Adviser (Lead Environmental Specialist)

The Adviser (Lead Environmental Specialist) will strengthen the GEF Secretariat’s capacity to design, assess, and advance innovative financing approaches that mobilize public and private capital for global environmental benefits. The role involves leading the Blended Finance and Private Sector Coordination Unit and supporting implementation of GEF-9 programming directions focused on blended finance and private sector resource mobilization.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and technical advice to the CEO and Chairperson on nature, environmental, and climate finance, including opportunities to mobilize private capital, multilateral finance, and other sources of co-financing in support of GEF objectives and GEF-9 programming directions.
• Lead, supervise, and coordinate the Blended Finance and Private Sector Coordination Unit, for the development, assessment, and refinement of blended finance and non-grant instrument proposals across GEF focal areas, Integrated Programs, and strategic initiatives.
• Analyze transaction structures, financial additionality, concessionally, risk allocation, capital mobilization, expected reflows, and alignment with measurable global environmental benefits.
• Engage with GEF Agencies, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, institutional investors, asset managers, commercial banks, development finance institutions, philanthropic capital providers, and project sponsors to advance private sector resource mobilization and scalable blended finance solutions.
• Support the development of replicable financial products and approaches that can reduce risk or the cost of capital for environmental investments in developing countries.
• Advise on the use of instruments such as guarantees and guarantee fee support, first-loss and subordinated capital, equity and fund investments, outcome-based finance, repayable project preparation, convertible grants, risk-sharing facilities, hedging support, insurance and premium support, and sustainability-linked structures.
• Assess market conditions, project bankability, capital-market constraints, and the suitability of proposed financing structures for different countries, sectors, and environmental objectives.
• Lead and supervise the preparation of technical notes, financial analyses, term-sheet inputs, decision memoranda, presentations, and briefings for the CEO, senior management, and governance discussions, including on GEF-9 priorities related to blended finance and private sector mobilization.
• Support dialogue and coordinate with other Division heads as part of the Country Engagement Strategy, in engaging with countries and partners on investment platforms, private sector engagement, and the integration of environmental priorities into financing strategies, including through country platforms and other approaches envisaged under GEF-9.
• Contribute to knowledge products, guidance, portfolio learning, and staff capacity building on blended finance, capital markets, and non-grant instruments.
• Monitor financial and environmental performance, risks, mobilization, and reflows associated with relevant operations and initiatives, with attention to lessons that can inform GEF-9 implementation and future private capital mobilization efforts.
• In collaboration with the Operations and Policy division, lead the development of all policies related to NGI and blended finance, and coordinate all reporting and presentations to GEF council on topics related to Blended Finance.
• Undertake other responsibilities consistent with the role.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in finance, economics, financial economics, business administration, or a closely related field.
• A degree combining finance or economics with environmental or natural-resource expertise would be an asset.
• A Chartered Financial Analyst designation, or a comparable professional qualification in investment, risk, or finance, is highly desirable.
• A minimum of twelve years of relevant professional experience, with a proven and sustained track record in nature, environmental, climate, sustainable, or development finance.
• Demonstrated experience working with private sector clients, investors, financial institutions, or capital markets, preferably in contexts involving resource mobilization, risk sharing, or blended finance for environmental or development outcomes.
• Substantial experience with blended finance, concessional finance, non-grant instruments, or risk-sharing structures in emerging markets and developing economies, including approaches that mobilize private sector resources at scale.
• Experience operating in multilateral settings and working with multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, climate or environmental funds, governments, implementing partners, and specialized private sector or blended finance teams.
• Demonstrated ability to move between strategic policy questions and detailed financial or transaction analysis.
• In-depth knowledge of blended finance principles, financial additionality, minimum concessionally, risk allocation, leverage and mobilization, private sector resource mobilization, and the design of non-grant instruments.
• Strong understanding of debt and capital markets, project and structured finance, investment funds, guarantees, subordinated instruments, equity, and risk mitigation products.
• Ability to assess financial models, term sheets, investment proposals, portfolio risks, and expected development and environmental outcomes.
• Deep understanding of the climate and nature finance architecture and the roles of governments, GEF Agencies, multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, private investors, and specialized private sector coordination functions in delivering GEF-9 priorities.
• Excellent analytical, drafting, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Skills

• Blended Finance Structuring
• Sustainable Finance
• Development Finance
• Environmental Finance
• Risk Sharing Structures
• Concessional Finance Instruments
• Non-Grant Instruments
• Private-sector Resource Mobilization
• Financial Modeling
• Investment Analysis
• Portfolio Risk Assessment
• Capital Markets
• Project Financing
• Structured Finance
• Investment Funds
• Guarantees
• Equity Instruments
• Risk Mitigation Products
• Financial Additionality
• Term Sheet Assessment
• Stakeholder Management

Languages

English