Main purpose of job:  

The successful applicant will play a key role in delivering against the UK government’s climate and nature priorities in Peru by guiding our strategy to scale up innovative anchor bio-business models that keep the forest standing and benefit Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC), integrating Amazonian products into UK supply chains. The aim is to create economic incentives to halt deforestation in the second largest extension of the Amazon, help Peru accelerate its transition towards a low-carbon, nature-positive economy, and deliver the country’s ambitious Joint Declaration of Intent, Nationally Determined Contributions and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan – backed by policy reform, multilateral development banks, and global climate and nature funds.
 
This is an exciting maternity cover within the Embassy’s Climate, Nature and Infrastructure (CNI) section (13 staff), which works towards mobilising flows of accessible, quality climate and nature finance, including clean power investment, and promoting market access for products derived from Amazonian superfruits to keep 1.5C alive and reverse biodiversity loss. Our work is divided into three priority themes: (1) green finance, (2) energy transition, and (3) bio-economy, with policy advocacy and tackling environmental crime as foundation and a gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) approach based on improving access to finance and decision-making for IPLC. We tackle the climate and nature crises not separately from promoting economic growth, but intrinsic to it.

The post holder will shape Peru’s national strategy for the development of the bio-economy as an important pathway for economic diversification. They will strengthen our partnership with Peru’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) when it comes to setting a joint vision for the Amazon. An important aspect of the role will be to direct the Embassy in how to align centrally managed programmes and other initiatives to deliver the UK’s strategic objectives related to the bio-economy. They will also seek to showcase success stories and challenges of IPLC accessing finance and markets.    

This role will report to the Head of Forests and Climate and will be expected to actively contribute to the Embassy’s broader work on climate and nature, supporting analysis, communications and events.
The post holder will also collaborate closely with other colleagues in the Embassy, UK embassies throughout the Amazon region and officials from the UK’s International Forests Unit and other parts of the British government (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Business and Trade). They will report on developments on the bio-economy in Peru and the region, bringing together the big picture on politics, programming and policy to analyse trends.

Roles and responsibilities:

Strategy Leadership – 50%

• Plan, manage and follow up on the third Bio-economy Taskforce in February 2026 by demonstrating progress and partnerships on market access, finance, regulation, and innovation.
• Champion policy dialogue and improve coordination across a couple of priority value chains via a bio-business working group under MEF’s Executive Board for the Development of the Amazon.
• Oversee the work of an expert deployed by the UK’s Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) programme to shape Peru’s national strategy for the bio-economy, applying the concept of “Smart Technical Assistance” (i.e. process of change, not just outputs).
• Act as private sector engagement lead and strengthen the Embassy’s relationship with: MEF on the Amazon (with the Green Finance Lead), MIDAGRI, SERFOR, MINCETUR, PromPeru, PRODUCE.
• Work closely with Embassy colleagues from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on the promotion of new consumer products from the Amazon in the UK and inward investment.
• Contribute to the regional bio-economy community of practice and integrate Peru in relevant conferences, exploring concepts such as “circular economy”.

Programme Management – 30%

• Guide the inception phase of the Investment in Forests and Sustainable Land Use programme (IFSLU2), with an emphasis on mobilising private sector action and investment to protect forests.
• Oversee one to two UK PACT projects, including a consortium led by Rainforest Alliance to break down international market entry barriers (e.g. novel foods regulation) for products derived from the superfruits “aguaje” and “camu camu” in the regions of Loreto, San Martín and Ucayali.
• Seek strategic alignment between the AIM4Forest programme and the enabling conditions needed to drive our bio-economy work and implement the Joint Declaration of Intent (e.g. investing in Measurement, Reporting and Verification and supporting carbon markets).
• Make sure lessons are learned from the “Indigenous Economy” project of the Inter-American Development Bank’s Amazon Multi-donor Trust
• Fund and widely disseminated.
• Liaise closely with the Coordinator for the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund on strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of coffee, cocoa, banana, and bio-business value chains.
• Pro-actively identify opportunities to raise the visibility of the UK’s work on the bio-economy via tailored communications and targeted stakeholder engagement.

Other – 20%

• Effectively line manage the Forests and Climate Associate, helping them to achieve their goals and providing direction, building her capability, and supporting wellbeing.
• Play an active part in the corporate life of the Embassy, including contribution to committees and to any crisis response.
• On-going tasks: summarise meetings, missions, correspondence, reports, and compile written documents.

These responsibilities will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation. The above is an indicative outline of responsibilities required of the role. The FCDO operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. This could include engagement on Peru’s OECD accession process (e.g. on corporate governance or agriculture), the management of Ministerial and official visits from the UK related to climate and nature in Peru and/or supporting embassy events.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

• One staff member: Forests and Climate Associate
• Oversight of projects and programmes worth several millions (GBP)

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or Masters in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Public Policy, Political Science, Environmental Science or related field.
• A minimum of 4+ years of experience working for an organisation in a relevant field, for example, working with government or international organisations on climate and nature.
• Strong understanding of the forest and land use sector, anchor companies, and regulatory frameworks that can support conservation and bioeconomy development at scale in Peru.
• Knowledge or experience of project and programme design, management, and monitoring.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills:
  – Proven ability to write fluently and persuasively in English about technical and policy issues for a senior audience.
  – Ability to communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm, while respecting the needs, responses and opinions of others.
• Team player with a track record of creating and maintaining positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people.
• Responsive, innovative and willing to seek out opportunities to create effective change, suggesting ideas for improvements to the way things are done in ‘smarter’, focused ways

Language requirements: 

Language: English and Spanish
Level of language required:  High level of fluency and professional proficiency required in both