Senior Ecosystems Management Specialist

Grade: IS - 5

Deadline: 21 November 2019 (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 approved 111 projects in 99 countries and has committed USD 5.0 billion in climate finance. In addition, it has built up an extensive program to support developing countries 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 make unique contributions to the Fund, enriching the institution through their combined expertise and professional commitment.

Position description  

The Senior Ecosystems Management Specialist, reporting to the Deputy Director, Adaptation of DMA, is responsible for the expansion and evolution of GCF’s ecosystems within the results areas of ecosystems and ecosystem services as well as forest and land use, together with wider organization policies.

Working closely with accredited entities, national designated authorities and other internal/external stakeholders, the Senior Ecosystems Management Specialist provides leadership and oversight of the portfolio of investments in ecosystems and ecosystem services, which distinguishes the Fund as a unique partner towards addressing climate change.

Duties and responsibilities

Purpose

• Leads the development of strategy, policy, technical documents and tools focused on ecosystems management and investment, and assessment aligned towards adaptation, mitigation and overall country/sectoral programming strategies;
• Oversees sectoral pipeline and portfolio performance to ensure investment targets are met;

Engagement

• Advocates with DMA colleagues and GCF Program Leadership on ecosystems and ecosystem services planning and development approaches, relevant methodologies, and country needs;
• Negotiates with external stakeholders as they access the Fund’s investment resources (including scalable catalytic facilities), and provide technical advice on ecosystems-related activities in line with GCF objectives;

​​​​​​​Delivery

• Oversees ecosystems portfolio activities from the development of concept notes to the monitoring of project implementation in line with DMA strategy, and ensures their alignment with cycles of funding and project development;
• Organizes knowledge management resources and tools to strengthen the quality of sectoral and country-level projects to shift the paradigm on low-emission and climate-resilient ecosystems development;
• Contributes to corporate and team activities such as strategic planning and programming, Board support, hiring processes, consultant selections, communications, and replenishment, by providing relevant inputs, and managing consultants, interns and other GCF staff as necessary.

​​​​​​​

Required experience and qualifications*

• Master’s or higher-level degree in ecosystem ecology, geography, environmental science, environmental economics; natural resources management or other relevant fields;
• 11 years or more experience in project origination, development, and management and/or financing with specific emphasis on ecosystems and land use sector;
• Substantive expertise in one or more of the following areas: ecosystems management, ecosystem services including payments for ecosystem services, ecosystems-based adaptation, climate change adaptation of various ecosystem types (i.e. floodplain and terrestrial, coastal and marine, desert and dryland, forests, etc.);
• Relevant experience in climate finance operations in ecosystems management; familiarity with multilateral funds, including the UNFCCC framework;
• Fluency in English with knowledge of Spanish and/or French is an advantage.

*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.