building to local partners on sustainable practices and PES/MRV protocols, as required. Who you are:

You are a practical and detail-oriented professional who works confidently in complex field environments, where ensuring consistent compliance with PES commitments requires close engagement with communities and coordination across diverse local actors. You are comfortable operating in contexts where access, connectivity, and seasonality affect delivery, and where accuracy and reliability are essential.

You bring a strong focus on data quality, ensuring that MRV information is timely, verifiable, and well documented despite field constraints. Your attention to detail supports credible reporting and informed decision-making, while your pragmatic approach helps translate field realities into clear and usable inputs.

With strong oral and written communication skills, you are able to explain requirements, manage expectations, and escalate land-use conflicts or grievances appropriately while maintaining trust with communities and local authorities. You balance intensive fieldwork with structured documentation and reporting, contributing to effective programme delivery and accountability across the PES framework. What you bring: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Forestry, Agronomy, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or related field with strong quantitative requirements. Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 2 years in a senior field management or technical advisory role on major donor-funded land-use, sustainable agriculture, or forestry programmes. Experience in the cocoa sector is a plus. Demonstrated experience designing and implementing field-based MRV systems, forest-carbon accounting, and/or PES/REDD+ initiatives at community or jurisdictional level. Deep practical knowledge of agroforestry systems, forest management planning, and low-emissions development strategies relevant to the Congo Basin/forest-savanna ecotone. Strong proficiency in GIS/spatial information, GPS/georeferencing, and mobile data collection tools for monitoring and reporting. Proven coordination skills; ability to administer field activities and budgets with diverse local partners. Excellent command of French and English (written and spoken). Excellent interpersonal, mobilisation, and conflict-management skills for engagement with communities and local government representatives. Position based in IDH offices in Yaoundé. We offer you

An indefinite employment contract with full-time role in an impacting, international organisation at job level 15 – and: Supplementary health insurance for you and your dependents.  13th month salary (pro-rated by the number of months worked).  24 days of paid leave per year (100% FTE).  All the work supplies for your working purpose (specifically laptop). For questions about this position, please

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