Grade: IS - 3

The mission of the Green Climate Fund is to assist developing countries to respond to climate change while bringing prosperity to their peoples.

Established in 2010, the GCF invests in transformational climate projects in the developing world. The Fund makes an ambitious contribution to global climate action and channels significant financial resources into developing countries to help build low-emission and climate-resilient societies.  It is country-driven and undertakes actions which reflect the circumstances of each country concerned and its national aspirations. The GCF is a key enabler of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Since its establishment, the GCF has mobilized 10.3 billion USD, accredited 54 entities to channel its resources and approved 43 funding proposals. In addition, it has built up an extensive program to support developing countries identify their needs, in particular those who are most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

The GCF’s diverse workforce is advancing its mission from its headquarters in South Korea. Our talented staff make unique contributions to the Fund, enriching the institution through their combined expertise and professional commitment.

We are looking to expand our team with more highly skilled and adaptable people who are driven by our mandate, people who appreciate challenges and know how to deliver and thrive in a fast moving, dynamic environment.

Position Description

The Agriculture Specialist in the Division of Mitigation and Adaptation will be responsible for a wide range of analytical and operational tasks related primarily to processing GCF funding proposals and concept notes towards qualified funding proposals for GCF senior management and Board consideration; as well as providing substantial inputs to the full cycle of key GCF policies identification, formulation, development, review and approval processes. Moreover, the Specialist will work closely with the Agriculture and Food Security Senior Specialist in the preparation of sectoral guidance in relation to the Fund operations. The Specialist should have relevant expertise and experience in the field of climateresilient and low-emissions agriculture in developing countries – as one of the technical support areas of the Division. This includes knowledge and experience on climate-resilient agriculture practices and technologies and approaches for replication and up-scaling. Moreover, knowledge of mitigation opportunities in agriculture, and practical experience with GHG emission calculation standards would be an asset. Experience in developing, implementing and assessing of climate change adaptation and mitigation projects in the agriculture and land use sector is required as well as work experience in developing country settings.

Duties and responsibilities

• Lead the assessment of GCF concept notes and funding proposals to the necessary quality standards by timely processing the review, and providing technical expertise and practical guidance following the GCF investment criteria;
• Provide technical, analytical and operational support to the development and implementation of GCF policy and guideline documents including the Fund’s investment framework, operational guidelines, procedures and toolkits;
• Advise on the origination of high-quality proposals through GCF modalities such as the Simplified Approval Process Pilot Scheme; Enhanced Direct Access Pilot; the Project Preparation Facility; National Adaptation Planning; and the Readiness Preparatory Support Programme;
• Support the co-ordination with other divisions and units on the DMA support to the preparation and execution of Strategic Regional and Country Dialogues;
• Deliver sectoral expertise in project and program pipeline development, including initial screening and review of concept notes and funding proposals, interactions with accredited entities in bilateral meetings, preparation of assessment findings, maintenance of the operations database, and support the monitoring of approved agriculture related projects or programs;
• Conduct specific research and analytical work; drafting written reports, presentations, and speaking points to high quality standards; engagement through emails and phone calls with the accredited entities, consultants and external experts to the Fund; and oversight and coordination of the relevant internal documentation processing, until the point of publication;
• Provide organizational and substantive support for the Fund’s Board meetings and other events related to the functioning and operations of the Fund. This may include assisting in the preparation of relevant documentation, taking meeting minutes, preparing summaries, and providing support for the drafting of decisions; and
• Support additional analytical and operational tasks as requested by the Agriculture and Food Security Senior Specialist; or by extension the Adaptation Coordinator or Director of DMA.

Expected experience and qualifications*

• Master and undergraduate degrees in agriculture, agriculture economics, geography, natural resources management, soils science, climate science, environmental engineering, or related fields; 
• At least seven (7) years of relevant work experience on projects, in developing countries and in the agriculture (crop, livestock, aquaculture, fishery, forestry), food security, livelihoods, ecosystem management, and/or land use sectors;
• Relevant experience in climate finance operations for a range of financial instruments and including origination, development, appraisal, management of investment projects;
• Work experience in developing country settings implementing agriculture, food security, livelihoods, ecosystems management, and/or land use sector projects;
• Substantive expertise in at least three of the following areas: climate-resilient agriculture, food security and vulnerability analysis, ecosystems-based adaptation, climate change mitigation of various farming systems, agroecosystems, rural livelihoods, etc.);
• Deep knowledge of ongoing discussions and decisions under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), particularly on adaptation and on agriculture;
• Familiarity of multilateral climate funds, project financing, execution of technical assistance projects through work with international agencies, donors and multilateral development banks;
• Experience in working with national governments and agencies on climate change;
• Experience in developing project funding proposals and policy documents, conducting research analysis and articulating findings and recommendations;
• Experience in integrating policies and guidelines in the design, processing and implementation of investment projects;
• Ability to articulate complex issues verbally and in writing in a concise and professional manner in a complex institutional environment;
• Application of own specialist knowledge to support supervisor and other colleagues in day-to-day operations and technical analysis in fast evolving working environment;
• Capacity to proactively apply relevant international best practices to own work;
• Excellent business writing and presentation skills;
• Strong competence and autonomy in the use of standard software programs: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook; and
• Fluency in English is essential; knowledge of another United Nations language is an advantage, especially Spanish, French and/or Russian.

*The person assessed by the Selection Panel as most suitable for the position will be proposed for appointment. The above criteria should be seen as indicators of the experience and skills that would qualify candidates for consideration. Selection among short-listed candidates will also take into account performance at interview, appropriate testing, and references.

Applications from women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged.