We are looking for a Thematic expert Business and Finance

We are looking for a Thematic expert Business and Finance

the Netherlands - 10 February, 2023

Are you the Business and Finance expert that can build bridges between interests and perspectives from a multitude of stakeholder? And put your business and finance expertise to work for innovative financial solutions that support both community’s livelihoods and sustainable forest management through innovative approaches for collaborative learning and collective action… Then join our committed team.

Download here the vacancy announcement 

To support TBI network in achieving impact the engagement of the private sector and financial sector is crucial and therefore we are now recruiting a thematic expert Business and Finance to step up our efforts and further develop this cross-cutting theme.

Your role

Your thematic expertise is on business and finance and you have the capacity and oversight to effectively bring together the realities of communities and small holders, financial institutions, private sector, (local) governments and NGOs in the landscapes to help develop inclusive and equitable financing models for our Impact Areas of agroforestry, community forestry and conservation as well as participatory landscape and forest restoration.

You will be a key member of an international lean and dedicated business and finance network team, which provides you ample opportunities for professional initiative and personal development. You will closely collaborate with our impact areas experts in communities of practice working on agroforestry, community forestry and conservation as well as participatory restoration. In this role you will advise internal and external partners on a range of sustainable financing mechanisms and strategies.

You collaborate with network partners, partnerships, and impact area experts to bring the business and finance perspective into strategy implementation as well as proposal development for resource mobilisation. You will advise partner offices and their partnerships on content related matters and occasional provide backstopping. You are able and willing to travel occasionally.

You have a sharp eye for the political economic context to help develop interventions that have a significant and lasting impact. Apart from being an expert in business and finance, you also bring in solid experience and appropriate skills to facilitate and/or influence multistakeholder dialogues, build partnerships and develop on- and offline collaborative social learning spaces and capacity development for collective action.

Key tasks and deliverables:

  1. Provide thought leadership on business and finance to the network and link the network’s field work to national and international dialogues and conventions as well as (financial) mechanisms for scaling and help to make them relevant to support locally owned solutions at landscape levels.
  2. Facilitate the communities of practice, develop knowledge products, build partnerships and lead on proposals for resource mobilisation.
  3. Support the development of enabling conditions for financing agroforestry, community forestry and conservation as well as for restoration initiatives and occasionally provide backstopping to network partners.
  4. Guide knowledge management, capacity strengthening and collaborative processes (on- and offline) with multiple stakeholders for locally owned solutions.
  5. Strengthen and expand TBI's business and finance network.
  6. Assume the secretariat’s liaison and support coordination of one or several countries offices and/or programme partners, preferably in the African region.

Experience and technical skills 

  1. Relevant academic background in economics, finance, sustainable finance, sustainable development or a related field and 5-10 years of working experience in a similar position or role, preferably in Asia and/or Africa
  2. Developing and facilitating innovative multistakeholder learning and co-creation processes
  3. Fluent in English and French, preferably also Spanish and excellent writing skills
  4. Proven state of art knowledge on (on- and offline) participatory approaches
  5. Strong analytical capacities and proven interest, especially in terms of political economy and systems analysis and able to translate findings into the design of interventions and strategies that lead to a lasting impact
  6. An entrepreneurial spirit, preferably with demonstrated fundraising and funding development track record.
  7. Intercultural sensitivity.

We offer

  • A one-year contract for 32-36 hours per week with the prospect of extension
  • Depending on your experience the full-time salary will be between €4.000 - €5.800 gross p/m
  • Appropriate terms of employment, including a year-end bonus of 8,3%
  • A 10% non-contributary pension
  • 208 leave hours based on a 36-hour workweek
  • We offer a good working environment in Ede; other location arrangements are negotiable depending on experience with our sector
  • Flexibility in working from home and in the office
  • Room for initiative and professional development in a strongly mission driven organization

Eager to join us?

Then send your motivation and resume in PDF f.a.o. Monique de Jong, HR: monique.dejong@tropenbos.org.
The closing date is 28 February 2023.

  • The procedure consists of two interviews in March.
  • We are aiming for a start date no later than May 2023.
  • If you have any questions, please, call executive director Joost van Montfort: +31 317702020 (office) • For positions based in Ede a valid work permit for the EU is required.


Please, feel free to apply when you believe this vacancy is written for you.

Tropenbos International is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to have an inclusive and diverse staff that reflects the societies we operate in; therefore we especially invite qualified applicants with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences.

When you apply, you agree that references can be taken during the procedure. Applications will be processed according to GDPR-legislation.