Director, Climate, Economic & Finance for Africa

Finance & Economy Programme & Policy

This position will be hybrid requiring a few days per week in office. You can be based in our office in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya or Democratic Republic of Congo. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

The Climate, Economics & Finance pillar at WRI Africa invests in creating supportive enabling environments for the climate resilient, low emission, and nature positive, economic, and societal transformations we need on the continent. Alongside WRI Africa’s pillars on thriving resilient cities, vital landscapes, energy access and transitions, the Climate, Economics & Finance pillar works with government, civil society and communities, and the private sector to address key cross-cutting and underlying challenges in the enabling policy, political economy, institutions and knowledge ecosystem to enable inclusive, resilient, and green transitions. We also seek to help strengthen governance and institutions for evidence-based decision making; promote independent research and data transparency and access; enable a radical shift of leadership in research on Africa to African institutions and researchers; and ensure that African voices are informed, strong, and vocal in regional and global processes. This is in effort to support the shift to more equitable global institutions and governance for collective action and support a flourishing ecosystem of engaged stakeholders across Africa. The team works on a growing portfolio of programs cutting across adaptation, mitigation, climate diplomacy, and finance across several focus countries on the continent, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and others. Our partners include governments, civil society organizations, universities, the private sector amongst others.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the WRI Africa, Regional Deputy Director (as the Anchor Manager) and Global Climate Director (for Outcomes Manager), you will anchor our team’s contribution to and participation in international and regional climate and adjacent processes, including the UNFCCC, AMCEN, etc. You will bring knowledge and expertise across climate-related issues, including on adaptation and resilience, loss and damage, mitigation, and UNFCCC negotiations, how African countries can shift onto development pathways which are inclusive, climate resilient, low emission and nature positive, and how international and domestic financial and economic systems can support such transformations and transitions. You must be familiar and comfortable with working with a wide variety of partners – from community–based and civil society organizations to private companies and financiers to academia and government. You will also serve as focal point for the team’s governmental and non-governmental partners on these issues and for initiatives within WRI’s global and country programs relevant to Africa on these topics. You should be comfortable with communicating and discussing complex messages, academic findings, concepts, and thematic areas with a wide range of expert and non-expert audiences. You will be supported by: the growing team of economists, finance, climate, and communications experts in Africa, as well as our Deputy Regional Director for Africa, the Africa Executive Team, and WRI’s global teams, to continue to articulate, develop, and implement the team’s integrated strategy and offers for climate, economics, and finance in the region.

What will you do:

Leadership and Management (35%):

• Articulate and develop WRI Africa’s Climate, Economics & Finance strategy, program, and activities, such that the portfolio has a compelling vision, strong research foundation, clear priorities, and coherence, within itself, WRI Africa’s strategy, and WRI’s global climate, economics and finance strategy, and delivers on inclusive economic transitions for the continent
• Be an external and internal champion of WRI Africa’s climate, finance, and economics portfolio at events, national, regional and international fora, meetings, and within WRI
• Develop strategies for engaging with policymakers and other key stakeholders, including those at the sub-national level such as local community leaders, CSOs, etc
• Liaise with and develop collaborations with external partners on advancing climate, economics, and finance related issues, including adaptation and resilience, economic transformations, more effective and equitable financial systems, climate justice, and loss and damage
• Promote close collaboration on climate, economics and finance across the different pillars within the Africa team and across WRI
• In keeping with WRI’s commitment to gender equity and social inclusion across our programs, the Director will also be required to identify relevant gender and social equity issues, as determined through gender and social analysis, and ensure adequate and effective attention to these issues in project and partner development, budgeting, and management
• Manage Climate, Economics & Finance staff members, ensuring they are supported and mentored, with high morale, well-being and a culture of diversity and inclusion in the team and that planned deliverables and results are achieved
• Oversee overall program and risk management and budgetary performance of Africa’s Climate, Economics & Finance portfolio
• Collaborate and coordinate with staff across WRI’s programs, centers and international offices, and external partners to advance the interests of the Africa team
• Attract, motivate, and retain world-class staff for the Africa team

Research and Program Development (35%):

• Develop and execute current and new programs of work, to respond to the current and growing economic, finance, and climate-related challenges on the continent, particularly focusing on adaptation and resilience and climate-supportive financial systems
• Identify knowledge gaps and influence opportunities where our research and practice can produce meaningful improvements in achieving climate and development goals and ensuring climate and economic justice
• Identify the data and methods needed to produce robust, unbiased research that addresses knowledge gaps and informs the Africa Climate, Economics & Finance pillar’s influence strategies
• Cultivate relationships that expand the audiences for the team’s knowledge products and their uptake of tools and research produced by the team and partners
• Author, review, and provide constructive feedback on knowledge products, blogs, press releases, and other research and communications materials as necessary
• Develop and implement effective strategies for WRI Africa’s engagement in Conferences of Parties (COPs), Africa Climate Summit and related processes on climate, economics, and finance that are grounded in WRI’s comparative expertise and value addition
• Anchor the Africa team’s strategy on youth, Indigenous People and Women engagement and capacity building, building on existing efforts
• Work with the Managing for Results team to design and roll out a simple and actionable monitoring and evaluation plan to track, learn from and demonstrate the impact of WRI’s Climate, Economics and Finance work in Africa

Fundraising, Engagement and Outreach (30%):

• Actively cultivate and manage relationships with new donors to secure funding
• Leverage existing relationships with foundations, governments, and individual donors to contribute to Africa’s Climate agenda
• Write, develop, and review fundraising proposals with staff from the Africa team and other parts of WRI to support our growing integrated Climate, Economics & Finance portfolio
• Proactively design and execute external and internal facing events (e.g., workshops, roundtables, other convenings) to engage with stakeholders in line with our objectives
• Work with our communications and engagement teams to set public and private sector agendas, influence decision-maker perspectives, and communicate findings and recommendations from Africa’s economics, finance and climate and related work

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a master’s degree in a relevant field, such as climate finance, climate economics, environmental economics, or development economics, or other related field.
• Experience: You have a minimum of 15 years of experience in climate and related issues, with at least 3 in a supervisory and people management role
• Prior experience of working with international organizations, national governments and relevant experience working in the African continent is essential
• Proven track record of fundraising success at a multimillion-dollar scale.
• Track record in publishing high-quality quantitative research and analysis
• Experience building partnerships and engaging with diverse stakeholders—including governments, civil society, and companies—from global to local scales
• Experience building development plans at the national level
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrable research record (e.g., involvement in published papers and reports)
• Demonstrated ability to build and grow an institutional program
• Have a track record of organization, time management skills, people leadership and management, and program and management skills, with experience managing several projects at different stages simultaneously
• Competency in basic analysis, able to synthesize complex data and information, and to communicate in accessible ways
• Excellent fundraising skills, from demonstrable success in proposal writing to donor engagement
• Strategic thinker, who can also manage detail and is well organized, able to prioritize and juggle multiple, competing priorities
• Experience supervising and mentoring direct reports (experience with matrixed teams is a plus)
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 15% time
• Commitment to WRI’s mission and values
• Significant and demonstrable knowledge of economics, finance and climate policy, including international processes, climate negotiations and national climate-related policies and financial architecture
• Languages: Fluent English is a must. Proficiency in French is highly valued.
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of 4 May 2024. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation,

Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.

Apply now

Added 21 days ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: wri.org