Programme Specialist (Talent Pool)

Grade: IS-4
Deadline: 11 February 2024 (11:59 PM KST)
Job Category: International
Salary: USD 123,770 net (plus attractive benefits, that include the following allowances (as applicable): Relocation, dependency, housing, education assistance and home country travel.

Talent Pool: (1. Africa, 2. Middle East and North Africa, 3. South Asia)

Introduction
The mission of the Green Climate Fund is to assist developing countries to respond to climate change while bringing prosperity to their people.

Established in 2010, the GCF invests in transformational climate projects in the developing world. The Fund makes an ambitious contribution to global climate action and channels significant financial resources into developing countries to help build low-emission and climate-resilient societies. It is country-driven and undertakes actions that reflect the circumstances of each country concerned and its national aspirations. The GCF is a key enabler of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Since its establishment, the GCF has approved 216 projects in 129 countries and has committed USD 12.0 billion in climate finance. In addition, it has built up an extensive program to support developing countries to identify their needs, in particular, those who are most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

The GCF’s diverse workforce is advancing its mission from its headquarters in South Korea. Our talented staff makes unique contributions to the Fund, enriching the institution through their combined expertise and professional commitment.
 

Position Objective
The Programme Specialist leads policy and programme engagement with countries and regional blocks, provides substantive guidance to NDAs, AEs, and sector Ministries on GCF programming, investment criteria and partnership modalities. S/he works under the supervision of the Regional Manager, collaborating with interdivisional teams to achieve programming targets. The Specialist leads engagement and origination in countries of increased complexity with large portfolio, fragile and conflict affected states, climate impact at scale due to large population size and / or humanitarian contexts, special needs countries such as Least Developed Countries (LDCs); Small Islands Developing States (SIDS). The Specialist possesses sectoral programming expertise in mitigation and / or adaptation workstreams and / or climate finance skills set and provides project development and technical assistance to countries. S/he is responsible for establishing and maintaining impactful, collaborative relationships with countries and partners and provide on the ground information to inform regional and country program. The Specialist has 3 client facing results areas: (i) Country and Regional Dialogue, (ii) Programming, (iii) Origination and Project Preparation Support.  

Country and Regional Dialogue (30%)  

• Lead GCF support to the NDA to establish effective in country coordination mechanisms, inclusive of Government, AEs and DAEs, civil society, private sector, and indigenous people’s formations.
• Lead the design of country and regional dialogues, updating partners on GCF strategic directions, financing instruments and other policy developments. 
• Collaborate with the Private Sector Facility to co-design and coordinate country / regional private sector dialogues, positioning GCF priority programming with the private sector in line with the Updated Strategic Plan
• Lead GCF engagement with Regional Economic Communities, identifying opportunities for collaboration on regional initiatives, setting the base for multi country programming. 
• Researches and prepares country narratives including challenges and potential adaptation and mitigation interventions and measures, briefing materials for senior management engagement with regional blocks, countries, and partners. 
• Develop and implement donor complementary mechanisms to enhance country coordination and multi-stakeholder consultation in the context of developing funding proposals. 
• Lead translation of GCF programming targets to pipelines in consultation with partners, ensuring convergence between country priorities and GCF strategic directions

Programming (40%) 

• Interprets country / regional political, socio-economic developments and climate finance needs to determine opportunities for GCF financing. 
• Develop and implement best programming approaches in countries of coverage, focus on results and impact. 
• Leads preparation of Country Programmes, contributes to institutionalizing a cycle approach and results orientation in programming. 
• Promote country programme as the center of pipeline prioritization and development in consultation with NDAs / AEs/ DAEs and interdivisional teams. 
• Explore with NDAs the potential new DAEs application and support their application
• Leads midterm review of the country programs, collaborating with NDAs / AEs / Sector Ministries to leverage project successes demonstrating GCF impact and support course correction measures. 
• Leads country stakeholder consultations at every stage of the program cycle ensuring country ownership of GCF program. 
• Promote the use of readiness as a strategic capacity building and programming instrument, ensuring technical rigor, systemic interventions, cycle approach and results orientation in its deployment. 
• Guide NDAs and delivery partners in the development of readiness proposals
• Apply Programming and Technical Capacity Assessment Tool to determine potential AE programming competencies and relevance for accreditation and programming with GCF. 
• Lead country program completion reporting at the end of the cycle and facilitate application of lessons learnt in new programs. 

Origination and Project preparation (30%) 

• Lead pipeline development and project origination in collaboration with technical teams, ensuring that project ideation is guided by the country program, whilst reading the market to identify emerging strategic and synergetic opportunities for GCF investments, promoting inter-sectoral and innovative approaches.  
• Serve as a “one-stop-shop” facilitator, providing substantive conceptual and policy support to technical teams from origination to project development and approval, implementation, and reporting.
• Provide project development and technical assistance support to countries in preparation of concept notes and funding proposals. 
• Collaborate with technical teams to co-design and coordinate country / regional technical sector dialogues and project orginations, positioning GCF priority programming with the country’s NDA and AEs/DAEs in line with the Updated Strategic Plan
• Collaborates with inter-divisional teams to assess country capacities to underpin prioritization of projects and realism in the deployment of financing instruments. 
• Serves as an Expert on countries covered, negotiates internally to secure necessary support on programme issues, participates in corporate task teams, responds to ad hoc requests for information, briefs/reports on the regional and country specific programmes. 
• Guide Accredited Entities in project development ensuring that country needs and priorities frame proposed interventions.
• Lead origination and review of Readiness Proposals, Concept Notes and Funding Proposals ensuring compliance with GCF investment criteria. 
• Follow up on Concept Notes developed through readiness to ensure match maker of AE/DAE to lead the submission to GCF’s pipeline projects

Education and Experience

• A Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Climate Finance, Engineering, Sustainable Development, Natural Sciences, Investment Planning, and related fields. A minimum of nine (9) years of relevant work experience or Bachelor’s degree plus two (2) more years of experience. 
• Proven experience in developing countries and/or in a multilateral programming environment, coupled with experience in deploying climate financing instruments. 
• In-depth knowledge and field experience in countries covered by the role, coupled with extensive sectoral programme management experience. 
• Demonstrated technical leadership and sectoral expertise in areas of GCF mandate 
• Experience in leading country / regional program development and project preparation 
• Experience in project development and technical assistance delivery to countries, coupled with prior experience in supporting country/ regional dialogue and multisectoral coordination 
• Language Requirements: For Africa: English and Portuguese or French, for MENA: English and French or Arabic, for South Asia English 
   

The closing date for application is 11 February 2024. Applications submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

*The person assessed by the Selection Panel as most suitable for the position will be proposed for appointment. Selection among short-listed candidates will also take into account performance at interview, appropriate testing, and references. 

Applications from women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged.