Senior Readiness Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the world's largest dedicated multilateral climate fund, established to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. The GCF invests in impactful, innovative, and catalytic programs and projects across the globe, focusing on developing countries. With a portfolio of 360 projects in 134 countries and a total commitment of USD 20.5 billion to date, the GCF aims to mobilize a much higher scale of public and private sector financial flows for climate action. In 2023, an additional USD 12.8 billion was pledged to support the new strategic and programming cycle from 2024-2027, with an ambition to grow to at least a USD 50 billion fund by 203

• The GCF is committed to impact and efficiency, focusing on the most vulnerable populations and fostering innovative partnerships for profound impact.

Job Overview:
The Senior Readiness Consultant will be engaged for up to 240 days over a 12-month period, based at the GCF headquarters in Songdo, Republic of Korea. This role is crucial in providing technical and operational support to the Readiness team, addressing capacity constraints, and ensuring continuity in delivering priority workstreams under the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. The consultant will coordinate and manage operations across various functions, including tracking and analyzing the grant pipeline and portfolio, facilitating pre-implementation processes for grant handover to UNOPS, and supporting proposal reviews prior to approval. The consultant will also contribute to the design and operationalization of system enhancements, including the development of a new grant management platform. Close collaboration with regional teams is essential to detail and operationalize Readiness action plans, monitor country portfolio performance, and support the execution of key milestones such as grant closures and new Readiness approvals. Additionally, the consultant will engage in strategic and analytical tasks, including preparation of technical inputs, data management, monitoring and reporting, and knowledge management to support program oversight and decision-making.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Pipeline and portfolio workstream: Monitor and track approved Readiness grants, active pipeline proposals, and delivery partner engagement, providing timely analytical updates to support management decision-making. Support regional teams by providing structured and substantive proposal reviews, ensuring alignment with Readiness modalities and institutional requirements prior to internal clearance and approval. Track implementation of new Readiness modalities and program placements in coordination with Regional teams, providing consolidated status reports as required. Conduct analytical reviews of the proposal pipeline, budget utilization, and the approved portfolio under implementation to identify trends, risks, performance issues, and lessons learned. Work closely with Regional teams to detail country-level Readiness action plans, translating strategic priorities into operational milestones and tracking execution against agreed timelines. Coordinate with relevant Secretariat divisions to facilitate pre-implementation documentation and processes for grant handover to UNOPS, supporting resolution of outstanding pre-implementation issues. Support Regional teams in clearing bottlenecks within the pipeline, including follow-ups with stakeholders and tracking of required actions.
• Readiness grant cycle workstream: Coordinate with ICT and relevant teams to identify, document, and resolve issues in online management systems to ensure efficient progression of proposals from submission through approval and implementation. Contribute to the design, testing, and operationalization of new systems and enhancements to existing platforms, including the development of improved grant management tools and workflows. Provide analytical and operational support for overall portfolio management, including data validation, tracking of milestones, and monitoring of grant performance.
• Knowledge Management, Strategy, Reporting, and Cross-Cutting Support: Contribute to the development of the new Readiness strategy, conducting analytical research, preparing technical inputs, supporting stakeholder consultations, synthesizing lessons learned from the portfolio, and drafting sections of strategy documents. Support preparation, review, and coordination of Readiness Financing Agreements and related documentation, working closely with Regional teams and other relevant divisions to facilitate timely clearance and compliance with institutional requirements. Support preparation of corporate and Board-level documentation related to Readiness, including inputs to reports and updates on complementarity and coherence. Develop knowledge products, briefing notes, presentations, and webinars related to Readiness processes and operational improvements. Maintain dashboards and analytical tools to strengthen portfolio monitoring and decision-making. Perform other cross-cutting analytical, coordination, and operational tasks as required to support the division’s strategic priorities and ensure continuity of program delivery.

Required Qualifications:
A Master’s level degree or higher in environmental sciences, environmental policy, governance, economics, finance, sustainable development, or other relevant fields is required. At least 7 years of relevant work experience in project development and implementation is essential. Familiarity with data management, visualization, and reporting systems, preferably including GCF systems such as GPP, PPMS, and Power BI, is necessary, along with proficiency in standard software applications (e.g., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and relevant analytical or data-processing tools. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential for this position, and knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Master’s level degree or higher in fields such as environmental sciences, environmental policy, governance, economics, finance, sustainable development, or other relevant disciplines. This educational background is critical to ensure that the consultant has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of the complexities involved in climate finance and project management.

Experience:
The position requires at least 7 years of relevant work experience in project development and implementation. This experience should encompass a range of responsibilities that demonstrate the candidate's ability to manage complex projects, engage with stakeholders, and deliver results in a timely manner. Familiarity with data management and reporting systems is also essential, as the consultant will be expected to utilize these tools to support decision-making and program oversight.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, with excellent written and oral communication skills required for effective collaboration and reporting. Knowledge of another UN language is considered an advantage, enhancing the consultant's ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and contribute to the GCF's global mission.

Additional Notes:
The contract period for this position is 12 months, with the duty station located at GCF Headquarters in Songdo, Republic of Korea. The organization encourages applications from women and nationals of developing countries, and candidates of all nationalities are welcome to apply. Due to the high volume of applications, only candidates shortlisted for interviews will be contacted regarding the status of their application. The closing date for applications is 29 October 2026, at 23:59 (KST). Applications received after this date may not be considered.