SUSTAINABLE FINANCE SENIOR OFFICER, CENTRAL AMERICA

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

GGGI is seeking to expand its sustainable finance footprint in El Salvador and, more broadly, Central America to accelerate the transformation of financial sector architecture to drive increased financial flows towards NDC and SDG goals and implement GGGI’s activities under the framework of the European Commission Global Green Bond Initiative (GGBI), a Global Gateway Investment Agenda flagship initiative. 

GGGI sustainable finance priorities and corresponding opportunities are presented broadly below:

CONTEXT

GGGI has a rapidly expanding sustainable finance portfolio, assisting public and private financial sector actors to design, structure and bring to market innovative sustainable finance solutions, including green, social and sustainability bonds, sustainability-linked instruments, debt for nature/climate swaps, green credit and guarantee schemes. Since 2017, GGGI has successfully mobilized investment commitments exceeding USD 10 billion towards its member countries’ NDC and SDG goals.

In 2024 GGGI entered a partnership with the European Commission (EC) to deliver technical assistance under the framework of the EU Global Green Bond Initiative (GGBI). Under the framework of the GGBI, GGGI is tasked to promote the development of green bond markets by accompanying first-time issuers in EU partner countries across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Southeast Asia (SEA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to enter the green bond market.

GGGI is to support a minimum of twenty (20) issuers from low- and middle-income countries throughout the issuance of green bonds, mobilizing at least USD 3 billion, yielding significant environmental and economic benefits, including a reduction of emissions equivalent to 130 million tons of CO2e, the sustainable management of 300,000 hectares of forest, the creation of 250,000 green jobs and enhance the climate change resilience of 2 million beneficiaries.

GGGI activities are organized under 4 outputs:

POSITION SUMMARY

Based in San Salvador, the Sustainable Finance Senior Officer will lead and coordinate GGGI’s sustainable finance activities in Central America, with special focus on the implementation of the GGGI-GGBI Central America Portfolio. 

The Senior Officer will lead the identification, engagement and technical assistance to public and private financial sector actors to accelerate the design of innovative sustainable finance instruments, including but not limited to thematic bonds, to increase the flow of finance to Central America countries’ NDC and SDG goals. 

The Sustainable Finance Senior Officer will possess extensive sustainable finance expertise, acting as principal sustainable finance expert for Central America throughout the implementation of the GGBI program, taking a lead in the identification, engagement and technical assistance to GGBI issuers and beneficiaries. 

The Senior Officer will be part of an international sustainable finance team spread across the globe and report to GGGI Head of Programs and Investment Lead for Latin America and the Caribbean.

ENGAGEMENT

• Support the engagement with GGGI Central America member countries in Central America on sustainable finance and green investment workstreams.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with ministries of finance and environment, local financial institutions, national development banks, international financial institutions and international climate funds.

• Engage with public and private financial sector actors to originate sustainable finance opportunities.

• Map, identify and engage with potential green bond issuers, stock exchanges, SPO providers and relevant industry actors.

• Map and engage with potential green bond issuers, secure mandate letters to activate GGGI-GGBI technical assistance.

• Build and maintain a network of partner Second Party Opinion providers, Stock Exchanges, partner Arrangers, institutional investors, perspective issuers.

• Regularly engage with donors and cooperation partners to explore, identify, and materialize funding opportunities to expand GGGI’s sustainable finance interventions in Central America.

DELIVERY

• Lead the design and structuring of sustainable finance instruments.

• Develop issuers’ Green Bond Frameworks, including i) Use of Proceeds, ii) Process for projects identification and selection, iii) Management of Proceeds, iv) Monitoring and reporting.

• Deliver demand-based technical assistance to the Ministry of Economy and Finance to design and implement sustainable finance instruments, regulations and policies, including but not limited to: taxonomies, climate-budget tagging, climate finance strategies, international climate funds’ funding proposals, thematic bonds and swaps, among others.

• Deliver capacity building to perspective issuers, in the form of workshops, webinars and bilateral engagement to build issuers’ awareness and capacity to complete green bond issuances.

• Negotiate with Second Party Opinion providers to secure positive evaluation of issuers’ green bond framework.

• Accompany the issuers in investor roadshows to respond and clarify potential investors’ questions.

• Assist issuers to screen, identify, prioritize and select eligible green projects.

REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Economy, Finance, Public Administration or other related fields.

• An advanced degree in Finance, Public Administration, Economics, International Affairs or other relevant field is valued.

• Preferably 9 years of professional experience in sustainable finance.

• Prior experience with green, social, or sustainable bonds is a strong asset.

• Familiarity with national and international taxonomies is a strong asset (e.g. EU taxonomy, Climate Bond Initiative).

• Experience and familiarity with sustainable finance and sustainable banking standards is an asset.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish are essential for this position (the selection process will involve a technical tests in English).

• A national of El Salvador, or in possess of a valid working visa. 

FUNCTIONAL

• Commitment and willingness to work across time zones, with at least one call per week taking place at 7am local time.

• Exceptional analytical skills, alongside strong synthesis skills.

• Leadership, teamwork and creative problem-solving abilities.

• Able to pick up and assimilate relevant information quickly and easily. Learns new tasks rapidly Responds swiftly and appropriately. Can think on their feet in rapidly changing environments.

• Excellent ability to multi-task and prioritize under stressful circumstances.

• Attention to detail, quality control and strong organizational abilities.

CORPORATE

• Understand and actively supports GGGI’s mission, vision and values.

• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.

• Process and share information easily.

• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily.

• Promote creativity and innovation among staff.

• Be able to lead where needed and provide solutions to project-level challenge.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Sustainable Finance Senior Officer is an X9 grade level in GGGI’s El Salvador Salary Scale. For X9 national grade, the base salary starts from USD 52,308. Determination of base salary is subject to candidate’s experience, academic background and internal equity. GGGI provides 15% of base salary towards retirement plan/long-term savings, 27 days of annual leave, and private health insurance that covers dental and vision.

GGGI is committed to providing a work environment that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate diverse life-cycle challenges and assist Staff members to achieve a better balance between work and personal/family commitments, thus ensuring high performance, long-term productivity, and well-being of Staff members.