Grade: IS - 4

Deadline: 21 November 2018, 11:59 PM KST

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

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 which 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 mobilized 10.3 billion USD, accredited 75 entities to channel its resources and approved 93 funding proposals for a total investment from the GCF of over $4.6 billion. In addition, the decision  has just been made to launch the first replenishment of the Fund.

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

Position description

The Climate Policy Specialist as part of the Fund’s Songdo-based headquarters team will be responsible for leading analysis of policy and governance issues across the Fund, in particular processes related to the Board of the Fund. The Specialist will be responsible for assisting the team with a range of operational and analytical tasks necessary for engaging and responding to Board mandates, including the tracking of key internal and external policy developments and providing strategic input to formulation and implementation of key Fund policy.  

Duties and responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the International Climate Policy Specialist, she/he will be responsible for:

• Lead in initiatives to facilitate and support the formulation, drafting, implementation and review of policies and procedures relevant for the Fund operation;
• Provide technical policy advise and backstop in the drafting of Board policy and development of inputs in cooperation with Divisions and Offices across the Secretariat, operational divisions from a crosscutting perspective informed by operations across the Fund;
• Identify and monitor interconnections and dependencies across adopted and proposed policy items/documents, and ensure consistency across policy work;
• Liaise with divisional focal points in matters in the articulation of policy efforts in attainment of joint KPIs;
• Prepare strategic policy briefs, analytical documents, talking points, and related materials to facilitate decision-making processes and support senior management; 
• Support across all work of the Office of Governance Affairs on climate policy, including complementarity and coherence with other Funds, input to operations of the GCF, and operations of the Board;
• Monitor, analyse and socialize overall climate
policy trends, particularly on climate finance;
• Track and maintain a calendar of climate finance events, meetings, and relevant fora; and 
• Other activities as required and instructed by the Head of the Office of Governance Affairs and the International Climate Policy Specialist.

Expected experience and qualifications*

• Master’s degree in international relations, law, environmental policy, economics, finance, sustainable development, climate policy or related fields; 
• At least 9 years of relevant work experience, including involvement in international climate negotiations and/or climate finance processes;
• Advanced knowledge of and experience in climate finance policy, as well as with policy development and design, particularly in the multilateral context with high-level political stakeholders and technical experts; 
• Ability to work independently and engage with senior management of Fund to provide innovative and new approaches;
• Demonstrated ability for complex problem solving and critical thinking on matters related to governance and coordination with others;
• Ability to read and communicate (written and spoken) fluently in English; the ability to read and communicate in one or more other major languages (French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic) is desirable; 
• Ability to work under pressure, under strict timelines, demonstrating complex problem solving with independent judgment and decision-making, for the delivery of tasks related to the post with high quality and timeliness;
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures;
• Suitability to undertake the responsibilities mentioned above at the required level, with the following:
  • (a)  Proven application of expertise; 
  • (b) Able to act as a team leader when required, with supervision from the team head; and
  • (c)  A team-player with a proactive and can-do attitude.

*The person assessed by the Selection Panel as most suitable for the position will be proposed for appointment. The above criteria should be seen as indicators of the experience and skills that would qualify candidates for consideration. 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.