Senior Advisor, Climate Finance

Job Posting Organization:
The Climate Finance Support Unit (CFSU) is a newly established unit within Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS was founded in 1943 and operates in over 100 countries, focusing on saving, protecting, and transforming lives in need without regard to race, religion, or nationality. The organization is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, reflecting its mission to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. The CFSU aims to develop CRS' strategic approach toward climate finance, assess funding opportunities, and provide guidance to advance climate adaptation programming, aligning with CRS' strategic goals while managing associated risks.

Job Overview:
The Senior Advisor for Climate Finance will play a pivotal role in leading business development processes for multilateral climate funding streams, including the Green Climate Fund. This position requires a blend of strategic high-level thinking and the ability to deliver specific technical outputs and guidance to country program and business development staff. The advisor will conduct research on new donors and potential partners in climate finance, aiding country programs in making informed go/no go decisions, proposal design, and development. The role also involves supporting CRS regions and key partners in achieving their growth objectives related to climate adaptation. The ideal candidate will possess high-level business development skills and a technical background in climate change, particularly in areas relevant to CRS such as environmental safeguarding, climate resilience, and carbon projects.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Advisor will be responsible for a wide range of duties including: leading the finalization of CRS’ climate finance strategy and developing a roadmap for its implementation; analyzing funding trends and validating existing analyses on priority donors; mapping funding mechanisms to identify alignment with CRS’ climate portfolio; leading the internal committee for the Green Climate Fund accreditation process; selecting projects for co-design investment for the Green Climate Fund; developing competitive capture and positioning strategies; cultivating relationships with priority donors; strengthening country program teams in strategically positioning for climate finance opportunities; building understanding and capacity across the agency on institutional climate finance mechanisms; leading opportunity tracking for climate-specific funding streams; providing guidance to country programs on proposal development; supporting cross-learning and knowledge management; and developing strategies for transferring expertise in climate finance to staff development materials.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must have knowledge and demonstrated experience with institutional climate funding streams, including donors such as the GCF, GEF, WB, ADB, IDB, and USAID. A Master's degree in climate change adaptation, environmental sustainability, ecology, carbon management, international development, or related fields is required. Additionally, a minimum of eight years of relevant experience in international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) supporting various business development processes is essential. Candidates should have applied knowledge of institutional climate change strategies and frameworks, environmental compliance requirements, and a track record of contributing to business development efforts. Familiarity with a range of funding mechanisms and the ability to lead strategic design processes are also preferred.

Educational Background:
The position requires a Master's degree in a relevant field such as climate change adaptation, environmental sustainability, ecology, carbon management, international development, or international relations. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of climate finance and the associated technical requirements.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have a minimum of eight years of relevant experience working in INGOs, particularly in roles that involve business development processes such as intelligence gathering, relationship management, proposal coordination, and writing. Experience with institutional climate funding streams and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders is essential.

Languages:
Fluency in English, both oral and written, is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in French or Spanish is preferred, while knowledge of Arabic is considered a plus. The ability to communicate effectively in these languages will enhance collaboration with international partners and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is expected to involve approximately 30% travel, which may include visits to the CRS headquarters in Baltimore, strategic meetings, conferences, and support for proposal or strategy processes within various regions or country programs. The role does not currently involve supervising staff, but may lead to team formation if the Green Climate Fund accreditation is successful. The CFSU team operates across different time zones, primarily EST and GMT, necessitating flexibility in working hours to ensure effective collaboration. CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where CRS operates, and the organization is committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults.