Climate Finance Senior Officer/Project Manager

Please note that the deadline is based on Korean Standard Time Zone (KST, UTC+9)

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is seeking a Climate Finance Senior Officer/Project Manager to provide strategic leadership and operational management for the Phase 2 Transformative Climate Finance Program of the African Union - Green Recovery Action Plan (TCFP AU-GRAP) and provide technical inputs to structuring climate finance investment projects.

The position will oversee program implementation, and climate finance mobilization, investment maturation, stakeholder engagement and capacity development to advance transformative climate finance across African Union Member States. The Climate Finance Senior Officer/Project Manager will be seconded to the African Union Headquarters within the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment to lead the implementation of the Phase 2 TCFP AU-GRAP program in seven countries: Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zambia, Lesotho and Namibia.

The role will serve as the lead advisor to the African Union Climate Finance Unit/Desk and act as the primary focal point for climate finance project pipeline development and structuration, investment facilitation, climate finance project structuring, donor engagement, and program delivery across 7 African Union Member States.

 The Climate Finance Senior Officer/Project Manager will report to the Africa Regional Director and the AUC Head of Sustainable Environment Division. 

PURPOSE

The  Climate Finance Senior Officer/Project Manager will provide strategic and technical leadership to the Phase 2 TCFP AU-GRAP program, serving as the dedicated link between GGGI and the African Union Commission to catalyze green investment and climate finance across seven AU Member States." Within the role, it is also expected of this position to lead and take action of the following: 

• Support the operations of the African Union Climate Finance Unit/Desk, including strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, technical advisory services and climate finance coordination
• Lead the TCFP AU-GRAP Phase 2 support to the seven participating countries in investment pipeline maturation, structuring of bankable projects and climate finance and green investment mobilization
• Oversee the strengthening of the capacities of AU-GRAP participating Members States to access and mobilize climate finance, including mainstreaming GESI in alignment with national priority areas and effectively mainstream inclusive green growth.
• Support enhancing the capacity of AU-GRAP participating Member States and African entities to originate, develop and implement inclusive climate investments as well as to access and mobilize inclusive climate finance.
• With the support of the GGGI Regional Green Investment Lead and the GGGI country teams, lead and coordinate the maturation of bankable project pipelines from AU-GRAP participating AU Member States for feasibility across multiple sectors, including energy, transport, nature-based solutions, climate resilient agriculture, and green cities.
• Leverage synergies with GGGI’s and other development partners’ green investment and sustainable finance programs to identify opportunities for collaboration for the purpose of advancing project bankability and mobilizing green investment
• Coordinate closely with the GGGI Ethiopia Country team and the GGGI country teams in the other project participating countries.
• Overseeing end-to-end program management, including budget oversight, risk management, and rigorous monitoring and evaluation to ensure organizational accountability and measurable impact t.
• Promote Knowledge and awareness raising through African Union Green Finance Investor Roundtables.

  ENGAGEMENT 

• Lead the management of the TCFP AU-GRAP Phase 2 program and coordinate closely with the AUC, the UK FDCO, other relevant development partners, government institutions, academia, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to support AU-GRAP implementation and accelerate green investment mobilization in AU-GRAP participating Member States through bankable project development, investor engagement, and project pitching.
• Facilitate effective stakeholder dialogues both internally and externally to provide strategic support and guidance to teams on issues relevant to the components/work streams of the program.
• Maintain consistent and close communication with the relevant GGGI country teams, the Africa Regional Office and the Regional Investment Lead and technical divisions in HQ on relevant topics to ensure their participation in program delivery for quality outputs. 

DELIVERY 

• Coordinate the development and maturation of climate investment project pipelines across AU-GRAP participating Member States by overseeing project preparation, feasibility assessments, market analyses, environmental and social safeguard assessments, risk analyses, and leading project structuring to enhance investment readiness and access to climate finance.
• Oversee and guide the execution of targeted training initiatives delivered through the African Union Climate Finance program, ensuring knowledge transfer and sustained institutional capacity.
• Oversee annual Work Program and Budget, program-related outsourcing and procurements and ensure quality assurance.
• Independently organize component(s)/work stream(s) delivery with tight deadlines and manage a team, consisting of staff members and consultants.
• Oversee reporting on program delivery to the UK FCDO, Africa regional office and GGGI HQ. 

REQUIREMENTS

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in Finance, Economics, Climate Finance, International Development, Public Policy, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 7-10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in climate finance, investment banking, project finance, infrastructure financing, program management, project development, or sustainable development.
• At least two years of international professional experience is required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of French is highly desirable.

Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement, and Partnership:

• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-country donor-funded programs and coordinating diverse stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions.
• Extensive experience working with governments, regional institutions, multilateral development banks, climate funds, development finance institutions, international organizations, and private sector investors.
• Distinct advantage: Experience working directly with investment banks or private equity firms
• Proven ability to engage senior government officials, development partners, investors, and executive-level stakeholders
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, partnership-building, and people management skills.
• Experience working in Africa and collaborating with regional and continental institutions is highly desirable 

Technical Expertise:

• Proven track record in climate finance mobilization, project origination, investment pipeline development, proposal preparation, feasibility assessments, financial due diligence, transaction advisory, investment structuring, and financial close.
• Strong proficiency in financial modeling, balance sheets, historical and projected financial statements, and conducting investment appraisals.
• Strong understanding of African financial/banking sectors and sustainable investment trends.
• Knowledge and practical experience in project finance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), blended finance mechanisms, and public or private sector infrastructure investments.
• Good understanding of public investment planning, government approval processes, and institutional arrangements for infrastructure and climate-related investments.
• Experience working in Africa and collaborating with regional and continental institutions is highly desirable.
• Thematic expertise in one or more of the following areas is preferred: renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate resilience, waste management, water infrastructure, sustainable cities, or green industrial development. 

FUNCTIONAL

• Result-based management approach with a strong focus on quality, transformation and delivering impact at scale.
• Strategic thinking with a proven track record in successful program monitoring and delivery.
• Outstanding interpersonal, stakeholder engagement and consensus-building skills, ability to foster strong relationships with key government agencies, and understand their needs.Flexible, responsive, and able to manage multiple activities in multidisciplinary teams, while meeting tight deadlines;
• Possess multi-cultural literacy and be easily adaptable.
• Leadership qualities including active listening, coaching and mentoring, decision-making and leading teams to success.
• Ability to initiate, review, synthesize information, and produce high-quality written reports (in English).
• Independent, with the ability to establish priorities in a time-sensitive environment and meet deadlines with strong attention to detail.
• Convincing written and oral communication and presentation skills in English, to prepare material for the governments both in written format and in person.
• Solid skills using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Calm, diplomatic, positive, and able to effectively work under pressure in a challenging context with a diverse and dispersed set of stakeholders. 

 CORPORATE

• Understand and actively support AUC and GGGI's mission, vision, and values.
• Promote the optimum use of public resources
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect, and partnership.
• Process and share information easily.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, build rapport, and resolve conflict easily.
• Promote creativity and innovation among staff.
• Be able to lead where needed and provide solutions to project-level challenge.