VACANCY TITLE Senior Infrastructure Officer, Nature Based Solutions for Systemic Resilience, South Asia

LOCATION Dhaka, Bangladesh or Rotterdam, The Netherlands

INTENSITY Full time 

ANTICIPATED START DATE As soon as possible

APPLICATION DEADLINE 31 01 2022; 5pm CET

ABOUT GCA

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to catalyze action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure shared learning and collaboration for a climate resilient future. Adapting to the impacts of climate change provides a “win-win” for health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic growth. The work of the GCA elevates the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and facilitates solutions, such as smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate-related threats. GCA is a rapidly growing organization with offices in Abidjan, Beijing, Dhaka, Groningen, and Rotterdam.

The GCA has an ambitious 2020-2025 business plan with three pillars:

• Programs and Action: Food Security; Using Nature for more resilient infrastructure; Water for Urban Growth and Resilience; Climate Finance; Youth Leadership
• Knowledge Acceleration: Building adaptation knowledge globally through cutting edge products such as the State and Trends in Adaptation Report and the Knowledge Exchange Platform
• Agenda Setting and Advocacy: Formulating policy messages to move the global, regional, and local adaptation agendas forward.

GCA’s Strategy and Work Program for Bangladesh and South Asia is structured around delivering impact through three workstreams: 1) catalyzing change through the Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation, 2) Nature-Based Solutions for Systemic Resilience, and 3) Climate Finance. These are demand-led activities and respond to observed adaptation gaps in the region. They are critical to rapidly scaling up adaptation action in effective and equitable ways, cut across all sectors of Bangladesh’s adaptation efforts and deliver impact across South Asia and globally

ABOUT THE ROLE

Profile

GCA seeks a dynamic individual to fill the role of Senior Infrastructure Officer, Nature Based Solutions for Systemic Resilience, South Asia, working as a core team member to drive forward the Global Center on Adaptation’s role as a solutions broker in the field of adaptation action. The staff will be based in GCA’s Regional Office in Dhaka or in GCA’s headquarters in Rotterdam and work with the Nature Based Solutions for Systemic Resilience team under the supervision of the Global Program Lead for Infrastructure and NBS, to carry out GCA’s Strategy and Work Program for Bangladesh and South Asia.

Within the GCA’s Strategy for the region, the Nature Based Solutions for Systemic Resilience workstream focuses on making the case for Nature Based Solutions as cost-effective adaptation opportunities with resilience co-benefits. These measures blend natural solutions with traditional ‘grey’ solutions and offer win-win strategies for: 1) Resilient Infrastructure Systems, 2) Resilient Cities, and 3) Resilient Food Systems.

The Senior Infrastructure Officer will specifically work on the development and implementation of projects, programs and engagement with partners on the NBS for Resilient Infrastructure Systems work stream. This work stream focuses on mainstreaming resilience to climate-proof infrastructure investments, including through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and developing tools and case studies to quantify costs and benefits of NBS for adaptation of infrastructure, with the ultimate goal of mobilizing investments for resilient infrastructure and NBS.

The Senior Infrastructure Officer will report to the Lead for Infrastructure and Nature Based Solutions.

Areas of responsibility

Reporting directly to the Workstream Lead, the Senior Program Officer will:

• In coordination with Lead for Infrastructure and NBS and the Regional Director for Asia, further develop the strategy and implementation framework of the NBS for the Resilient Infrastructure work stream
• Participate in the preliminary evaluation of project proposals to assess their feasibility for financial support and/or technical assistance by GCA. This involves the initial screening of project, carrying out desk reviews, preparing preliminary evaluation notes for presentation to the Workstream Lead and the Regional Director for South Asia
• Participate in relevant missions with project partners to prepare project appraisal reports, including various financial and risk analysis, development outcome analysis, strategic alignment with GCA goals
• Participate in discussions with potential project partners to originate new projects and foster business relationships with the GCA;
• Contribute to the planning of various initiatives designed to facilitate interaction with other Development Finance Institutions and project partners
• Participate in the preparation of annual work program/budget of the team
• Identify and develop best practices NBS project origination
• Work collaboratively with the ‘ecosystem’ both in the region and at headquarters to ensure timely and effective delivery of business objectives. This would involve active consultation and communication through personal action and active follow up where necessary
• Support the development and expansion of the NBS for Resilient Infrastructure work stream, engaging with international, national, regional and local partners, and identifying forward-looking adaptation projects and investment programs on resilient infrastructure and NBS
• Facilitate the day-to-day implementation of GCA’s NBS for Resilient Infrastructure work stream and support the coordination of the overall GCA Work Program in Bangladesh and South Asia, including but not limited to the preparation of project concepts, procurement documents, contract management, planning tools, and progress monitoring and reporting
• Develop and review reports, presentations, and project briefs, among others, on climate stress test for infrastructure systems, climate-resilient PPPs, and NBS for climate adaptation, ensuring technically robust outputs with a clear narrative
• Support the preparation of knowledge products – e.g. policy briefs, news stories, reports – on GCA’s activities and the Work Program in Bangladesh and South Asia, as well as capacity building activities under the NBS for Resilient Infrastructure work stream
• General support to the implementation of inititiaitives in the GCA South Asia portfolio.
• Perform any additional tasks as requested.