Senior Program Officer

Senior Program Officer

Job #: req26727 Organization: World Bank Sector: Climate Change Grade: GG Term Duration: 2 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): French, Spanish Closing Date: 4/4/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending poverty in a livable planet. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

The Adaptation Fund is an innovative financing mechanism set up by the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the purpose of financing concrete climate change adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties. At the request of the COP, the GEF is providing secretariat services to the Adaptation Fund Board (the Board) on an interim basis, through a dedicated team. Since becoming fully operational in 2010, the Board has approved 160 projects/programmes in over 100 vulnerable countries, for a total funding of more than US$ 1 billion.

Launched under the Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC, the Adaptation Fund has been formally serving Paris Agreement since 2019.

The Adaptation Fund is implementing its second medium term strategy for years 2023-2027 that rests on the three pillars of adaptation action, innovation and learning/knowledge management.

The Secretariat is recruiting a Senior Programme Officer. Reporting directly to the Head of the Adaptation Fund (Manager of the Secretariat), s/he will function as a Team Lead that coordinates the Fund's work on its internal and external delivery systems: budget preparation and oversight, organization of Board meetings and functioning as the secretary of the Board, , compilation of the Fund's reports to the Parties to the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol and support to the Parties' work on the Fund, development and review of the Fund's institutional arrangements, legal support to the secretariat and the Board, operating and updating the Fund's risk management framework, including the safeguards policies and the Ad Hoc Complaint Handling mechanism, and the Fund's engagement with the civil society. S/he will also supervise a team of officers with specific tasks in these areas, including but not limited to governance, legal support, budget, and administration.

The Sr Programme Officer will be under the supervision of and report to the Head of the Adaptation Fund (Manager of the Secretariat), and will be a member of the Fund's management team. S/he is expected to collaborate closely with colleagues in the Secretariat, while also interacting with Board members, accredited Implementing Entities, government focal points, and other stakeholders.

Duties and Accountabilities

The successful candidate will be expected to carry out the following duties and responsibilities under the supervision of the Head of the Fund:

• Lead the preparation, implementation and reporting oversight of the Fund's administrative budget.

• Play an active role in the annual work planning and monitoring within and across the different teams of the Secretariat.

• Play an active role in the development of the Fund's internal and external processes: particularly ones that are cross-cutting through the workstreams of the secretariat, and those that are externally facing. These include, among others, human resources and IT.

• Supervise the sourcing and provision of legal support to the secretariat and the Board, review of legal documents, liaison (when necessary) with the appointed legal counsel, and liaison with the UNFCCC secretariat on legal matters. Oversee the completion of legal documents.

• Supervise the operating and updating the Fund's risk management framework, including the safeguards policies, and the Ad Hoc Complaint Handling mechanism.

• Lead the organization of Board and committee meetings, including administrative and logistical arrangements, on-time support during the meetings, and reporting during and after the meetings. Lead the logistical organization of the Fund's participation in other events and meetings such as those of UNFCCC COP and Subsidiary Bodies (SBs).

• Lead and contribute to the preparation of Board and Committee documents, strategy and policy documents, talking points, and other materials to support the effective delivery of the Fund portfolio, as well as, through shared responsibility, to the preparations and ensuring smooth running of the Ethics and Finance Committee meetings, as needed.

• Coordinate the compilation of reports of the Board to the Parties to the Paris Agreement and, until relevant, Kyoto Protocol, as well as other mandated reports.

• Play an active role in the development and review of the Fund's institutional arrangements, including ones mandated by Parties such as secretariat and trustee services and hosting of Board meetings, as well as those arrangements set by the Board.

• Supervise the team processing administrative and financial transactions including procurement, hiring short-term consultants, payments for goods/services, consultancy fees and miscellaneous staff expenses.

• Supervise the official correspondence of the secretariat with implementing entities, governments, partner organizations and other stakeholders, and oversee internal data storage.

• Coordinate the Fund's engagement with the civil society.

• Take responsible roles in representing the Fund and enhancing public awareness in various fora, including but not limited to, meetings convened under the UNFCCC and its subsidiary bodies, meetings of other climate funds, regional and sub-regional workshops, technical conferences and workshops, and bilateral meetings with governments, implementing agencies and other stakeholders.

• Play an active role in the establishment and maintenance of productive dialogue and positive relationships with key stakeholders, including developing country governments, climate change negotiators, national, regional and multilateral agencies involved in climate finance, think tanks and civil society.

• Contribute, from the perspective of areas of responsibility, to efforts of working with other climate funds, implementing entities, contributor governments and other stakeholders, to scale up projects supported by the Fund.

• Support as needed the implementation of resource mobilization activities for the Fund.

• Along with other members of the Management Team, perform managerial tasks as an officer-in-charge on behalf of the Head of the Fund during periods of absence, as needed.

• Provide supervision and technical backstopping to other staff.

• Keep the Head of the Fund (Manager of the Secretariat) apprised of the work done in the areas of responsibility, and perform any other task as required.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree or higher in finance, business administration, law, accounting or other relevant field with at least 8 years of relevant experience.

• Substantial experience working in the development field, in an international context, and with working with institutional processes, including operational and budgetary oversight. Experience working with climate change adaptation and building resilience is highly desirable.

• Ability to think strategically and to rapidly analyze diverse information from varied sources.

• Ability and the necessary organizational skills to take initiative, personal ownership, and accountability to meet deadlines, work under pressure, balance competing demands and achieve agreed-upon results.

• Ability and experience of successfully leading, supervising and motivating direct reports and of building efficient teams.

• Demonstrated experience of working successfully with work plans and budgets, including their preparation, management and reporting.

• Sound knowledge of the UNFCCC and international climate finance architecture would be desirable.

• Demonstrated political awareness and ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and to otherwise cultivate effective, productive client relationships/partnerships.

• Demonstrated capacity to pay attention to details.

• Capacity to multi-task and work under pressure-working on a variety of tasks simultaneously, independently adjusting to priorities and achieving results with agreed objectives and deadlines.

• Excellent oral and written communications and editing skills; strong command of English; knowledge of other UN languages would be desirable, especially French and Spanish.

• Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients, stakeholders and colleagues.

• Ability and willingness to travel internationally, including to visit projects in the field in developing countries, and to attend international meetings, with indicative expected travel of between 5 and 10 weeks per year.

Competencies

Deliver Results for Clients

• Develops and implements solutions that show understanding of how clients and/or own work achieves results that are financially, environmentally and socially sustainable

• Shares new insights based on in-depth understanding of the client and recommends solutions for current and future needs of clients

• Holds self and team accountable for risk management and outcomes.

Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries

• Collaborates across organizational boundaries, internally and externally with a sense of mutuality and respect

• Consistently engages others in open dialogue, brings out any conflicting viewpoints and incorporates viewpoints into solutions, giving credit where credit is due. Leverages expertise of all team members to

ensure successful outcomes

• Makes choices and sets priorities with a WBG / Adaptation Fund corporate perspective in mind.

Lead and Innovate

• Encourages and works with others to identify, incubate and implement relevant solutions.

• Identifies opportunities in changing circumstances and energizes others to continuously improve, using intentional strategies to boost morale, team spirit, and productivity in context of WBG / Adaptation Fund's values and mission

• Helps others to understand problems, client needs and the underlying context.

Create, Apply and Share Knowledge

• Ensures systematic sharing of good practice and learning from lessons from across WBG / Adaptation Fund, clients, and partners

• Is known across WBG / Adaptation Fund in his/her subject area and is sought out by WBG / Adaptation

• Fund colleagues to advise, peer review, or contribute to knowledge products of others.

• Seeks mentoring opportunities with more experienced staff to deepen or strengthen their professional knowledge and mentors junior staff.

• Builds networks across the WBG /GEF and as part of external professional groups/networks Make Smart Decisions.

• Applies critical thinking and seeks inputs and experience from others to recommend a course of action consistent with the Adaptation Fund's strategy.

• Evaluates risk and anticipates the short and long term implications of decisions.

• Commits to a decision and takes action once a decision has been reached.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.