Sustainable Finance Officer (Asia)

Position description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Sustainable Finance Officer will support and coordinate the implementation of the GGGI’s sustainable finance technical assistance. The Officer will coordinate the engagement with government stakeholders, while leading the delivery of thematic bond capacity building and technical assistance to achieve the program’s intended goals. S/he will act as a trusted advisor to potential issuers, bringing his/her practical experience to support successful issuances of Thematic bonds.

The Officer will report to GGGI Program Manager leading the Global Trust Fund.

PURPOSE

The Sustainable Finance Officer will support the delivery of technical assistance to perspective issuers, accompanying them throughout the pre- and post-issuance process, including stakeholders engagement (regulators, arrangers, underwriters, stock exchanges, investors, guarantors), green bond framework development, green project pipeline development, roadshow organization and delivery, second party opinion negotiation, development of impact reporting. S/he is expected to take the lead on the development of pre- and post-issuance processes of thematic bonds, with minimal support from external consultants.

ENGAGEMENT

• Support the engagement with national and subnational governments, financial institutions and non-financial corporations prioritized by the program;
• Build and maintain strong relationships with the Ministry of Finance, local financial institutions, national development banks, international financial institutions and international climate funds;
• Engage with financial regulators to influence finance policy development and decision making;
• Organize and deliver consultation and validation workshops to validate products and activities;
• Support the establishment of and periodic engagement with the program steering committee;
• Support the engagement with potential donors and partners;
• Participate in GGGI-wide events to create awareness about GGGI Sustainable Finance work and activities;
• Represent GGGI in national, regional and international events;
• Support the conceptualization and formalization of knowledge sharing networks within and across the region to share experiences, best practices and learn from each other;
• Organize relevant workshops, consultations, and focal group discussions with key department-level stakeholders to ensure alignment of GGGI´s service with client needs;
• Development of concept notes and funding proposals for international climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and Global Environment Facility.

DELIVERY

Thematic Bond Advisory:

• Support prospective issuers throughout thematic bond pre- and post-issuance phases;
• Perform thematic bond readiness assessment of prospective issuers;
• Develop a diagnostic of prospective thematic bond issuer’s internal systems to identify weaknesses, gaps, and areas of improvement;
• Collaborate with prospective thematic bond issuer’s internal teams to review, identify and prioritize eligible projects to be funded with bond proceeds;
• Collect best practices on thematic bond issuances, develop case studies and deliver presentations to the projects’ primary beneficiaries;
• Develop and deliver recommendations to prospective thematic bond issuers on thematic bond governance structures;
• Assist prospective issuers identifying, developing and formalizing their thematic bond governance structure;
• Develop and formalize the process and methodology for identifying, prioritizing and selecting eligible projects;
• Develop and deliver recommendations to prospective issuers on impact reporting standards and practices, including the development of indicators for periodic use of proceeds and impact monitoring, standardized procedures for portfolio-level and project-level monitoring and reporting;
• Develop thematic bond frameworks (green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked) in alignment with international best practices and principles;
• Assist prospective issuers in obtaining a Second Party Opinion from a reputable certifier/verifier.

Policy and Market Development:

• Conduct research on barriers to thematic bond issuance in Asia and propose solutions.;
• Develop policy recommendations to reduce barriers to thematic bond issuance in emerging economies;
• Provide technical advice to government counterparts on sustainable finance policies, instruments and green investment projects.

Capacity Building & Knowledge Sharing:

• Develop and deliver sustainable finance capacity building presentations and material;
• Develop and disseminate capacity development and knowledge sharing products such as insight briefs and toolkits in the field of sustainable bonds;
• Contribute to international learning networks to exchange best practices on thematic bonds.

Program Management & Reporting:

• Assist in internal and external reporting on projects being implemented;
• Prepare concept notes to the GTF Board and monitor and track project deliverables and budget execution;
• Monitor and evaluate sustainable finance activities and outputs to ensure alignment with program goals;
• Support the preparation of funding proposals for international climate funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Global Environment Facility).

REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics or other related fields;
• An advanced degree in Finance, Public Administration, Economics, Sustainable Development, or other relevant field is a plus;
• At least 6 years of professional experience in sustainable finance; experience in client facing roles in financial institutions or development agencies;
• At least 2 years of professional experience with 3 years preferred designing thematic bond frameworks;
• At least 2 years of international experience;
• Prior experience developing and delivering sustainable finance capacity building;
• Strong understanding of green finance and sustainable financial instruments (bonds, grants, debt, guarantees and equity);
• Verbal and written fluency in English.

FUNCTIONAL:

• Leadership, teamwork and creative problem-solving abilities;
• Ability to develop and maintain working relations with financial sector stakeholders;
• Committed to learning about the growing field of sustainable finance;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize under stressful circumstances.;
• Ability to interact and form relationships with high-level government officials and partners;
• Knowledge of and experience in adhering to internationally agreed environmental and social safeguards (ESS) and gender-sensitive design requirements.

CORPORATE:

• Understand and actively supports GGGI’s mission, vision and values;
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership;
• Process and share information easily;
• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily;
• Promote creativity and innovation among staff;
• Be able to lead where needed and provide solutions to project-level challenge.

Application instructions

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