Portfolio Manager Eastern and Southern Africa - (GEF and GCF)
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BACKGROUND
(GEF, GCF) - Nairobi
IUCN is a Partner Agency to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) since 2014 and an Accredited Entity to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) since 2016. This portfolio represents the majority of the portfolio where IUCN Secretariat plays the role of an implementing agency overseeing the execution on the ground of a portfolio of project. It is currently over one third of the overall IUCN project portfolio. The purpose of this role is to lead and coordinate IUCN overall strategy and engagement as an implementing agency through these two funds in. In that capacity, and under the overall guidance from the Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and the Director Multilateral Finance. This position will be liaising closely with country representatives, regional thematic heads and the regional programme coordinator.
In Eastern and Southern Africa, IUCN manages a portfolio of over USD 60 million funded by the GEF and the GCF, including flagship large initiatives on climate change adaptation in Kenya and Rwanda funded by the GCF. It has a large pipeline focusing on the areas of agriculture, forest landscapes management and coastal management with a strong private sector focus. The objective is to develop the portfolio in those areas and bring in a strong private sector focus in order to shifting the paradigm towards nature based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation and global environment benefits.
IUCN is a Partner Agency to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) since 2014 and an Accredited Entity to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) since 2016. This portfolio represents the majority of the portfolio where IUCN Secretariat plays the role of an implementing agency overseeing the execution on the ground of a portfolio of project. It is currently over one third of the overall IUCN project portfolio. The purpose of this role is to lead and coordinate IUCN overall strategy and engagement as an implementing agency through these two funds in. In that capacity, and under the overall guidance from the Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and the Director Multilateral Finance. This position will be liaising closely with country representatives, regional thematic heads and the regional programme coordinator.
In Eastern and Southern Africa, IUCN manages a portfolio of over USD 60 million funded by the GEF and the GCF, including flagship large initiatives on climate change adaptation in Kenya and Rwanda funded by the GCF. It has a large pipeline focusing on the areas of agriculture, forest landscapes management and coastal management with a strong private sector focus. The objective is to develop the portfolio in those areas and bring in a strong private sector focus in order to shifting the paradigm towards nature based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation and global environment benefits.
JOB DESCRIPTION
In that context, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:
1) Strategic leadership and portfolio development:
- Lead the identification and development of project opportunities in close collaboration regional, global and thematic experts, under the overall guidance of the Regional Director and the Director Multilateral Finance Unit. This includes acting as the IUCN main counterpart to the GEF, GCF and stakeholders in the design of these projects;
- Lead the work to identify niche markets in Regional Programme and Centres for multilateral environment funds (GEF, GCF, Others) funded projects and activities in close collaboration with regional, global and thematic experts.;
- Collaborate with other Portfolio Managers across the Secretariat and other staff involved in the management the GEF and GCF programmes to identify strategic opportunities and ways of enhancing effectiveness and quality of the programme;
- Lead the coordination of projects preparation with relevant experts and stakeholders;
- Technical quality oversight of proposals including meeting respective Funds requirements, including their paradigm shift, transformative effects and incremental cost reasoning;
- Lead fundraising for project preparation and co-financing when required;
- Oversee the submission and approval of projects under his/her responsibility, including addressing all project reviews by the Fund’s Secretariat.
2) Portfolio management, oversight and technical supervision:
- Lead negotiations on all implementing arrangements with partners and executing agencies, ensuring those are established in due time for timely implementation;
- Oversee project launches, including the establishment of steering committees and project management units in coordination with Country Offices where relevant;
- Approve work plans submitted by the project executing agency(ies). This can include interaction with senior officials from the public and the private sector;
- Represent IUCN in Steering Committees as appropriate;
- Coordinate IUCN teams (including thematic, corporate and regional expertise) in charge of supervising projects;
- Report to regional and global IUCN governing bodies related to the portfolio (ie: regional steering committees chaired by the Regional Director);
- Responsible for the preparation of disbursements requests to the Funds and their submission in a timely manner, liaising with IUCN and projects finance teams
- Coordinate with the environment and social management system (ESMS) expert/s to guarantee that ESIA and ESMPs are done and implemented;
- Keep Regional Director and Multilateral Finance Unit Director informed in a timely manner about any risks detected.
- Advise project’s executing agency/ies on the application of relevant policies (procurement, financial management, stakeholders’ involvement;
- Ensure, in collaboration with finance, there is enough financial resources and reserves (from the fees) to provide oversight to each project and initiative, innovate and mitigate risks;
- Mobilize expertise within and outside IUCN depending on project needs for supervision and oversight;
- Responsible for all monitoring, supervision and reporting related to the project cycle;
- Responsible to deliver agreed target results at project and portfolio level;
- Provide strategic input to support the accreditation requirements under these Funds.
3) Communication, outreach and knowledge management
- Lead and steer the development of partnerships on innovative approaches under the remit of the regional portfolio;
- At the request of the Regional / Multilateral Finance Unit Director Represent IUCN alone and/or along other IUCN experts in the context of the Funds’ partnerships, including in thematic meetings organized by these two funds;
- Engage with relevant experts and stakeholders within the IUCN, and the Funds’ communities of practices, including the Funds’ secretariat, donors, recipients and agencies;
- Oversee the development of communication materials which can highlight results of the project and the portfolio;
- Ensure projects and initiatives contribute to IUCN knowledge management strategy.
- Work collaboratively with other relevant colleagues at regional and corporate level
4) People Management
- When relevant, and under the guidance of the Regional Director and the Director Multilateral Finance Unit, hire and manage directly staff under his/her responsibility;
- Lead training and mentoring relevant to staff on best practices for engaging and managing a portfolio of projects funded by the GEF, the GCF or others that would fall under his/her responsibility;
- Lead by example by ensuring IUCN’s core values are applied consistently at all times.
- Responsible to maintain a conducing work environment free of harassment;
1) Strategic leadership and portfolio development:
- Lead the identification and development of project opportunities in close collaboration regional, global and thematic experts, under the overall guidance of the Regional Director and the Director Multilateral Finance Unit. This includes acting as the IUCN main counterpart to the GEF, GCF and stakeholders in the design of these projects;
- Lead the work to identify niche markets in Regional Programme and Centres for multilateral environment funds (GEF, GCF, Others) funded projects and activities in close collaboration with regional, global and thematic experts.;
- Collaborate with other Portfolio Managers across the Secretariat and other staff involved in the management the GEF and GCF programmes to identify strategic opportunities and ways of enhancing effectiveness and quality of the programme;
- Lead the coordination of projects preparation with relevant experts and stakeholders;
- Technical quality oversight of proposals including meeting respective Funds requirements, including their paradigm shift, transformative effects and incremental cost reasoning;
- Lead fundraising for project preparation and co-financing when required;
- Oversee the submission and approval of projects under his/her responsibility, including addressing all project reviews by the Fund’s Secretariat.
2) Portfolio management, oversight and technical supervision:
- Lead negotiations on all implementing arrangements with partners and executing agencies, ensuring those are established in due time for timely implementation;
- Oversee project launches, including the establishment of steering committees and project management units in coordination with Country Offices where relevant;
- Approve work plans submitted by the project executing agency(ies). This can include interaction with senior officials from the public and the private sector;
- Represent IUCN in Steering Committees as appropriate;
- Coordinate IUCN teams (including thematic, corporate and regional expertise) in charge of supervising projects;
- Report to regional and global IUCN governing bodies related to the portfolio (ie: regional steering committees chaired by the Regional Director);
- Responsible for the preparation of disbursements requests to the Funds and their submission in a timely manner, liaising with IUCN and projects finance teams
- Coordinate with the environment and social management system (ESMS) expert/s to guarantee that ESIA and ESMPs are done and implemented;
- Keep Regional Director and Multilateral Finance Unit Director informed in a timely manner about any risks detected.
- Advise project’s executing agency/ies on the application of relevant policies (procurement, financial management, stakeholders’ involvement;
- Ensure, in collaboration with finance, there is enough financial resources and reserves (from the fees) to provide oversight to each project and initiative, innovate and mitigate risks;
- Mobilize expertise within and outside IUCN depending on project needs for supervision and oversight;
- Responsible for all monitoring, supervision and reporting related to the project cycle;
- Responsible to deliver agreed target results at project and portfolio level;
- Provide strategic input to support the accreditation requirements under these Funds.
3) Communication, outreach and knowledge management
- Lead and steer the development of partnerships on innovative approaches under the remit of the regional portfolio;
- At the request of the Regional / Multilateral Finance Unit Director Represent IUCN alone and/or along other IUCN experts in the context of the Funds’ partnerships, including in thematic meetings organized by these two funds;
- Engage with relevant experts and stakeholders within the IUCN, and the Funds’ communities of practices, including the Funds’ secretariat, donors, recipients and agencies;
- Oversee the development of communication materials which can highlight results of the project and the portfolio;
- Ensure projects and initiatives contribute to IUCN knowledge management strategy.
- Work collaboratively with other relevant colleagues at regional and corporate level
4) People Management
- When relevant, and under the guidance of the Regional Director and the Director Multilateral Finance Unit, hire and manage directly staff under his/her responsibility;
- Lead training and mentoring relevant to staff on best practices for engaging and managing a portfolio of projects funded by the GEF, the GCF or others that would fall under his/her responsibility;
- Lead by example by ensuring IUCN’s core values are applied consistently at all times.
- Responsible to maintain a conducing work environment free of harassment;
REQUIREMENTS
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• - Master’s degree or higher in a field relevant to environment and development, including natural resources management, environment science, environmental economics, or equivalent - Excellent proficiency in written and spoken English. Other IUCN languages (French, Spanish) represent an asset - 10 years of experience in the design and implementation of large, complex natural resource management projects funded by multilateral funds including the GEF or the GCF, especially those focusing on forest conservation, sustainable management and restoration, water and marine resources management, land and ecosystems management - At least 5 years of relevant experience in the Region - Knowledge and experience in the various finance instruments (grant and non-grant) in order to perform analysis and provide advices on the most appropriate instrument to - Track record in delivering large scale portfolio - Demonstrated technical understanding and expertise across range of themes and issues relevant to global programmes including environmental economics, sustainable forest management, restoration, land management, water resources management, climate change, natural resource governance, and biodiversity conservation - Demonstrated ability to interact with and mobilize private sector partners in IUCN related activities - Demonstrated experience in results-based management, including fiduciary matters and environmental and social safeguards - Experience in budget and people management in an international and multicultural set-up -Strong network of relevant professional relationships, including those with donors and technical partners - Knowledge of and work with IUCN and partners |
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
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