Senior Impact Officer, CGIAR Hub for Sutainable Finance (Rome, Italy)

Finance & Economy

The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ www.cgiar.org

About the position

We are looking for a Senior Impact Officer to join our team in Rome, Italy, under the supervision of the Senior Manager and the overall guidance of the Head of Unit, Sustainable Finance.

As a key player in our collaboration with a Fund of Funds dedicated to empowering innovative fund managers in Sub-Saharan Africa, your expertise will be crucial in leveraging public funds to attract private capital, ensuring the additionality of our investments. If you are passionate about making a real difference in Sub-Saharan Africa’s agrifood sector and have the expertise to support high-impact investments, join our team and help us shape a sustainable and secure food future for all.

This position may require regular travel within Sub-Saharan Africa and requires flexibility in working hours to accommodate collaboration with international partners.

Background on ImpactSF

The CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) is a key technical partner for sustainable finance actors, integrating science-based impact KPIs in all areas of the investment lifecycle. This includes investment design, pipeline development, investment screening, due diligence, implementation, post-investment monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Building off CGIAR evidence, ImpactSF offers an array of data-driven solutions empowering financial institutions and investors to de-risk investments by quantifying climate and environmental risks and impacts. Our goal is clear: drive investments toward climate-smart and nature-positive Food, Land, and Water systems.

Background on the project

The project is a multi-donor fund of funds that addresses financing and capacity challenges related to food systems by providing catalytic capital to Investment Vehicles (IVs) that will lend to, or invest in, agrifood-SMEs across Africa. ImpactSF is the impact and learning partner to deliver significant outcomes in climate resilience, food security, and improved livelihoods by mobilizing capital for underserved agrifood-SME. The facility will deploy $70 Million in 8 to 10 underlying funds in Africa for sustainable financing of the food and agriculture sectors with a robust monitoring framework ensuring that investments are both effective and impactful. Through targeted support and Technical Assistance (TA), IVs will be equipped with the tools they need to achieve their impact objectives

The Role and Responsibilities

The role involves developing the backbone of the Impact Measurement and Management framework and coordinating and contributing to data collection, analysis, and reporting of investment impact on three impact themes: climate & environment, food security & nutrition, and local value creation & income. Additionally, you will lead due diligence and develop impact estimates for new investments in collaboration with the investments team. You will lead TA efforts to enhance IVs’ impact thesis and identify relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIS). You will also contribute to improving IVs’ monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes, including data collection, monitoring and reporting of impacts, across agrifood-SME investments. You will work closely with the ESG team to identify and monitor associated risks and opportunities for each investment. You will be the point person engaging with stakeholders along the investment lifecycle. The ideal candidate will be proficient in data management and project management, with the ability to interpret both basic and complex data analysis concepts confidently.

Impact Measurement and Management (IMM) Framework

• Lead the design and implementation of the IMM (both investments and for Technicical Assistance); the theory of change, the measurement plan, and the relevant policies and processes.
• Develop and implement impact tools, screening, due-diligence, assessments and report templates and guidance across the portfolio of IVs.
• Ensuring the IMM stays in line with industry standards and expectations.

Due Diligence & Investments

• Develop and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including fund managers, agrifood SMEs, and partner organizations.
• Coordinate with the investment and TA teams the effective implementation of the pre and post-investment impact assessments
• Contribute to the evaluation of investment proposals, including via investment and impact memos
• Review and recommend suggestions for the impact and other relevant sections of TA concept notes.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Build synergies and consistency across data collection and reporting and specialist areas,
• Lead production of annual and other reports on impact monitoring and analysis.
• Support investees in their impact data management and understanding in alignment with impact reporting needs to assist in integrating the process better into their existing systems.

Impact Studies

• Lead the design of impact studies from a technical perspective with support from specialists and the investment team.
• Draft annual impact reports in alignment with sustainable finance regulations.
• Ensure the appropriate level of rigor is met for all impact studies.

Impact Communications

• Coordinate the communication of our investment and TA impact to various stakeholders through briefs, research reports, case studies, conference presentations, and workshops.

Capacity Building

• Post-investment, work with investees to improve their IMM, policies and procedures, including impact data collection and monitoring
• Coordinate ongoing support to IVs to improve their capacity in mainstreaming impact and gender-equality in their investment process
• Facilitate necessary external capacity-building initiatives.

Project Management

• Ensure that impact activities and goals are delivered on time and within budget each year.
• Managing the contracts of any impact-related consultants or contracted parties.

Essential Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Agriculture, Environmental Science, Economics, or Business Administration.
• Previous experience with impact investing (preferable minimum 5 years).
• Proven track record of successfully designing and implementing impact managing frameworks.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in impact measurement and management tools.
• Knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices and food security issues.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse and multicultural environment.
• Strong project and team management skills.
• Demonstrated understanding and experience in implementing and adhering to SFDR and other sustainable finance regulations, particularly experience in monitoring and reporting PAIs
• Demonstrated understanding of leading impact and reporting standards and frameworks for investors (e.g. IFC Performance Standards, IRIS+, Equator Principles, Impact Management Platform, World Bank’s EHS Guidelines) and their practical application in the fund manager context.
• Demonstrable Knowledge and Experience in ESG risk measurement and management
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage and prioritise a busy and diverse workload with a range of deliverables for a variety of stakeholders.
• High degree of fluency in both written and spoken English and French
• Strong PowerPoint and Excel skills.
• Highly motivated and results driven taking responsibility and full ownership of projects.
• Good judgement and attention to detail.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Experience in the agrifood sector
• Familiarity with TA projects and their application in tandem with investment strategies.

Terms of employment

This is a locally recruited position based in Rome, Italy at the Alliance Headquarters. All benefits are denominated and paid in Euro. The salary is level 10, on a scale of 14 levels, with level 14 being the highest. The salary range starts from Euro 60,670 per annum. The Alliance offers an attractive remuneration package that includes a competitive salary, leave provisions, medical and life insurance, and non-contributory retirement plan. The contract will be for a period of 2 years, subject to a probationary period of 6 months, and is renewable based on performance and availability of funds.

Please note that eligible applicants must have the legal status to live and work in Italy:

• Be Italian nationals holding a valid passport or identity card.
• Or be EU citizens holding a valid passport or identity card and confirmation of registration from the Registrar’s Office (Anagrafe)
• Or non–EU citizens holding a valid Italian work permit (permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato)

Applications

Please apply online through the website (https://www.bioversityinternational.org/jobs/) no later than 17 September 2024, attaching a curriculum vitae, motivation letter, both in English, and contact information (e.g. names, email address) of at least three references.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Closing date for applications: 17 September 2024

We invite you to learn more about us at:

http://alliancebioversityciat.org

Please visit our careers page at:

https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers

APPLY HERE

Apply now

Added 1 day ago - Updated 42 minutes ago - Source: cgiar.org