33-009 | Senior Program Officer: Climate Adaptation Finance

at  Global Center on Adaptation

ABOUT US

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is a leading international organization dedicated to addressing climate change and promoting adaptation action for resilient development. We collaborate with governments, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), businesses, and communities to develop and implement innovative solutions that strengthen resilience and support adaptation to climate change impacts.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Join us as we build our Climate Adaptation Finance team, offering a pivotal role for experienced, creative, and highly motivated Climate Adaptation Finance Specialist. This role presents a unique opportunity to shape the future of climate finance, driving transformative change and making a lasting impact on global climate resilience. At GCA, you’ll have the freedom to innovate and the support to bring your ideas to life. We’re on a mission to enhance global climate resilience. If you’re excited about contributing to something impactful and building a sustainable future, we’d love to have you on board.
GCA’s strategy in Africa is implemented under the flagship Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), launched by GCA and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to scale up adaptation efforts and mobilize finance for climate-resilient development in Africa. To date, GCA has integrated adaptation solutions into nearly $9 billion worth of investments funded by IFIs across Africa. GCA’s work under the AAAP focuses on four pillars where investments in adaptation and resilience building can yield high economic dividends for African nations, including: Food security; Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions; Youth entrepreneurship and adaptation jobs; and Adaptation finance.
The Climate Adaptation Finance Specialist will play a key role in facilitating access to finance for climate adaptation projects and initiatives in Africa under Pillar IV of the AAAP, which is focused on three core business lines:
1. Technical Assistance Program: to enable direct access to the climate finance. Direct access empowers African governments, institutions, and communities to manage and disburse climate finance according to their unique circumstances, enhancing ownership, accountability, and sustainability of adaptation projects. By bypassing traditional intermediaries, direct access minimizes transaction costs, streamlines decision-making processes, and accelerates the flow of funds to the most vulnerable communities and ecosystems. GCA’s engagement includes support in the process of accreditation and reaccreditation to the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund, technical support in the preparation of funding proposals and concept notes, and capacity building support for Direct Access Entities, with a particular focus on the private sector actors.
2. Scaling Market Mechanisms for Adaptation Finance: In our approach to adaptation finance, we also recognize the critical role of African financial institutions in driving climate-resilient development at the local level. Financial institutions play a key role in mobilizing and channeling finance towards adaptation projects that address the specific needs and priorities of local businesses and communities. GCA’s support aims to strengthen capacity to assess climate risks, integrate adaptation considerations into investment decisions, and develop innovative financial products tailored to support climate-adaptation initiatives. Through this engagement, GCA seeks to build a robust ecosystem of financing solutions that enables local governments, businesses, and communities to effectively adapt to climate change impacts.
3. Innovative Financial Instruments: African countries need to deploy a diverse range of financial instruments to unlock capital for adaptation. Innovative financial instruments such as green bonds, climate risk insurance, and blended finance facilities can play a pivotal role in attracting capital from both public and private sources. Green bonds, for instance, provide investors with opportunities to finance projects with environmental benefits, including adaptation initiatives. Blended finance facilities combine public and private funds to mitigate risks and enhance the attractiveness of investments in adaptation projects. By leveraging these financial instruments strategically, we can unlock capital at scale.

Key Responsibilities – General:

• Strategic planning: Develop and lead climate finance strategies that align with GCA’s mission across all business lines.
• Partnership building: Foster relationships with key stakeholders, including MDBs, to enhance GCA’s solutions broker role, and promote effective communication to increase GCA’s visibility and engagement with global partners.
• Project management: Oversee project pipelines, including development, procurement, tracking, and reporting, and ensure the successful delivery of international multi-stakeholder projects within the work program, maintaining time and value efficiency.
• Capacity building: Develop strategies to embed capacity within local, national, and regional stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, and direct access entities, to access and manage climate finance for adaptation activities.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Support GCA systems and processes for monitoring, reporting, and evaluating the effectiveness of GCA’s initiatives and projects.
• Cross-cutting: Collaborate with GCA thematic and regional leads for a unified approach to finance-related activities