Please note this role can be based in Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur.
Are you passionate about scaling conservation and nature-based solutions?
Lestari Capital are searching for a Head of Portfolio Development who is responsible for originating and onboarding high-quality nature-based solutions (NBS) projects into the Rimba Collective portfolio. This role requires a strong understanding of land-based conservation and restoration opportunities, commercial structuring, and commercial negotiations with potential projects/asset owners. The successful candidate will lead the strategy development for building a robust and scalable project pipeline, managing internal processes for Rimba Collective portfolio development, and leading origination and onboarding of projects into the Rimba Collective portfolio to deliver long-term environmental and social impact.
About Rimba Collective
Rimba Collective is a pioneering nature-based solutions fund that aims to conserve and restore 500,000 hectares of forests in Southeast Asia. By leveraging long-term financial commitments from leading consumer goods companies, Rimba Collective provides sustainable financing for conservation and restoration projects that protect biodiversity, sequester carbon, and support local communities.
Key Responsibilities
Portfolio Development Strategy & Management
- Define and execute the strategic direction for Rimba Collective’s project portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate users’ sustainability commitments, regulatory trends, market demand, and commercial viability.
- Assess and refine project selection criteria to maintain a high-quality portfolio with a strong risk-return profile.
- Manage and maintain an internal database of project opportunities, ensuring up-to-date tracking of project status, risks, and decision-making processes.
- Coordinate internal processes of project origination and onboarding across all departments.
- Provide insights on regional policies, compliance requirements, and emerging opportunities in the NBS sector.
Project Origination
- Develop and implement an origination strategy to systematically identify and engage with potential conservation and restoration projects ranging from 40,000 to 100,000 hectares.
- Build and maintain partnerships with forestry asset owners, forest managers, government agencies, and conservation organizations to develop a diverse and sustainable project pipeline.
- Lead initial screening process to assess projects' environmental, social, and financial feasibility towards onboarding stage.
Project Onboarding
- Optimize and oversee the project onboarding process to ensure efficiency, data accuracy, and compliance with Rimba Collective’s quality control mechanisms.
- Work closely with internal teams, including legal, finance, and technical specialists, to structure deals that meet both project developer and corporate user expectations.
- Ensure that all commercial agreements, land tenure arrangements, and financial structures are viable and aligned with Rimba Collective’s funding model and growth strategy.
Project Kick-off & Internal Coordination
- Coordinate project launch activities to ensure smooth handover from onboarding to implementation.
- Serve as the key point of contact between project operators (POs) and internal stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and adherence to agreed protocols and milestones.
Key Qualifications & Attributes
- Proven experience in project origination, deal structuring, and negotiation, ideally within the nature-based solutions, sustainable land use, or conservation finance sectors.
- Strong financial acumen with the ability to assess commercial viability and structure innovative financing models for conservation and restoration projects.
- Excellent negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with asset owners, government agencies, and corporate investors.
- Strong attention to detail, results-driven mindset, and ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Familiarity with carbon markets, nature-based solutions, and conservation finance mechanisms is a strong advantage.
- Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia or Malay is highly desirable.
- Willingness to travel within Southeast Asia for project due diligence, negotiations, and partnership-building.
Why Join Lestari Capital?
This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the largest forest conservation financing mechanism in Southeast Asia. As the Head of Portfolio Development, you will directly contribute to the protection and restoration of critical ecosystems while working at the intersection of finance, conservation, and corporate sustainability.
If this role resonates with you, we invite you to submit your application or connect with Aysen Naylor at aysen.naylor@acre.com for more information.
