Jobs at Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Join us as we grow our Youth Entrepreneurship and Adaptation Jobs team, offering a pivotal role for experienced, creative, and highly motivated Specialist, Youth Entrepreneurship & Adaptation Jobs. This role presents a unique opportunity to shape the future of climate adaptation, driving transformative change and making a lasting impact on global climate resilience. At GCA, you will have the freedom to innovate and the support to bring your ideas to life. We are on a mission to enhance global climate resilience. If you are excited about contributing to something impactful and building a sustainable future, we would 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 $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.
• As Specialist, Youth Entrepreneurship & Adaptation Jobs you will actively engage in and provide technical leadership on programs to identify and mainstream opportunities for job creation in climate change adaptation. You will be working with internal stakeholders across the other AAAP pillars to identify opportunities to create adaptation jobs. Furthermore, you will cultivate and manage relationships with external partners to support the team’s work in developing and operationalizing a framework to identify and mainstream climate-resilient jobs in Africa. This position requires expertise in technical analysis, content development, stakeholder management and high-impact implementation to advance GCA’s overall objectives in mainstreaming adaptation jobs into investment projects of International

Finance Institutions, and supporting the private sector (commercial banks) with tools to building a robust adaptation enterprises pipeline.

Key Functions

The key responsibilities of the Specialist include:

Project Design

• In coordination with the Lead for Youth Entrepreneurship and Adaptation Jobs further develop the strategy and implementation framework to identify, create and mainstream adaption jobs.
• Take a proactive role in the conceptualization, design, implementation and supervision of highly innovative and transformative technical assistance to youth job creation and skills development in investment projects and programs of MDBs and commercial banks. This will include frequent and in-depth interactions and coordination with task team leaders/managers of MDBs as well as sustainability/green desks in commercial banks.
• Support the Program Lead in building an ecosystem of adaptation enterprises within African countries; penetrating local ecosystems by linking the existing YouthADAPT model to the private sector

Program Implementation

• Develop and implement a pipeline of technical assistance for projects under the Youth, Entrepreneurship and Adaptation Jobs program, promoting creative solutions and approaches to climate resilient job creation. This will include adopting robust tools and date-driven information, and a broad, multi-sector strategy to drive job creation and skills in adaptation.
• Participate in the preliminary evaluation of project proposals to assess their feasibility for financial support and/or technical assistance by GCA. This involves the initial screening of projects, carrying out desk reviews, preparing preliminary evaluation notes for presentation to the Global Program Lead and the Regional Director for Africa.
• Support the day-to-day implementation of the Youth, Jobs and Entrepreneurship program, including but not limited to the preparation of project concepts, procurement documents, contract management, planning tools, and progress monitoring and reporting.

Stakeholder Management

• Participate in relevant missions with project partners to prepare project appraisal reports, including various financial and risk analysis, development outcome analysis, strategic alignment with GCA goals.
• Develop and expands a network of relevant experts, policymakers, and other partners in Africa to support the AAAP work on youth entrepreneurship and jobs

Knowledge Development

• Support the strategic advancement of knowledge development in youth-led enterprise strengthening within the context of climate adaptation, green jobs, and skills, aligning with the GCA agenda and strategy
• Provide strategic recommendations and advice to the Program Lead on preliminary assessments with the objective of influencing the MDB country project design
• Develop and review reports, presentations, and project briefs, among others, as well as support to overall outputs of the Youth, Jobs and Entrepreneurship Program, ensuring technically robust outputs with a clear narrative.
• Support the preparation of knowledge products – e.g. policy briefs, news stories, reports – on GCA’s activities and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Adaptation Jobs Program, as well as capacity building activities.

REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, development economics, public administration, or other relevant fields.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the implementation of complex and large-scale innovative projects and programs in the job creation and youth engagement in Africa. Experience with working in the private sector on the enterprise side is critical. In addition, experience with a multilateral development bank is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated expertise in the private sector, specifically in enterprise development, business innovation, and strategic partnerships. A track record of driving successful entrepreneurial ventures and supporting start-up ecosystems is essential.
• Excellent conceptual – and ideally practical – understanding of key subject areas such as climate adaption, job creation and entrepreneurship and climate resilient jobs.
• Excellent understanding of the principles of project cycle and project implementation required for large-scale programs.
• Solid planning, management and operational skills to effectively coordinate project teams, implementation partners and other stakeholders, with a demonstrable sense of urgency and ability to work under tight deadlines while maintaining a solutions-oriented and proactive problem-solving approach
• Proven ability to translate complex concepts and strategies into technical assistance to national and local governments, and projects teams to support implementation of climate adaptation job creation in Africa.
• Excellent planning and operational skills–including complex procurement and contract management–and a demonstrable sense of urgency and ability to work under tight deadlines in a team setting while maintaining an empowering and solution-oriented approach.
• Proven ability to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders at different technical and strategic levels– senior government officials and other authorities, representatives of multilateral development banks, implementation partners, and so on.
• Excellent client and communications skills, backed by an ability to communicate orally and in writing effectively in English and to articulate and present ideas well both in writing and orally to a diverse audience of stakeholders at technical and strategic levels.
• Working knowledge of French considered to be of additional advantage.

go to method of application »

• As a Program Officer, you will report directly to the Global Program Lead, work with team members in the Food Security & Rural Wellbeing Program, and collaborate with other colleagues across different programs in GCA. You will also closely collaborate with officials of multi-lateral development banks and financing institutions including African Development Bank, World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Islamic Development Bank among others) ;technical partner organizations (including the CGIAR, NARS), Think-Tanks and private sector players to mainstream climate adaptation solutions, specifically; upscaling climate-resilient seeds to promote resilience of smallholder farmers in the design and implementation of investment projects. Furthermore, you will play a key role in positioning the GCA as international organization specializing in climate change adaptation.

Responsibilities
Reporting to GCA’s Food Security Global Lead, you will carry out the following:

Programmatic Support

• Participate in the preliminary evaluation of project proposals to assess their feasibility for financial support and/or technical assistance by GCA, including initial screening of projects, carrying out desk reviews, preparing preliminary evaluation notes for presentation to the Global Program Lead
• Contribute to accelerate the transmission of science into practice by linking upstream climate science and the development of adaptation innovations with downstream investments financed by International Financing Institutions, governments, and the private sector.
• Contribute to the implementation of the GCA-TAAT-CGIAR’s partnership to scale up climate adaptation technologies in agricultural investment projects in Africa and beyond
• Strengthen the mainstreaming of digital climate advisory services into the design of agricultural investment projects
• Support the multi-stakeholder advocacy and policy dialogues for incentives and investments targeted to maintain support for resilient seeds and other adaptation solutions at various levels.
• Provide inputs for linkage with the work of other programs of GCA: infrastructure, water, finance, youth employment and climate finance

Events and Outreach Support

• Contribute to convening and hosting of forums and events (training sessions, workshops) to promote climate adaptation to policy makers and other stakeholder and build the resilience of farmers and the associated value chains;
• Contribute to position GCA as a key solutions broker on climate change adaptation for achieving food security in climatic uncertainties in Africa;
• Participate in sector-specific working groups and coordination meetings to ensure the program's alignment with national and international standards.
• Perform additional tasks that may be assigned by the Global Program Lead and senior management of GCA.

REQUIREMENTS

• Master's degree in the climate-agriculture nexus, agricultural economics, international development, development economics, or related fields.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in program management and support, or similar fields.
• Strong understanding of relevant institutions and key players in the agricultural sector.
• Previous work experience in Africa.
• Excellent command of the English language.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience working with a development bank or other financing institution.
• Experience in procuring digital climate information and agricultural advisory services.
• Proficiency in French language is highly desired.
• Prior working experience and understanding of CGIAR or other partners.

Required competencies:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to actively engage with key stakeholders.
• Communication Skills: Excellent command of written and spoken English, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and persuasively. French is a plus.
• Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment, maintaining effectiveness when facing changing tasks and responsibilities.
• Multicultural Collaboration: Proven ability to work collaboratively within diverse teams, respecting and integrating different cultural perspectives.
• Planning and Organizational skills: with a proven track record of managing multiple priorities efficiently.
• A commitment to improve people’s lives through climate resilience and adaptation.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 03 June 2024