Our Guiding Star: Building Resilience
QCF was established in 2019 by the founders of Quadrature Capital, Greg Skinner and Suneil Setiya, out of a recognition of the persistent poverty, inequality, and human suffering that shape our societies. Our founders were already active philanthropists in these areas, and came to understand how climate would compound them, driving food insecurity, deepening displacement, and pushing the most vulnerable into crisis. This realisation led them to establish QCF with a focus on climate as the defining challenge of our time.
In 2025, the founders and QCF decided to bring the Foundation's climate funding together with other private philanthropic funding streams across poverty, inequality and human suffering under an expanded Foundation remit. QCF’s updated mandate is based on our core belief: that acute human suffering now, and cascading climate risks ahead, are interconnected crises that threaten the stability of societies everywhere. This demands action both downstream, to address poverty and inequality and help people secure their lives and dignity today; and upstream, to build the conditions that make lasting climate and societal transformation possible and durable for tomorrow.
Within this expanded direction, QCF is seeking five Programme Directors across the following portfolios:
Job description – Programme Director, Ecosystems and Natural Resources
QCF is now seeking a senior strategic leader to shape and continue to build its Ecosystems and Natural Resources portfolio. Ecosystems regulate the flows of food, water, clean air and materials on which societies depend. When they are degraded, economic and social resilience erodes; when protected and regenerated, they underpin long-term prosperity and climate stability.
Natural resource governance sits at the centre of urgent climate and development challenges. Rising climate impacts, demographic pressures and global demand are intensifying stress on land, forests, fisheries and water systems — many of which also serve as critical carbon stores. How these resources are governed will determine whether countries and communities build regenerative, long-term resilience or become locked into extractive pathways that undermine ecological integrity and economic stability.
The portfolio seeks to enable development and strengthen resilience without reinforcing extractive futures, aligning local stewardship, economic opportunity and system-level incentives around the long-term health of ecosystems and the people who depend on them. Initial sectoral priorities include:
Across these areas, the portfolio focuses on strengthening rights and decision-making power for farmers, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities; supporting locally grounded knowledge and leadership; expanding sustainable livelihood pathways; and shifting markets, finance and governance systems so that responsible stewardship is valued and protected.
This is a global portfolio with early geographic priorities in the Western Indian Ocean, the Congo Basin and West Africa.
Reporting to a Managing Director, the Programme Director will steward a multi-year, potentially nine-figure portfolio, predominantly grant-making with selective use of catalytic and innovative finance. They will define strategic priorities, refine portfolio boundaries, steward complex partnerships, embed robust learning practices and contribute sector expertise to QCF’s catalytic capital agenda. Central to the role is building trusted relationships across governments, civil society, Indigenous and community leaders, research institutions, multilaterals and market actors, ensuring QCF’s capital strengthens local legitimacy and systemic alignment.
QCF is now seeking a senior leader with substantial experience at director level (or equivalent) in ecosystems, natural resources or closely related fields. The successful candidate will bring strong expertise in resource governance across agriculture, forests, land use, oceans or water systems, and familiarity with political economy dynamics in priority geographies, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa.
They will demonstrate:
The role requires sophisticated systems thinking — understanding how economic, governance, financial and knowledge systems interact with foundational ecological resource flows — and the ability to translate this into clear strategic choices and funding decisions. Candidates must be comfortable operating under uncertainty, engaging credibly with senior leaders and boards, and refining strategy in response to evidence and changing external conditions.
Above all, the Programme Director will combine intellectual rigour with humility, relational intelligence and resilience. They will demonstrate a deep commitment to QCF’s partner-led, power-aware approach, acting as an enabler of regenerative, locally grounded resilience rather than a central driver of change.
If you're passionate about advancing systemic change and building a just and resilient world, we would be delighted to hear from you.
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter detailing the specific Programme Director role you are applying for here: https://PLusPortal.PerrettLaver.com quoting reference number 8336.
The deadline for the receipt of applications is 11:59pm GMT on Friday 27th March 2026.
The role will be based in QCF’s London office, on a hybrid working arrangement, with some expected travel when required.
Perrett Laver will conduct an executive search process. Longlisted candidates will be invited to interview with Perrett Laver in early April and a final shortlist for the post will be identified in mid-April. QCF’s interviews with the shortlisted candidates will take place thereafter.
Guided by its core values of collaboration, humility, bravery, objectivity, and drive, QCF strives to make a global impact while maintaining a workplace where every voice is valued. QCF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.
To confidentially get in touch about this role, or for advice on your application please email, Ryann Schutt ryann.schutt@perrettlaver.com.
Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats or require any reasonable adjustments to assist you in the selection process, please contact Kelly Harding kelly.harding@perrettlaver.com.
If you have comments that would support us to improve access to documentation, or our application processes more generally, please do not hesitate to contact us via accessibility@perrettlaver.com.
Perrett Laver’s GDPR Policy
Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver and we take this responsibility very seriously. Any information obtained by our trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide us with is securely stored on our computerised database and transferred to our clients for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in.
Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, and our legal basis for processing your personal data is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to us processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and our approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit our website https://perrettlaver.com/privacy-statement/.
