Land Enrolment Specialist Level Extension Officer

Land Enrolment Specialist Level Extension Officers, Spekboom Restoration Project

Land Enrolment Department

Location: Eastern Cape, Rural  

Reports to: Project manager – Land Enrolment

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will revitalise landscapes, combat climate change, and promote sustainable agriculture? Join NatCarbon Africa: a mission-driven, proudly African organisation dedicated to high-quality implementation of large-scale carbon, climate, and biodiversity projects. We embrace the power of innovative technology to enhance project execution. Community engagement lies at the heart of our projects, driven by a genuine commitment to meaningful and inclusive participation and co-benefits, such as biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic upliftment. 

NatCarbon Africa seeks Land Enrolment Specialist Level Extension Officers in the Land Enrolment Department for the large-scale Spekboom Restoration Project in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.

With our partner, Imperative Global, our aim is to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded subtropical thicket biome. The Project entails planting Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) on privately owned land to improve ecosystem functioning and agricultural productivity over time, promote biodiversity, improve soil filtration, enhance water storage capabilities, and to reduce soil erosion. The Project is estimated to permanently store large quantities of Carbon Dioxide over the Project life, thus positively contributing towards climate change mitigation.

Position Summary: 

The Land enrolment specialists need to build strong long-lasting relationships with the Eastern Cape farming community for our Spekboom reforestation project. This is a role critical to the project's land acquisition strategy, focusing on engaging rural landowners to secure long-term (40-year) lease agreements in the Eastern Cape and parts of the Western Cape. Reporting to the Project Manager - Land Enrolment, this position involves direct fieldwork to build relationships, promote the project's benefits, and secure favourable lease agreements that align with project objectives. The role requires a skilled communicator who can "sell" the project's long-term value, emphasizing financial stability, community development, and sustainable land use to encourage landowner participation. The ideal candidate will balance persistence with empathy, ensuring ethical practices while meeting acquisition targets in diverse rural contexts.

Roles and Responsibilities: 

Landowner Engagement and Relationship Building:

• Identify and approach potential landowners in rural areas of the Eastern Cape and targeted Western Cape regions through fieldwork, referrals, and community networks.


• Conduct one-on-one meetings, site visits, and group sessions to foster trust and understand landowner needs, concerns, and motivations.


• Collaborate with local authorities, traditional leaders, and community organizations to facilitate introductions and endorsements.


• Maintain a database of landowner interactions, tracking engagement progress and follow-ups.

Project Promotion and Sales:

• Actively "sell" the project to landowners by articulating its benefits, including competitive lease payments over 40 years, potential revenue sharing, job creation, infrastructure improvements, and environmental safeguards.


• Prepare and deliver tailored presentations, brochures, and proposals that highlight how the 40-year lease enhances land value without relinquishing ownership.


• Address objections related to long-term commitments, such as economic uncertainties or land use changes, by providing data-driven reassurances and case studies.


• Improve conversion rates from initial contact to signed agreements, refining sales tactics based on feedback and outcomes.

Securing of Lease Agreements:

• Lead engagement for 40-year lease agreements, ensuring terms are mutually beneficial, compliant with South African land laws (e.g., Restitution of Land Rights Act, Extension of Security of Tenure Act), and aligned with project requirements.


• Draft preliminary lease proposals, incorporating clauses for rent escalations, renewal options, termination conditions, and environmental protections.


• Coordinate with legal teams for contract reviews and finalisations, handling due diligence processes like title verifications and environmental assessments.


• Resolve negotiation impasses through creative problem-solving, escalating complex issues to the Project Manager as needed.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Ensure all negotiations and agreements adhere to regulatory standards, including those from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and provincial environmental bodies.


• Identify risks such as community disputes or legal challenges, implementing mitigation strategies to protect project interests.


• Promote transparency and ethical conduct in all dealings to build long-term goodwill and avoid reputational harm.


• Document all relevant processes for audit trails and reporting purposes.

Reporting and Support:

• Provide regular updates to the Project Manager on pipelines, progress toward targets, and emerging challenges.


• Assist in developing enrolment strategies, including market analysis of land values and trends in the Eastern and Western Cape.


• Support junior staff and field teams with training on landowner engagement.


• Contribute to post-acquisition activities, such as handover to operations teams and ongoing landowner relations.

Additional Duties:

• Participate in community outreach events to raise project awareness and generate leads.


• Stay informed on rural land market dynamics, policy changes, and incentives for long-term leases.


• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., finance for budgeting lease costs, environmental for impact studies).


• Perform other related tasks as assigned by the Project Manager to advance land enrolment goals.

General: 

• Embrace a culture of continuous learning by adapting to evolving job responsibilities, driven by NatCarbon Africa’s commitment to innovation, personal growth, and shifting operational priorities 


• Some travel within the Eastern and Western Cape may be required, including to remote locations, with occasional weekend or holiday work to accommodate schedules. Work hours may be irregular.


• This outline of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. The employer reserves the right to assign additional duties or responsibilities at any time, provided they are reasonably aligned with the scope of the role or necessitated by operational requirements. The functions and responsibilities detailed within this job description may be subject to modification at the employer’s discretion, based on evolving operational requirements, while remaining consistent with the parameters of the employee’s position.

 Skills: 

• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities, including active listening, persuasion, and public speaking in rural settings.


• Knowledge of South African land tenure systems, rural economies, and cultural nuances in the Eastern and Western Cape.


• Proficiency in tools such as Microsoft Office Suite (for reports and presentations), and basic GIS for land mapping.


• Analytical skills to assess landowner profiles, evaluate risks, and prepare mitigation strategies.


• Fluency in English and Afrikaans, Xhosa beneficial.


• Ability to manage time effectively during extensive travel and fieldwork.


• Persuasive and resilient, with a knack for building rapport in diverse rural communities.


• Ethical and patient, committed to fair and transparent dealings over long-term horizons.


• Proactive and results-driven, with a focus on achieving acquisition targets.


• Adaptable to challenging rural environments, including remote travel and variable conditions.


• Empathetic and culturally aware, respecting landowner perspectives and community values.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Environmental Management, or a related field. Relevant certifications or experience in land management are advantageous.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Preferably 5-7 years in land negotiation or stakeholder engagement, with at least 3 years in rural or agricultural contexts in South Africa. Demonstrated success in securing long-term leases or similar agreements, preferably in the Eastern or Western Cape, will be beneficial.

Working Conditions

Frequent travel within the Eastern and Western Cape anticipated, including to remote locations. Travel may on occasion cross weekends and holidays to accommodate schedules. Work hours may be irregular

You will join a great team! We are:

• From diverse locations and backgrounds, but all experts in our respective fields. We bring together a wide range of cross-sector experiences, ideas, and skills


• Relentless in our pursuit of excellence and innovation, always pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. But it is not all work for us – we also believe in celebrating our successes, recognising individual contributions, and taking time to support each other’s growth and development


• At our core, explorers, constantly learning, evolving, and seeking new ways to deliver impactful solutions. We are not afraid to dream big, take risks, and step out of our comfort zones because we know that together, we can achieve great things

Compensation

To help us attract and retain top talent, NatCarbon Africa pays employees competitively to the market, depending on experience. Salary is one component of NatCarbon Africa’s total compensation package which also includes health care and life insurance, contributions to each employee’s retirement plan, paid time off and funds to support professional development. We will recognise employees who go beyond expected performance with salary increases and/or promotions.

In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:

• Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance.


• Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and


• Embody the values of NatCarbon Africa.

How to Apply

To apply, please send us the following:

• Cover letter (not to exceed one page).


• Resume/CV (not to exceed three pages).

Please add app.bamboohr.com to your contact list to ensure you receive emails from us

NatCarbon Africa provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination.

Only applications received online via the NatCarbon website or LinkedIn Page will be considered