Business Development Senior Advisor, Climate Finance

The Climate Finance Support Unit (CFSU) is a new unit that works with country programs, regions and headquarters colleagues to develop CRS’ strategic approach toward climate finance, assess funding opportunities, and developing and sharing guidance to advance CRS’ climate adaptation programming in ways that achieve CRS’ strategic goals while managing risks. The CFSU is tasked with articulating CRS' programmatic, ethical and financial strategy for climate finance including carbon finance opportunities. 

This role is for someone who can straddle both strategic high-level thinking and who is excited to deliver specific technical outputs, guidance, and support to country program and regional Business Development (BD) and programming staff. The BD Senior Advisor will be responsible for carrying out research on and building relationships with new donors and other potential growth partners in the Climate Finance space. They will aid country programs in go/no go decisions, proposal design and development, and supporting CRS regions/ countries and key partners in their growth objectives around climate adaptation. They will play a critical knowledge management role across the agency leveraging learning and past performance to facilitate strategic, informed and streamlined business development processes.   

This position would be ideal for someone with high level BD skillsets who comes from a technical climate change background in key areas of interest to CRS. These include but are not limited to: environmental safeguarding and compliance requirements; climate change risk and vulnerability analysis; climate resilience, nature based solutions, carbon projects particularly in the landscape restoration sector, alignment with NDCs; NAPs; NBSAPs; frequently used indicators measuring climate adaptation and/or mitigation objectives; and/or GHG emissions accounting for nature based programming. 

The BD Senior Advisor will cultivate relationships with climate specific donors and ideally come with an existing understanding and network of these donors. Ultimately, it is a role for someone passionate about climate change, who wants to see more climate adaptation funding reaching vulnerable communities.

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

          • 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: 

              📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

              ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

              • 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.

                Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

                CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

                CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

                CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

                Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

                CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

                General Requirements

                CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

                CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.