Associate member of TerraCircle
Currently based in Timor-Leste.

Skills

Sarah is an international development professional with over a decade of experience spanning the full programme cycle, including design, proposal development, fundraising, and adaptive management. 

 She has spent more than five years working in Asia and the Pacific, with extensive experience in Timor-Leste. Sarah is recognized for leading participatory design processes, facilitating stakeholder mapping and engagement, and developing high-quality, fundable proposals for complex, multi-partner initiatives. She brings strong technical knowledge of climate change adaptation, resilience, and livelihoods, with a proven ability to translate technical concepts into evidence-based programme designs.

Sarah is deeply committed to inclusive, locally driven approaches that strengthen community ownership and long-term sustainability. 

Experience

International Development Consultant — Timor-Leste

• Lead project design and fundraising processes for international organizations in health, GBV prevention, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction 
• Facilitate participatory design workshops to ensure locally grounded priorities and donor alignment 
• Provide technical guidance on proposal narratives, theories of change, and results frameworks for adaptation and resilience projects 
• Deliver capacity strengthening for local partners on adaptive management and monitoring systems 
• Authored a Timor-Leste–specific report on carbon finance and adaptation opportunities in agroforestry and land-use systems (anticipated publication November 2025) 

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Head of Programming — Timor-Leste

• Directed a $3.5M national portfolio in food security, climate resilience, and emergency preparedness 
• Supervised 30+ staff, ensuring adaptive learning, gender and social inclusion, and evidence-based programme quality 
• Led design processes and proposal development for new initiatives with government ministries and local partners, positioning CRS for climate and resilience-focused pipelines 
• Strengthened stakeholder coordination with government and development partners in agriculture and adaptation sectors 

Business Development Specialist II, East Asia & Pacific — Cambodia

• Managed proposal development processes, across 7 countries, coordinating 80+ submissions and securing $30M+ in awards from donors including UN agencies, DFAT, USAID, and foundations 
• Designed multi-country adaptation and resilience proposals in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste, integrating nature-based and community-led solutions 
• Facilitated strategy workshops aligning proposals with national adaptation priorities and donor frameworks 
• Mentored 14 staff on proposal design, compliance, and partnership coordination; provided direct accompaniment through full proposal cycles 

• Co-led Pacific Strategy development and donor positioning for resilience and livelihoods programming 

Temporary Assignment: Climate Change Programme Manager — Timor-Leste

• Designed and led startup of a $1.1M community-based agroforestry and forest land-use proposal engaging 10 communities and 500 farmers 
• Led participatory consultations and managed technical experts to ensure ecological suitability and sustainable livelihoods outcomes 

Project Support Manager — USA

• Oversaw compliance and programme quality for a $20M+ Asia portfolio, supporting field teams on design, reporting, and adaptive learning 

Business Development Specialist I — USA

• Supported multi-country proposal development across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, ensuring integration of sectoral frameworks and MEAL systems 

Programme Manager & Fellow, Education and Child Protection — Iraq

• Secured $3M in new funding and managed education recovery programming for conflict-affected children across seven schools 

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) — Washington, DC

Supported proposal development, reporting, and stakeholder engagement for governance and private-sector projects in fragile contexts Details coming soon

Education

• Postgraduate Certificate, Climate Change and Development
• MA, Arab Studies
• BA, Political Science
• Palestine and Arabic Studies (PAS) Programme

Certifications & Skills 

• Proficient in Google Workspace 
• Climate Finance Professional Learning – Columbia Climate School 
• USAID Procurement & Finance – Humentum 
• Coach Approach Leadership Training – Aid for Aid Workers