Business Development Senior Advisor, Climate Finance at Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore, Maryland

Job Description:

Position title: Business Development Senior Advisor, Climate Finance

Location: Remote, United States | (Remote)


Responsibilities:

This role will support business development functions across the business development cycle and will remain flexible to the needs of the country programs and regions.

Strategy development and implementation:

• Lead the finalization of CRS’ climate finance strategy and develop a roadmap for implementation.
• Provide analysis on funding trends and validate existing analysis on priority donors.
• Map funding mechanisms and identify alignment with CRS’ climate portfolio.
• Map gaps and prioritize opportunities for positioning identified funding streams.
• Engage with leadership across the agency to explain the objectives of the CFSU, while remaining open to feedback on how the unit can better support the country programs and regions.

Capture and Positioning

• Co-develop competitive capture and positioning strategies and work with CFSU, IDEA, regional and CP leadership to facilitate improved positioning practices to secure climate financing from priority donors. Where engagements are already supported by colleagues (eg donor engagement leads), work collaboratively to determined how best to support and build on the existing strategies (leveraging existing networks, geographies and cyclical nature of these opportunities).
• Cultivate relationships with priority donors (in collaboration with relevant technical leads) and define preferred partner models.
• Strengthen country program teams in strategically positioning for climate finance opportunities.
• Develop guidance on prospective sources of climate funding from institutional and climate specific funding streams and proactive leveraging through knowledge management.
• Lead agency-level accreditation processes (eg GCF) where applicable.
• Provide support to key partners (eg local partners and government actors) where appropriate and CP is supporting these actors in accessing climate finance opportunities.

Opportunity alignment

• Lead opportunity tracking for climate specific funding streams to ensure that CPs are aware of the opportunities.
• Provide written and oral guidance and accompaniment to country programs and regions to support their go/no go decisions.
• Build BD capacity across the agency on new climate financing mechanisms, their potential alignment to CRS work and any specific risks and difficulties.

Proposal development:

• Support design processes and the development of high-quality proposals as requested by proposal teams including helping to identify appropriate climate technical support across CRS. This may include writing portions of proposals and in exceptional cases could include leading the proposal process.
• Develop capacity statements and any other templates or guidance which make it easier for country teams to meet standard donor requirements including around any specific sections and/or annexes including environmental compliance and environmental safeguards.

Cross-learning and Knowledge Management Support:

• Support country program teams and regions to leverage BD learning from previous experiences internally and externally. Build a strategy for cascading BD learning across the organization, identifying key focal points.
• Develop and lead the implementation of a strategy to transfer climate finance donor and funding stream expertise via staff development materials.
• Work with Knowledge Management staff in IDEA to document internal successes, internal issues/challenges and work arounds, data on past performance, and donor feedback so that recommendations inform strategic funding opportunities.
• Work with Knowledge Management staff in IDEA to maintain an intelligence base, including updated Gateway records for related funders, donors, partners, projects and opportunities for prioritized climate donors.

Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Knowledge and demonstrated experience with institutional climate funding streams required, including with donors such as the GCF, GEF, WB, AdDB, ADB, IDB, USAID and the European Union. Experience with foundations and other corporate funding streams with a focus on climate appreciated.
• Masters’ degree in climate change adaptation, environmental sustainability, ecology, carbon management, international development, and/or international relations, or related fields.
• Minimum of eight years of relevant experience in INGOs supporting across a range of business development processes (intel gathering, rules and regulations, relationship management, proposal coordination and writing)
• Applied knowledge of institutional Climate Change strategies and frameworks and environmental compliance requirements preferred.
• General programming experience and field experience in the countries where CRS works would be highly preferable and demonstrated the ability to work with staff and partners.
• Track record of contributing to business development, including coordinating across different technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge across a range of funding mechanisms, grants, payment by results and contracting processes preferred.
• Ability to lead a strategic design process.
• Knowledge of budgeting practices around environmental compliance and relevant climate and environmental technical areas would be a plus.
• Exceptional writer with expert command of English grammar and AP style would be a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel). Web Conferencing Applications and strong understanding of information and budget management systems and knowledge-sharing networks.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (SKAs):

• Ability to train and strengthen the capacity of colleagues and partners.
• Excellent interpersonal communication, negotiation, and representation skills.
• Ability and experience in building professional networks and trustful relationships.
• A technical background in one or several areas of climate change and/or environmental sustainability is preferred. This can include programmatic backgrounds in a variety of environment facing programs and/or background in environmental safeguarding and compliance requirements, climate change risk and vulnerability analysis, climate resilience, nature based solution, carbon projects particularly in the landscape restoration sector, alignment with NDCs, NAPs, NBSAPs and frequently used indicators measuring climate adaptation and/or mitigation objectives, and/or GHG emissions accounting for nature-based programming
• A demonstrated interest in the climate financing space and climate specific funding streams

Required Languages:

• Oral and written fluency in English is essential. The ability to work and communicate in French or Spanish is preferred. Arabic a plus.

Travel: Expected 30% LOE for travel. The role may entail a visit to Baltimore HQ, to strategic meetings/conferences and/or to support a proposal or strategy process within a region or country program.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

CRS is proud to be an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Selection and hiring decisions are made without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, veteran status or any other protected area.

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