Program Director, Philippines

Tara Climate Foundation is a philanthropic climate foundation dedicated to fostering a future where Asia’s unwavering commitment to climate action paves the way for just, thriving and resilient societies. Tara operates in East, Southeast and South Asia, excluding India and China.

Our mission is to support a diverse group of partners in accelerating Asia’s energy transformation and championing climate action. Tara plays three main roles in the region: 

• Grantmaker: Tara works closely with mission-aligned foundations and philanthropists to pool resources and grant funds to organisations working to accelerate Asia’s energy transition and climate action (excluding China and India).  
• Convenor: Tara cultivates networks that facilitate the exchange of ideas between business, civil society, and government throughout and beyond Asia.  
• Local and regional expert: With strong networks spanning civil society, businesses and government, Tara funds thorough research and analysis to address knowledge gaps, stay abreast of emerging trends, and craft evidence-based strategies to advance our mission.  

Since establishing its headquarters in Singapore in 2021, the foundation has provided grants to more than 300 organisations across 13 countries and jurisdictions. Our team of over 40 experts is spread across the Asia-Pacific region, working to combat climate change in this decisive decade.

Over the last 2 years, Tara has experienced significant growth, expanding our funding base to include more than a dozen philanthropic foundations. Currently, we provide grants to over 300 organisations operating across 13 countries and jurisdictions in the Asia region.

Despite heightened global focus on climate issues, philanthropic giving toward climate change initiatives remains disproportionately low, constituting just 2% of worldwide philanthropic giving, with an even smaller percentage allocated to Asia

In the Philippines, we work with movements, civil society organizations, think tanks, research institutes and corporate associations to advance a just energy transition.

About the role

The Program Director Philippines has overall responsibility and leadership of the country program. We are looking for an individual with substantial experience in program strategy and campaigning at a senior level as well as outstanding networking skills to drive systemic change.  The role also requires partnerships and grants management experience, as s/he is expected to support and strengthen a diverse and robust partner ecosystem. The Program Director Philippines has an excellent understanding of the politics as well as economics of energy transition in the country, with experience working with government agencies, corporates, NGOs and think tanks.  

Key responsibilities

Strategy

• Lead the development and implementation of the country strategy for Philippines in consultation with relevant Tara team members and partners.
• Develop resources requirements, budget plans, forecasts and reviews for the country.
• Proactively scan the country’s political, energy and economic environment for emerging threats, and opportunities for Tara’s work. This may include developments in the public, private and people sector including but not limited to political developments, changes in regulatory framework and legislation, corporate investments etc. 
• Provide regular updates and analysis to the Tara ecosystem.

Partnerships and Coordination

• Network with various stakeholders including existing grantees/ partners in-country and within the region.
• Proactively develop a trust-based ecosystem of diverse partners who are encouraged to respect each other’s roles and work collaboratively towards a common goal.
• Identify new programme delivery partners in-country to achieve the goals of Tara.
• Support the organizational development of partners to maximize their potential and ensure their sustainability.  
• Lead coordination among partners within the country to ensure Tara achieves outcomes that are larger than the sum of the individual partners’ efforts.
• Coordinate with other Tara counterparts in the region to ensure coordination of efforts within the region.

Grant management

• Guidance and advice to grantees, partners and prospective partners in the field to ensure activities achieve their intended objectives and results.
• Monitor deliverables and submissions from grantees/ partners and provide general oversight to their timeliness and quality
• Advise operations team on specific legal/ operational /risks requirements for grant-making in the country
• Advise programme directors/ senior management on any potential risks and recommend mitigation measures when needed.

People Management 

• Provide leadership, direction, and management of the Philippines team 
• Promote a culture of excellence, service orientation, high performance, and continuous improvement 
• Mentor staff and oversee their professional development 

Miscellaneous

• Promote a culture of excellence, service orientation, high performance, and continuous improvement
• Demonstrate Tara Values in every action
• Actively participate in Program Team activities
• Abide by Tara’s policies, procedures and practices

As and when required other responsibilities and projects will be allocated by line management in consultation with the post holder.

Person specification

Excited by the prospect of working for a dynamic and fast-growing international organisation with a mission to solve the climate crisis, the ideal candidate will have:

Knowledge and experience: 

• At least 10+ years of relevant work experience, gained in either local or international foundations, donor agencies, NGOs or clean energy-related companies or financial institutions 
• A good grasp of the energy system and its interlinkages to climate change, including understanding of the barriers and opportunities for accelerating energy transition 
• At least 5+ years’ experience in leadership positions, with experience managing experienced team members 
• Demonstrated strategic thinking capabilities, and demonstrable ability to translate strategy into implementation;   
• Demonstrated understanding of the role that civil society organisations play; 
• Demonstrated ability to maintain trusting professional relationships across different sectors, a diverse group of partners, including many working in different cultural contexts;   
• Experience working with government institutions or business associations a plus.
• Excellent written and oral English language skills; and written and oral fluency in another Asian language preferable.  
• Reliable computer skills with standard applications (e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word) 

 Personal: 

• Deep commitment to solving the climate crisis and enabling systemic change;  
• Intrinsic motivation, excellent organisational and self-management skills; 
• Deeply collaborative; 
• Flexibility over working hours to accommodate global time zones; 
• Willingness to travel both regionally and internationally; 
• Impeccable ethics, and experience working confidentially and operating with high security. 

Education 

• Advanced degree or relevant expertise in a relevant field such as renewable energy, environmental management, business administration, economics, or sustainable development. 
• Master’s degree qualification or relevant expertise in a relevant field such as renewable energy, environmental management, business administration, economics, or sustainable development. 

Location requirements

The candidate must be based in the Philippines and be a citizen of the Philippines or have long-term residency status with legal permit to reside and work in the country.

What Tara offers

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international team who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for career develop and challenge yourself
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• A collaborative, fun and thriving team, driven by our mission and live our values

To Apply

Please submit an A4 covering letter outlining your skills and achievements against the roles and responsibilities, why you would like to join us, your salary expectations, date of availability along with your up to date CV via Impactpool.  Please use your existing Impactpool account or create one.

Tara is committed to building leadership capacity within Asia. This position is based in the Philippines.  Applicants must have the right to work in the country.

We appreciate everyone’s application, but only have the resources to respond to shortlisted applicants. If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date, please assume you are unsuccessful for this role. If this is you, we appreciate your support and consideration and hope you will continue to consider roles with Tara in the future!