Chief Executive Officer – One Mara Carbon Project (OMCP)
Location: Narok, Kenya
Reports to: OMCP Board
Responsible for: OMCP Staff
Status: Full-time
Application Deadline: November 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EAT
Application Email: [email protected]
Introduction
The One Mara Carbon Project (OMCP) presents a distinguished leadership opportunity for a visionary and experienced individual to serve as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This position offers the chance to lead a groundbreaking environmental initiative in one of Africa’s most iconic and ecologically rich landscapes—the Maasai Mara.
OMCP is dedicated to promoting ecosystem-level conservation and restoration through a community-based carbon project designed to protect biodiversity, rehabilitate degraded lands, and provide both climate and economic benefits to local populations. The project operates in the savannah ecosystem north and northeast of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, an area renowned for its wildlife diversity and the long-standing Maasai herding traditions that define the region.
This leadership role calls for a professional who can translate conservation and sustainability goals into tangible outcomes—balancing ecological preservation, community empowerment, and carbon market engagement. The CEO will guide OMCP through a period of strategic growth, institutional development, and operational excellence, ensuring that the project achieves measurable climate impact and long-term viability.
About the One Mara Carbon Project (OMCP)
OMCP is a large-scale ecosystem conservation initiative operating across the Maasai Mara landscape. Its primary mission is to protect and restore rangeland ecosystems, foster biodiversity conservation, and generate sustainable livelihoods for the local Maasai communities by engaging in carbon offset programs. The initiative seeks to curb emissions, rehabilitate degraded landscapes, enhance livestock production through improved grazing management, and introduce alternative livelihood options for communities living within and around the project area.
OMCP’s objectives are anchored on collaboration among key partners: Conservation International (CI), the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA), and Ahueni. Together, these partners support the project in implementing climate-smart conservation strategies, developing institutional frameworks, and achieving carbon credit certification under recognized international standards.
Through its innovative model, OMCP combines environmental stewardship with socioeconomic advancement, ensuring that the benefits of conservation reach local households while strengthening the ecological resilience of the Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Position Overview
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be the principal leader responsible for the overall strategic, operational, and financial management of OMCP. The CEO will develop, implement, and oversee the organization’s programs and initiatives, ensuring that all project objectives align with global carbon standards and local conservation priorities.
The incumbent will guide the organization’s growth from inception to maturity, building institutional capacity, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and certification frameworks. The CEO will work closely with the Board, community stakeholders, and development partners to deliver a high-impact, scalable, and sustainable conservation project.
This role requires a highly capable and adaptive leader with experience in ecosystem management, carbon markets, organizational governance, and community-driven conservation.
Job Responsibilities
1. Project Oversight and Implementation
The CEO will oversee all stages of the project’s implementation, ensuring activities are efficiently executed and in compliance with established standards. Specific duties include:
- Leading the planning, development, and execution of project implementation frameworks consistent with OMCP’s strategic goals and carbon market requirements.
- Supervising field teams, consultants, and service providers to ensure that project outputs are delivered efficiently, on time, and to the expected quality.
- Ensuring that project activities adhere to work plans and timelines, meeting milestones and donor expectations.
- Facilitating regular project monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes to maintain accountability and progress tracking.
- Promoting transparent communication among all teams, stakeholders, and partner institutions regarding project implementation and performance outcomes.
2. Leadership and Organizational Development
The CEO will act as the strategic and operational leader of OMCP, responsible for creating a dynamic organizational culture that aligns with its mission and vision. Key functions include:
- Providing visionary leadership that drives the organization’s mission and fosters innovation in sustainable ecosystem management.
- Establishing and managing a fit-for-purpose organizational structure with clear roles and responsibilities across departments.
- Leading recruitment, development, and supervision of OMCP staff, ensuring high standards of professionalism, performance, and accountability.
- Setting up the OMCP project office infrastructure, operational systems, and logistical frameworks to support effective delivery.
- Overseeing the transition of OMCP into a legally registered entity and ensuring its institutional compliance and governance frameworks are in place.
- Working with the OMCP Board to guide policy, oversight, and long-term strategy.
The CEO will also serve as a key ambassador for the organization, representing OMCP in public forums, fostering donor relationships, and cultivating a results-driven organizational culture that prioritizes integrity, collaboration, and measurable impact.
3. Stakeholder and Community Engagement
As OMCP is deeply rooted in community-based conservation, stakeholder engagement forms a critical part of the CEO’s responsibilities. These include:
- Building and maintaining robust relationships with community leaders, conservancy boards, and local authorities to ensure project alignment with regional priorities.
- Acting as the main liaison between OMCP and various stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, and national partners.
- Ensuring culturally sensitive communication of project objectives, benefits, and progress to foster transparency and trust among communities.
- Mediating and resolving conflicts among stakeholders to maintain harmony and cooperation across the project landscape.
- Representing OMCP in local, regional, and national platforms related to conservation, sustainable development, and carbon finance.
The CEO will ensure that each conservancy within the Maasai Mara ecosystem fully understands and integrates OMCP activities within their management plans, ensuring coherence across field operations.
4. Governance and Compliance
In coordination with the OMCP Board and relevant legal authorities, the CEO will ensure that the organization maintains the highest standards of governance and compliance. Responsibilities include:
- Supporting the establishment of governance structures and operational policies in alignment with Kenyan regulations and international carbon standards.
- Ensuring full compliance with environmental, labor, and carbon certification requirements.
- Facilitating transparent and timely communication with the OMCP Board to support informed decision-making.
- Overseeing the validation and verification processes for carbon credits, ensuring the organization meets certification milestones for carbon issuance.
5. Financial Management
The CEO will be responsible for maintaining financial discipline and transparency across all OMCP operations. Specific tasks include:
- Overseeing budget development, financial planning, and reporting in alignment with project objectives and funding agreements.
- Ensuring adherence to financial management systems, procurement protocols, and internal control procedures.
- Leading fundraising efforts and developing strategies to attract additional investments to sustain OMCP’s long-term operations.
- Managing carbon credit sales and establishing mechanisms for equitable revenue distribution to communities and project partners.
- Ensuring timely and accurate financial audits, maintaining accountability to donors and regulatory bodies.
Effective financial management will be critical in sustaining OMCP’s operations and demonstrating accountability to both partners and beneficiaries.
6. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
The CEO will be responsible for ensuring that OMCP maintains strong monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems. Duties include:
- Overseeing the development of M&E frameworks to measure project performance, carbon outcomes, and social impact.
- Ensuring adherence to international carbon verification standards, particularly the Verra Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
- Producing high-quality performance reports and presentations for the Board, funding partners, and external stakeholders.
- Using data-driven insights to inform management decisions, improve efficiency, and enhance impact delivery.
This function will help maintain transparency, promote accountability, and demonstrate the value of OMCP’s interventions across the Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, sustainable development, project management, finance, business administration, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of senior management experience in conservation, climate change, or agricultural sectors.
- Proven capacity to manage large-scale budgets of at least KES 130 million (approximately USD 1 million) annually.
- Strong understanding of the Maasai Mara’s socio-political and ecological context.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with communities, government institutions, and international partners.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
- Proficiency in both English and Kiswahili.
Preferred
- Master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Prior leadership experience in the Maasai Mara or similar rangeland ecosystems.
- Familiarity with carbon project development, certification, and market mechanisms.
- Proficiency in the Maa language.
- Experience managing and implementing land-use sector carbon projects.
Working Conditions
This is a full-time position requiring 40 hours per week. The CEO will be based within the Mara landscape in Narok, Kenya, with frequent travel—up to 30 percent—across conservancies and project sites. Field presence will be essential to maintain engagement with stakeholders and oversee the progress of on-ground interventions.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their detailed CV and cover letter outlining their experience, leadership philosophy, and motivation for applying. Applications should be sent to [email protected] on or before November 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EAT.
