Field Operations Senior Manager

WHO WE ARE

At Trees for the Future (TREES), we believe farmers have the power to transform the world. For over 30 years, we’ve been a global leader in agroforestry training, partnering with farming families to build vibrant economies, sustainable food systems, and thriving ecosystems. Through our signature Forest Garden Approach—a proven nature-based solution—farmers restore their land, plant thousands of trees, and grow diverse crops, breaking cycles of climate change and generational poverty. By reclaiming their agency, farmers are creating new possibilities for their families, communities, and the environment. Active in Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda, TREES has planted over 350 million trees to date. Joining our passionate, collaborative team means empowering farmers to lead lasting change for people and the planet.

In Tanzania, we partner with over 8,000 farmers across Singida, Tabora, Mwanza, and Simiyu, supported by over 63 dedicated staff. Together, we will plant 8 million trees this year, restore degraded landscapes, enhance biodiversity, and strengthen local food systems. By adopting the Forest Garden Approach, farmers are leading the charge for sustainable development and creating brighter futures for their communities.

Learn more at trees.org.

THE ROLE

The Field Operations Senior Manager is responsible and accountable for the effective and efficient leadership of all TREES program delivery, through the provision of day-to-day technical and operational support across different regions where we operate. S/he will be expected to provide strategic direction and manage program delivery, driving culture, capability, and transformation. S/he will work closely with the operation as well as program teams to deliver integrated solutions to accelerate program planning, budgeting, delivery, and evaluate all aspects of TREES Tanzania field programs. S/he will supervise the Program Managers. This position reports to the Country Director and is based in Mwanza with extensive travel to the regions.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the field program offices to innovatively implement and deliver on the program targets and results in line with the strategic plan and annual plan.
• Lead and develop creative and innovative program delivery management systems for each project and ensure they are inclusive and gender transformative.
• Effectively supervise a dynamic team of staff, provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessments.
• Ensure best practices in project management are continually developed and used with appropriate project management frameworks in place.
• Ensure program reviews are regularly and effectively conducted to drive planning and monitoring the delivery progress to the agreed quality level.
• Lead in the planning of activities for projects to ensure they are in line with the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
• Ensure accountability, learning, and knowledge management as part of enhancing TREES’ visibility.
• Monitor key performance indicators and in partnership with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team, take deliberate steps to improve quality programming and ensure standards are met.
• Lead and support local implementing partners’ capacity-building initiatives to deliver quality programming.
• Conduct risk assessments in the program delivery, plan the mitigation, and escalate to management.
• Identify and deploy the technical skill sets, resource levels, and systems to deliver projects, including the engagement of external resources as required.
• Ensure compliance with TREES and country policies and other Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) as determined by country leadership.
• Work closely with the seed bank to ensure high-quality tree seed collection, quality checks, germination tests, seed consolidation, and distribution to projects in a timely manner.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

WHO YOU ARE

• An enthusiastic advocate for TREES’ mission and values. You are inspired to empower and support a team working to grow vibrant regional economies, thriving food systems, and a healthier planet. You thrive on a close-knit team that values shared integrity, inclusive collaboration, sustainable resilience, and continuous learning.
• You are technically proficient in agroforestry and climate resilience. You have a deep understanding of sustainable agriculture, carbon offset projects, and farmer adaptation strategies.
• A strategic operations professional. You provide strategic leadership to field program offices, ensuring innovative implementation and delivery of program targets in alignment with the strategic plan and annual goals.
• You are a proactive and creative problem solver. You lead the development of creative and innovative program delivery management systems for each project, focusing on inclusivity and transformative approaches.
• You are a team-player extraordinaire. You thrive in a close-knit team environment that values shared integrity, inclusive collaboration, sustainable resilience, and continuous learning.
• An effective trainer and capacity builder. You are experienced in developing staff and partner skills, ensuring teams have the technical knowledge to implement programs successfully.
• A data-driven decision-maker. You leverage monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks to track program impact, improve performance, and ensure accurate reporting.
• A skilled relationship builder. You establish and maintain strong partnerships with government agencies, donors, and local communities to advance program goals.
• An effective communicator in cross-cultural settings. You bring excellent verbal and written communication skills, tailoring your approach to resonate across diverse audiences.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Studies, or a related field
• Minimum of 6 years’ work experience in a program management position with progressive responsibilities in the international NGO space.
• Excellent track record of providing organizational and leadership support to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of programs and projects.
• Excellent interpersonal, networking, and negotiation skills with staff, government, and partners motivated by high-quality service delivery.
• Ability to think clearly and analytically, set priorities, solve problems, and make timely and appropriate decisions.
• Strong communication capabilities with excellent proficiency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
• Experience in planning, budgeting, and executing complex strategies.
• Track record of successfully managing multiple large-scale projects.
• Strong understanding of systems used to track performance.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND BENEFITS

TREES is an International Organization that strives to be the best home for staff wanting to make an impact on the farmers we serve. We believe that the diversity of our staff contributes to excellence. TREES values collaboration and teamwork that fosters increased engagement and innovation for professional growth.

We offer a multicultural, collegial work environment with a competitive salary, comprehensive medical insurance, workers’ compensation, and substantial paid time off, including annual leave and sick leave.

APPLY

If this opportunity speaks to you, please apply with 1) a cover letter that explains why TREES’ work excites you and why this role is a fit for you, and 2) your resume, by July 29th, 2025. Ensure both documents are shared as PDF or Word documents. We review applications on a rolling basis.

Trees for the Future is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, or other characteristics or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

We embrace and value diverse skill sets and backgrounds. We are a community of leaders who are proud to represent many different national, racial, ethnic, socio-economic, religious, gender, and other identities. Our diversity as a community is our strength, driving our ability to be empathetic, visionary, and effective leaders.

Due to the high volume of applications received, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.