Senior Project Specialist for Agriculture Forestry and Ecosystem Sectors

Grade: IS-5
Deadline: 04 May 2025 (11:59 PM KST)
Job Category: International
Salary: USD 145,000 (plus attractive benefits, that include the following allowances (as applicable)): Relocation, dependency, housing, education assistance and home country travel.

Introduction
The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest dedicated multilateral climate fund and invests in impactful, innovative, catalytic programs and projects in developing countries across the globe. The GCF has a portfolio of 297 projects across 133 countries, with a total commitment of USD 16.6 billion to date.

In 2023, an additional USD 12.8 billion was pledged, to support our new strategic and programming cycle from 2024-2027; our ambition is to grow to become at least a USD 50 billion fund by 2030. Rooted in the core objectives of impact and efficiency, access and a focus on the most vulnerable, and mobilizing a much higher scale of public and private sector financial flows for climate action we have an unparalleled scale of resources, which, together with our risk appetite and flexibility allows us to bring together different partners and stakeholders in innovative partnerships for profound impact. 

GCF is seeking a top-tier individual with a demonstrable track record of harnessing experience, energy and networks to tackle complex global climate change challenges. You will be committed to making a positive, measurable difference through a mission-driven role, and thrive in a fast-paced, diverse environment.  

You will be able to quickly scan and analyze complex, competing issues and lead significant sized teams to find solutions in evolving contexts, across multiple geographic locations. 

You will be a nurturer of people: recognizing and growing the talent around you, exemplifying values of transparency, respect and innovation.

You will be committed to learning, knowledge-sharing, convening and communicating with partners to work together to ideate, develop and implement climate action initiatives that make a profound difference to people and planet.

You will join a team of talented, committed individuals representing almost 80 nationalities contributing skills and experience from academic, scientific, private, government and nonprofit backgrounds.  Together, we work with governments, communities and civil society, technical agencies, and the private sector across the world.

Interested in more information? 
Learn about working for GCF: https://www.greenclimate.fund/about/careers 
View current vacancies: https://jobs.greenclimate.fund/

About the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Set up in 2010 by the 194 countries who are Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), GCF takes its responsibility as the world’s largest dedicated multilateral climate fund to heart.  GCF funds transformative climate projects across the developing world, supporting countries in their responses and actions to tackle climate change while fostering sustainable development within their communities. 

Our country-driven approach ensures that our actions are tailored to the unique circumstances and national aspirations of each nation we support. Besides channeling public and private sector investment through a broad range of financing instruments, GCF builds the capacity of developing countries to take climate action through an extensive Readiness Programme ensuring countries are increasingly well-equipped and financed to manage their climate futures.

Headquartered in the Republic of Korea, GCF operates with a diverse and talented workforce of over 300 people. 
 

Position Objective
The Senior Project Specialist for the Agriculture, Forestry and Ecosystem sectors is responsible for leading the development and implementation of an active pipeline and portfolio of transformative proposals that support public investment and mobilize private investment in climate mitigation and adaptation, focusing on the Agriculture, Forestry and Ecosystem sectors across Asia Pacific, including Southeast Asia. 
S/he will be responsible for developing an active pipeline of transformative projects, project appraisal (technical review and structuring), implementation and portfolio management. The candidate will also lead the development of novel approaches to project design or its expansion to include new financing modalities or implementation strategies with GCF’s counterparts. The Senior Project Specialist will also be engaged in readiness and country programming to support the pipeline development. This includes concept notes, funding proposals, activities, and readiness grants.  

The Senior Project Specialist will work with GCF’s key counterparts at the country level, including accredited entities (with a strong focus on direct access entities), National Designated Authorities and other partner organizations, such as senior-level government officials and industry players, to identify climate finance priorities, assess national and institutional capacity development needs and establish strategic partnerships. He/she will coordinate with colleagues across multiple Divisions to ensure that proposals presented to the GCF Board are in line with the organization’s mandate, designed to deliver climate impacts cost-effectively and efficiently and maximize GCF’s potential to crowd in additional climate-focused investment, and will employ adaptive management principles, a risk management framework and a transparent monitoring and reporting system to shepherd the implementation of GCF investments towards the achievement of countries’ Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement.

Purpose 

• Adapt GCF procedures to achieve GCF’s strategic objectives related to the public sector, including agriculture, forestry and ecosystem projects in Asia Pacific, including Southeast Asia.
• Adapt industry good practices for GCF to deliver on DAPAC team goals to identify, design and execute innovative public sector climate investments 
• Originate, lead and manage investment pipeline development, proposal development, execution and review, and portfolio monitoring, including Readiness, Funding Proposals, and Concept notes.
• Take the lead on relatively complex transactions, and also support the teams to help develop the structuring expertise necessary through public sector climate investments to mobilize private sector investments.
• Apply the Fund’s investment criteria and other policies and guidance in the review of concept notes/funding proposals and readiness proposals and help negotiate and structure the proposals to get the maximum climate impact through the GCF support;
• Engage with the Fund’s counterparts to explore and structure new/ efficient approaches to project design or its expansion to include new financing modalities.
• Applies relevant operational policies to the Funded Activity Agreement review/negotiation and post-approval process
• Supports improvement and integration of ICT tools related to pipeline and portfolio management.
• Builds and capitalizes on lessons learned and good practices to optimize the pipeline review and post-approval process.

Engagement

• Collaborate with all domain-level specialists, including but not limited to risk, legal, environment, social safeguards and gender, as well as finance within GCF to identify and develop risk mitigation strategies related to Funding Proposals and Readiness proposals and collaborate effectively with third-party advisors and consultants to ensure timely project delivery; 
• Develop new efficient investment structures with GCF’s counterparts which would help scale up the impact of the GCF’s investment with inputs and buy in from the GCF’s internal stakeholders.
• Proactively engage with leading market experts, seek market intelligence, identify climate investment trends and innovations and communicate with market and industry participants 
• Engage through cross functional teams including but not limited to the Dept. of Co-Investments, the Private Sector Facility etc. on programs/ projects to leverage public sector derisking structures to support private sector/ commercial mobilization.Promote awareness of the Fund’s offering and develop effective relationships with Accredited Entities (AEs) and to strengthen upstream engagement with the NDAs, Accredited Entities (AEs), and
• Interacts with internal stakeholders (relevant divisions) and external stakeholders (Accredited Entities) to facilitate the review of proposals and post-approval process -and to provide timely and effective action;
• Maintains a network and represents GCF at international conferences and partnerships on food systems, forestry and/or ecosystems;
• Identifies opportunities to utilize GCF Readiness resources to support Direct Access Entities, in particular, to strengthen GCF proposals and pipelines
• Contributes to the development of efficient processes/procedures and dissemination towards internal/external stakeholders.
• Leads FAA negotiation/post-approval process/portfolio management

Delivery

• Deliver proposal reviews and assessments, including funding proposals, term sheets and funding activity agreements, promptly while anticipating the different requirements of the various divisions within GCF; 
• Apply expertise in climate impact analysis in the agriculture, forestry, land use and ecosystem sectors to ensure quality control of pipeline and portfolio;
• Leads on the analytical (technical review and structuring) and procedural stages of processing concept notes and funding proposals, including maintenance of the project database, across relevant stages of the GCF project cycle; 
• Close coordination with the relevant teams and the Accredited Entities to make legal arrangements and all necessary arrangements properly done for effective project implementation after approval 
• Deliver proposals for approval to the board through timely interactions with Accredited Entities, developer(s) and other stakeholders as required, as well as with interdivisional task teams of the Secretariat.
• Manages across the project cycle.

Requirements (Education, experience, technical competencies required of the job)

• Master’s Degree in agriculture, forestry, environmental science, management/business, (sustainable) finance, climate finance, MBA, or other related fields; Or a relevant Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience;
• A minimum of eleven (11) years of relevant experience in climate finance operations, understanding of private and public sector investments, and financial structuring using grant and non-grant instruments in the relevant sectors;
• Within this experience, a minimum of nine (9) years of relevant experience in project cycle management in agriculture, forest, land use and ecosystem services sectors in multiple developing countries, particularly in Asia Pacific (including Southeast Asia)
• Expert in at least 1 of the mentioned sectors (forestry, REDD+, ecosystems and agriculture) and proficiency in the other three sectors;
• Good understanding of climate impact analysis in both mitigation and adaptation in the relevant sectors; 
• Demonstrated experience in leading structuring investment proposals as well as portfolio management in the area of impact investing, or climate mitigation and/or adaptation;
• In-depth understanding of process management in the context of international organizations;
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with a broad range of stakeholders, communicate at various levels, and build good working relationships with colleagues and partners from multiple cultures and backgrounds in an international context;
• Experience identifying and managing risks associated with projects/ programs and structuring solutions which are fit for purpose;
• Understanding of the evolving landscape in climate change and international development; 
• Established track record of working within cross-functional teams to structuring, executing and closing investments;
• Passionate about delivery on time and to high quality with a focus on results;
• Solutions driven mindset;
• Ability to take initiative, embrace and adapt to change; 
• Team player who actively collaborates with peers within the team and has the ability to coach and mentor junior team members; 
• Comfortable working within multicultural teams and across boundaries and ability to build and maintain relationships with private and government partners; and
• Strong written, oral, and presentation communication skills in English. This includes an ability to synthesize and explain complex issues and information in a manner that is understood by different audiences and stakeholders;
• Fluency in English is essential, and working knowledge of a language from the Asia-Pacific region is an advantage 

Candidates who fall short of some of the educational and experience criteria but are otherwise found suitable may be offered a position at the IS4 level.

The closing date for application is 04 May 2025. 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 to apply.