Head of Governance Affairs and Secretary to the Board

Grade: IS-8
Deadline: 22 June 2023 (11:59 PM KST)
Job Category: International
Salary: USD 220,870 net (plus attractive benefits), that include the following allowances (as appliable): Relocation, housing, dependency, education assistance and home country travel)

Introduction
The mission of the Green Climate Fund is to assist developing countries to respond to climate change while bringing prosperity to their people.

Established in 2010, the GCF invests in transformational climate projects in the developing world. The Fund makes an ambitious contribution to global climate action and channels significant financial resources into developing countries to help build low-emission and climate-resilient societies. It is country-driven and undertakes actions that reflect the circumstances of each country concerned and its national aspirations. The GCF is a key enabler of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Since its establishment, the GCF has approved 209 projects in 123 countries and has committed USD 11.4 billion in climate finance. In addition, it has built up an extensive program to support developing countries to identify their needs, in particular, those who are most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

The GCF’s diverse workforce is advancing its mission from its headquarters in South Korea. Our talented staff makes unique contributions to the Fund, enriching the institution through their combined expertise and professional commitment.

Position Objective
The Head of Governance Affairs and Secretary to the GCF Board, operating under the guidance and oversight of GCF’s Executive Director, manages a team that is responsible for understanding and responding to the needs and intentions of the Board; enabling sound relations between the Board and the Secretariat, and effectively managing the Secretariat’s preparation and execution of its Board meeting related responsibilities.

The Head is also responsible for recommending actions to enhance GCF governance, leading the development of new policies/procedures/systems/activities that can support agreed actions, and ensuring that the Secretariat’s work is aligned with governance policies and related timelines. This position also manages the establishment and maintenance of sound relations with civil society organizations to benefit from their insights and inform the work of the Secretariat and Board, and acts as a liaison between the GCF and the COP and UNFCCC supporting the fund’s engagement with the multilateral climate finance process and the implementation of related mandates.

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose

• Works closely with the Secretariat’s Executive Team (the Executive and Deputy Executive Director and CFO) and its Senior Management Team, with a view to providing timely, well-coordinated support to the Co-Chairs and the Board and keeping the Secretariat appraised of Board member concerns.
• Manages a robust onboarding process for new Co-Chairs, Board and alternate members, member advisors and Committee Chairs and members to familiarize them with key policies and procedures.
• Prepares and executes a strategy for actively liaising with Board representatives to understand their areas of concern, address their information needs and support the Secretariat in developing more informed Board proposals.
• Manages a cross Secretariat team in regular meetings with the Co-Chairs aimed at keeping them informed on issues related to meeting preparation.
• Builds strong trusted relationships with Board Members and GCF’s Executive Team
• Facilitates communication among Board Members as needed.
• Acts as a liaison and channel of communication between the Board and the Secretariat, ensuring that communication is fluid, trust-based and supportive of the Secretariat’s efforts towards the implementation of Board mandates.
• Maintains accurate and up to date knowledge of all documents being prepared for the Board, responses to Board queries, and records of all Board activities, and curates and maintains this information on the Board Portal for all members to access.
• Strives to ensure that decision makers have an understanding of established procedures and policies to enable them to take informed decisions.
• Works closely with Board Co-Chairs and other Board members to support effective communication and decision making.
• Supports the Secretariat, the Board and other GCF entities in directing the preparation and execution of Board meetings including: coordinating scheduling and logistics arrangements for the Board meeting and meeting events; supporting the GCF’s executive team and co-chairs in agenda and workplan preparation; support Board decision making functions between meetings; and coordinating the delivery of Board meeting documentation in a timely and efficient manner.
• Serves as Secretary to the Board at Board meetings providing the Co-Chairs with information on the status of items in development, serving as a liaison between the co-chairs and the Secretariat in the development of daily workplans and under the guidance of the ED providing ongoing advice to the Co-Chairs in the management of the Board meetings.

  Engagement

  • Leads and manages a team supporting the Fund’s engagement with the multilateral climate process and implementation of related mandates, including the arrangements with the UNFCCC-COP and its constituted bodies.
  • Manages the implementation of GCF’s operational framework aimed at strengthening complementarity and enhancing coherence across climate finance institutions.
  • Supports GCF in the annual meeting of the GCF with climate finance delivery channels.
  • Prepares a draft and finalizes the annual report of the GCF to the Board and an annual response to COP guidance to the Board.
  • Under the guidance of the ED and working closely with the executive team leads the development and implementation of crosscutting initiatives in response to Board and COP guidance.

    Deliver

    • Ensures effective Board governance.
    • Develops, promotes, implements and maintains an effective governance framework for consulting documents and taking and implementing decisions that are consistent with GCF authorities and aligns with the GCF mission, vision and values.
    • Promotes, implements, and maintains effective procedures for engaging with and supporting other GCF entities in their preparations for Board meetings and other engagements with the Board and the UNFCCC
    • Promotes, implements and maintains an effective Secretariat framework for supporting Board Committees.
    • Works from experience to strengthen and memorialize Secretariat governance approaches that are not otherwise controlled by agreed Board authorities through the regular consideration of best practice.
    • Works closely with the Board, Secretariat leadership and other key stakeholders.
    • Facilitates the implementation of all requirements for the preparation and transmission of Board documentation, ensuring the relevant requirements are shared with the Secretariat and GCF stakeholders preparing Board documents
    • Supports transparency through oversight and effective implementation of the Fund’s information disclosure policy, including ensuring the timely disclosure of information (such as environmental and social safeguards reports) and coordinating the GCF’s response to information requests and the availability of GCF documentation under the policy.
    • Coordinates the engagement of observer organizations with the GCF by facilitating the review of the guidelines on the participation of observers: carrying out rounds of application for the accreditation of organizations as observers to the GCF and serving as a focal point for engagement with observers.

      Requirements (Education, experience, technical competencies required of the job)

      • Master’s or higher-level degree in areas such as Political Science, International Relations, Law, Governance;
      • 15 years or more experience including at a senior management level working in policy, governance, board affairs in an international setting.
      • Broad knowledge of climate change and climate finance;
      • Experience in working with Boards with 10 years of such experience an advantage
      • Fluency in English with knowledge of Spanish and/or French an advantage.

        Competencies

        • Demonstrates competencies for vision, leadership, empowering others and managing performance, including:
        • Strong, inclusive, and inspiring leader capable of motivating a team around a common purpose.
        • Strategic vision for medium- and long-term balancing prudence and practicality
        • Flexible and able to adapt and manage change
        • Drive results consistently and sustainably
        • Strong communicator and collaborator
        • Builds strong trusted relationships with the Board, team and Secretariat
        • Creates a positive, collaborative and productive work environment
          

          The closing date for application is 22 June 2023. Applications submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

          *The person assessed by the Selection Panel as most suitable for the position will be proposed for appointment. Selection among short-listed candidates will also take into account performance at interview, appropriate testing, and references.

          Applications from women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged.