Climate Finance Officer

CLIMATE Finance OFFICER

Scope: Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA)

Reports to: Global Program Manager VCA

Level: Senior

Office: Nairobi (or one of the other VCA African countries)

Hours: 40 (max 2.5-year contract)

ABOUT HIVOS

Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. Together with citizens and their organizations, we aim to contribute towards just, inclusive and life-sustaining societies where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources. We work in partnership with others in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America on three impact areas: civic rights; gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and climate justice. Our approach is solution driven, and we build wider movements for change by amplifying and connecting voices.

JOB CONTEXT

We are looking for a talented person to join our dynamic and inclusive team in a role that will feature a blend of networking, policy, strategy and communications focused work related to ensuring southern climate change leaders and solutions are included in global climate change work.  The successful candidate will have the chance to travel domestically and internationally. You’ll be building and managing relationships with climate change actors & organizations, policy makers, and learning and academic institutions that work on climate change and just transitions.

You’ll be part of the Voices for Climate Action Alliance that is working to ensure that local civil society groups and solutions are fully integrated in global climate narratives and policies. The Alliance aims to build a global alliance that supports the adoption of locally shaped climate solutions through an inclusive and rights-based approach in the broader climate that recognizes that climate change is not only an environmental problem to be addressed but also a societal challenge with ethical and human rights aspects.

The program will be implemented by an alliance of six organizations: WWF NL, Hivos, SouthSouthNorth, Akina Mama wa Afrika, Shack Dwellers International, Fundación Avina and works in Kenya, Tunisia, Zambia, Indonesia, Brazil and Bolivia/Paraguay.

The successful candidate will work to identify locally led adaptation solutions developed and owned by the community, in conjunction with colleagues based in the implementing countries. The candidate will also explore in conjunction with internal and external stakeholders’ innovative models to scale up these local solutions. Finally, the candidate will work to influence climate finance flows at national, regional levels and global levels towards locally led adaptation; with emphasis on locally led solutions owned by local communities.

Your Responsibilities:

We are looking for candidates with strong and cutting-edge communication and outreach skills and a track record of analyzing, strategizing and delivery in the climate justice arena. If you thrive in a fast-paced working environment with a very diverse range of stakeholders, we would welcome your application.

As part of the Alliance, your work will strengthen the bridge between local climate solutions and innovation and policy makers, doers and thinkers in the countries we work in. You will develop and foster relationships with key officials in climate change/ climate justice arena, national and sub-national Governments, players in the climate finance space and horizon scan for the latest exciting local climate solutions in the countries we work in. You’ll also keep track of climate finance negotiations, and guide strategy on influencing climate financing and processes to be more inclusive and directed towards local solutions.

1. Horizon Scanning: In conjunction with in-country colleagues, sharing insights with our key stakeholders on the often-unsung heroes that are tackling climate change in the countries that we work in and foster the exchange of new ideas and partnerships and analyze opportunities for scaling up these approaches.

2. Climate finance: Linking local community practice to climate finance opportunities; making climate finance flows more responsive to local communities’ needs; guiding VCA climate finance influencing strategy including submissions on climate finance to the various UNFCCC bodies

3. Project Management: Coordinate the implementation and delivery of specific activities within the Alliance that will bring climate change actors & solutions to the global space for pioneering collaborations.

4.Visits and Events: Curating events with a range of high level, diverse thought leaders and influencers to link.

There is real opportunity in this role to help build a more just and representative global climate change community by bringing to the fore, local climate change leaders and solutions that have been sidelined for way too long on the global stage, and securing climate finance for those solutions.

REQUIREMENTS/YOUR PROFILE

• At least 6 years of work experience in an international organization that aligns to this role.

• At least 1-2 years’ experience of high-level international stakeholder engagement;

• Bachelors in environment, climate & international development or related.

• Track record of delivering complex projects with multiple stakeholders to time and quality.

• Track record of working with communities (youth, women, and creatives, urban & rural communities) in at least one of the countries we work in.

• Demonstrable understanding of climate finance flows at national, regional and global levels and development of influencing climate finance flow strategies at all levels required; participation in UNFCCC submission and/or negotiation processes preferred.

• Experience in reaching out to diverse audiences using cutting edge communication and smart campaign methodologies

• Strong strategic and analytical skills

• Strong affinity for just climate action.

We offer a contract based on Hivos East Africa local labor conditions, with remuneration commensurate with the experience and expertise requested.