Terms of Reference for

Global Convenings Coordination and Engagement Specialist

(“Consultant”)

This document serves to provide an overview of the underlying project relevant to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), context on Goals of the mandate, as well as an estimated scope of work requested from the consultant. Final details of the mandate should be covered by the subsequent proposal submitted by the consultant.

Global Fund for Coral Reef

Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) is a global blended finance partnership designed to mobilize public, philanthropic, and private capital at scale for the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of coral reef ecosystems. Operating across 22 coral developing nations—with a strongfocus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs)— GFCR blends grants, concessional capital, debt, and equity to drive systemic change through an integrated protect-transform-restore-recover approach.

Building on its operational track record and growing investment pipeline, 2026 marks a strategic moment for GFCR to deepen engagement with governments, financial institutions, reef- dependent industries, and conservation partners through a series of Global Coral Reef convenings aligned with major international ocean and climate forums. These convenings will serve as platforms to (i) showcase investable, reef-positive business models emerging from GFCR support; (ii) advance dialogue on policy, risk-sharing, and blended finance structures for coral reef economies; and (iii) catalyze additional capital commitments toward scalable solutions in sustainable fisheries, tourism, waste and wastewater management, and nature-based coastal protection.

Through its presence at these global moments in 2026, GFCR aims to reinforce its role as a bridge between conservation priorities and investment logic—demonstrating how structured technical assistance, concessional capital, and private investment can be integrated to deliver measurable ecological outcomes alongside durable economic returns, and to position coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure within the broader sustainable ocean economy.

Work Assignment

The tasks of the consultancy are:

- Lead responsibility for coordinating and managing the GFCR global convenings workplan, ensuring coherent planning, sequencing, and timely delivery of all preparatory assignments, tasks, roles, and follow-up across workstreams and counterparts.- Overall coordination and engagement across key global coral reef partners and stakeholders, including UN agencies, relevant host entities, engaged organisations, and key opinion leaders, ensuring alignment of messaging, efficient information flow, and closure on agreed actions.

- Maintain disciplined delivery systems and engagement support, including integrated delivery plans and dashboards, action and decision tracking, stakeholder intelligence and outreach toolkits, coordination cadence, and consultant interface and quality control for external-facing materials.

Core Responsibilities

• Global convening coordination and delivery management (lead): Lead coordination and day- to-day management of GFCR’s engagement in at least one key global convening(s), ensuring clear tasking, sequencing, delivery monitoring, and accountability across internal and external counterparts.

• Engagement Workstream coordination and delivery management (lead): Lead coordination and day-to-day management of the Engagement Workstream workplan, ensuring disciplined outreach sequencing, follow-up, and alignment with milestones.

• Partnership and stakeholder engagement (lead/support): Outreach and coordination with UN agencies, relevant host entities, engaged organisations, relevant stakeholders and key opinion leaders, ensuring efficient information flow, alignment of messages, and closure on agreed actions.

• Engagement and fundraising support (lead/support): Provide engagement support for outreach to public and private partners – including state and private partners, including direct outreach, preparation of briefings and meeting packs, funding proposals/needs mappings, presentations, scheduling support, action follow-up, and consolidation of engagement readouts.

• Consultant coordination and interface (lead): Lead consultant coordination and management interface relevant to the global convening preparation, including TOR support, onboarding, deliverable tracking, review coordination, drafting support, and quality control.

• Support technical and stakeholder consultations by preparing outreach packs, scheduling, participant confirmations, and pre-reads, and by capturing inputs into structured notes for synthesis.

• Convening preparation (lead): Prepare planning retreats and key meetings (participants, agendas, pre-reads, logistics coordination, and decision capture), ensuring outcomes translate into updated workplans and follow-up actions.

• Strategic communications and narrative delivery (Monitor): Monitor and quality control of messaging and materials. Draft, review and/or clear external-facing products (talking points, briefs, web copy, media lines, and collateral) and ensure consistency.Key Outputs

1. Integrated Delivery Plan & Dashboard for Engagement at Global Convening(s)

• A single, consolidated delivery plan covering workstreams, milestones, owners, dependencies, and decision points. Includes integrated dashboard to track progress against related deliverables.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. • Includes a critical path to identified global convening(s), escalation triggers, and a rolling two- week priority plan.

Coordination Operating Rhythm and Decision Tracking

• Standing coordination cadence across partners (workstream calls, drafting sprints, and convening preparations as required), with agendas and readouts.

• Centralised decisions log and action tracker with clear owners, deadlines, and follow-up, updated at least weekly.

Strategic Engagement Knowledge Base and Stakeholder Intelligence Pack

• A maintained stakeholder map spanning states, philanthropies, UN agencies, host counterparts, engaged organisations, and key opinion leaders, including roles, influence, engagement history, and priority objectives.

• Targeted background research briefs for priority stakeholders (one to two pages), including interests, past commitments, relevant public statements, and recommended engagement angles.

Engagement Toolkit and Outreach Materials (ready-to-use)

• Standardised outreach templates tailored by audience (states, philanthropies, UN entities, technical partners), including:

o draft emails and invitation language

o meeting request notes

o follow-up notes and confirmation language

o talking points and short Q and A lines

o funding proposals

• Suite of engagement materials (one-pagers, two-pagers, short briefing notes, funding proposals) to support outreach, resource mobilisation, relationship management and alliance-building.

Engagement Pipeline and Relationship Tracking

• A live engagement pipeline tracker documenting: contact information, engagement stage, objectives, planned touchpoints, meeting outcomes, commitments made, and next actions.

• Evidence of “secured engagement” such as confirmed meetings, confirmed participation, co- hosting or championing roles, and agreed follow-up pathways (captured in the tracker and reflected in the delivery plan). 

Consultant Management Package and Deliverables Control7. 8. • TORs and onboarding packages as required, plus a consultant deliverables tracker with status, risks, dependencies, and review schedule.

• Quality control and input process for outputs (version control, review routing, incorporation of comments/input, and finalisation readiness).

Convening and Retreat Product Suite

• Preparation of planning retreats, key meetings and convenings: participant management, agendas, pre-reads, logistics coordination, and facilitation support as required.

• Timely post-meeting/convening outputs produced: consolidated readout (minutes, key points, next steps), updated action tracker, and refreshed delivery plan reflecting decisions taken.

Regular Progress and Risk Snapshot

• A concise periodic snapshot (weekly or bi-weekly as required) covering delivery status against the critical path, upcoming decision points, stakeholder intelligence, and risks and mitigation actions.

Duration of Contract

The duration of the contract will run from January 26th 2026 for 4 months with the possibility of extension.

Location of Assignment

Geneva-based preferred.

Competencies and Qualifications

The consultant shall have the following competencies and qualifications:

- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations, development studies, political science, economics, environmental studies, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the fields above may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree, provided it is combined with an additional two years of qualifying experience.

- At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience in international coordination, stakeholder engagement, or programme delivery within multilateral, public–private, or international organization contexts.

- Demonstrated experience leading the coordination and delivery of international summits, high-level convenings, or comparable global engagement processes, with end-to-end

responsibility for planning, sequencing, and follow-up.- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of an additional United Nations official language is an asset.

- Proven ability to act as the central focal point within a team for a major global convening, ensuring coherence across workstreams, partners, and contributors, and serving as the primary coordination interface.

- Strong experience in global stakeholder engagement, including coordination with UN agencies, Member States, international organizations, and external partners.

- Sound technical understanding of biodiversity finance and related nature-positive investment agendas, with the ability to translate technical concepts into clear engagement materials and convening narratives.

- Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills, with demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities, consultants, and deadlines with a high degree of autonomy and professionalism.

How to Apply

To apply for this opportunity, please complete the application form available at the link below

and submit the required documents no later than 18th of January 2026 COB. Applicationsshould be sent by email to  oneocean@catalyticfinance.org.

Application form: Access the Application Form

Required documents: Curriculum Vitae & Motivation Letter

Please note that interviews are expected to take place between 20th and 22th of January 2026. Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered.