Job Details

Program Officer (Results and Finance Specialist)

 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 extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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 Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral financial mechanism created in 1991 to provide grant and concessional funds to recipient countries for projects and programs that address biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation and adaptation, degradation of international waters, land and forests, ozone depletion, elimination or reduction of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, all within the framework of sustainable development. 

The GEF unites 186 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, GEF is the designated financial mechanism for five multilateral environmental conventions: The Convention on Biological Diversity, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and Minamata Convention on Mercury. GEF was also recently designated to serve as part of the financial mechanism of the international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

Since 1991, the GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $23 billion in grants for more than 5,000 projects in over 165 countries. Pledges for GEF activities in the eight-replenishment period of 2022 to 2026, called GEF-8, reached $5.33 billion.  The GEF Secretariat, construed for administrative purposes as a Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) within the World Bank, has approximately 100 professional and administrative and client support staff. 

The MEA and Funds Division in the GEF is responsible for managing the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund, the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). The MEA and funds Division is also responsible for strategy development and implementation for the funds, along with managing major environmental negotiations and anchoring the relevant work on all COP negotiations.  A key function of the MEA and Funds division is the coordination of the MEAs and working with other funds such as the GCF and the Adaptation Fund to promote synergies and to collaborate on programming. The division coordinates with other divisions in the GEF and support senior management.

The GEF operates two funds to support adaptation to climate change: the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). The two funds are mandated to serve the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC. To date, the LDCF and SCCF have provided over $$2.3 billion in grant financing for over 500 adaptation projects in vulnerable developing countries, In June 2022, the LDCF/SCCF Council approved the GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for the LDCF and SCCF and Operational Improvements for July 2022 to June 2026.  The GEF also manages the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), which was established in 2023 to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Key Duties and Accountabilities:
The GEF Secretariat is looking for a Program Officer (Results and Finance Specialist) to work in the MEA and Funds Division, on the LDCF/SCCF and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). Under the supervision of the Manager of the GEF MEAs and Funds Division, and in coordination with the Portfolio Management and Results unit of the Operations and Policy Division, the Results and Finance Specialist will be responsible for the monitoring of the LDCF/SCCF and GBFF project portfolio, preparing reports and assessments of results and impacts at the portfolio level, analyzing (qualitatively and quantitatively) lessons learned, and assessing how the projects and portfolio are mobilizing financing from various sources.

Specifically, the Results and Finance Specialist will:
1. Qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the LDCF/SCCF and GBFF project and portfolio data and provide information on the outcomes and impacts of the projects/programs and the overall portfolio.
2. Prepare the Annual Monitoring Reviews of the LDCF/SCCF and GBFF. Contribute to the preparation of the Progress Reports and other Council documents as well as inputs to relevant external documents, donor requests for information on results and portfolio performance, and other related tasks.
3. Track and analyze how the projects and portfolio mobilize financing from various sources and generate insights on GEF’s role as a financial catalyst.
4. Work with the GEF Agencies to acquire programming-specific data from project reports, evaluations, and other relevant sources. Also engage with relevant partners to obtain information on project results and resource mobilization.
5. Engage with the results teams of major Multilateral Climate Funds (MCF) including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Climate Investment Funds to coordinate efforts on results and portfolio monitoring for the implementation of the MCF Joint Action Plan.
6. Prepare reports, presentations and events on project results, progress towards targets, success stories and lessons learned from the LDCF/SCCF and the GBFF. Also contribute information to communications and knowledge products highlighting experiences from the LDCF/SCCF and the GBFF.
7. Coordinate with the Portfolio Monitoring and Results team to ensure that the family of funds perspectives are represented in the GEF-wide results monitoring, products, and outreach efforts, and to facilitate harmonized and streamlined portfolio and results monitoring.
8. Carry out other tasks as assigned by the Manager.

Selection Criteria

• A Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, or related analytical field.
• At least 5 years’ experience in working in results-based management, data analysis, preferably working in an international organization in the context of development or the management of environmental projects. Excellent analytical and data management skills, with a high level of attention to detail.
• Knowledge of the operations of the LDCF and SCCF, and its strategies and policies would be an advantage.
• Ability to think analytically, strategically, and programmatically.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, including ability to communicate complex issues to a wide range of audiences. Language skills in French and Spanish are an advantage.
• Must be able to work in a multicultural team environment, and also independently on complex tasks on tight deadlines. 

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.