The 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 Secretariat, construed for administrative purposes as a Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) within the World Bank, has approximately 100 professional and administrative and client support (ACS) staff.
GEF’s work focuses on ensuring that continued growth and prosperity happen in a way that does not fundamentally compromise the very foundation on which we have built our societies—a way that does not jeopardize the natural systems that provide us with food, fiber, materials, and a stable climate. The GEF has a vast potential to help the global community meet this challenge – it spans every environmental domain, provides funding to more than 140 countries through a network of first-class agencies, and through its 20-plus years of hard work has accumulated an impressive amount of experience and know-how.
GEF’s new “2020 vision” is for it to be a champion of the global environment - building on its role as financial mechanism of several multilateral environmental conventions (MEAs), supporting transformational change, and achieving global environmental benefits on a larger scale. To achieve this vision, the GEF is in the middle of a substantial reform process so that it can better address the drivers of environmental degradation, support integrated approaches that generate multiple global environmental benefits, and support innovative and scalable activities that are based on successful partnership models.
In response, the GEF Secretariat is also engaged in a comprehensive change process to encourage more synergies across issues and to energize and get the most out of staff. Two new units have been created to manage the work of the Secretariat – the GEF Programs Unit (GPU) and the Policy, Partnerships and Operations (PPO) Unit. Both are significantly reforming the pre-existing teams. The vision of GEF PPO is to create a dynamic and responsive internal structure where staff can be rapidly deployed to work on priority issues. The new structure involves less management layers, more staff accountability and empowerment, a clearer partnerships function, a clearer role on resource mobilization included, and a new KM and gender workstream. Current active GEF PPO work-streams include:
1. Partnerships and resource mobilization
2. Country relations
3. Policy and strategy
4. Operations
5. Results-Based Management
6. Knowledge Management
7. IT Systems
8. Gender
The key working principles of the new PPO Department are: accountability and (measured) risk-taking; proactivity, delegation and ownership of issues; teamworking; dynamism and constant innovation – including on structure and staff responsibilities; and creativity with freedom to challenge existing thinking and approaches.
The selected candidate will report to the GEF Director of Policy and Operations, and become part of the Policy, Partnerships and Operations Unit management team. The position will require a high level of interaction with GEF’s Program Unit and CEO Front Office.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The GEF Secretariat is looking for a dynamic and experienced Manager to support its Policy, Partnerships and Operations (GEF PPO) Unit. This will be a deputy to the Director of GEF PPO. The role will involve an exciting blend of issue and people management, with scope for creativity, problem-solving, technical work and diplomacy.
The ideal candidate would have had experience with overseeing complex management and operational challenges, ideally on environmental finance. The candidate would also have solid managerial experience supervising large teams, departments or divisions, an appreciation for the new directions of the GEF and its GEF2020 strategy, and an understanding and experience in managing complex partnerships such as the GEF. The candidate should have strong interpersonal skills, political acumen and the capacity to work effectively on sensitive issues with senior management, the GEF Council and across different agencies of the GEF.
In support of the GEF PPO Director and CEO, duties include the following:
1. Provide overall direction and leadership of the GEF's policy and strategy development, and in ensuring delivery of high quality services;
2. Develop an appropriate GEF institutional policy framework to meet the challenges of environmental degradation and increase the GEF's ability to proactively shape policy development;
3. Manage relations and coordinate closely with the GEF Council, both recipient countries and donors, which is responsible for developing, adopting, and evaluating policies and programs for GEF-financed activities.
4. Manage the implementation of the Council-approved policy framework;
5. Provide leadership, manage relations with GEF donors, and develop and implement GEF's resource mobilization strategy;
6. Strengthen the GEF's network of partners to ensure a diversified, competent, and trustworthy group of partners is available to the GEF in support of its mission and mandates;
7. Manage overall operations, establishing appropriate operational guidelines and procedures, to constitute quality work programs for Council review and approval;
8. Develop strategies for incorporating stakeholder participation throughout the GEF's project cycle, including stakeholders from public/private sector, non-profit, business world, and local communities;
9. Develop a Results and Knowledge Management Framework to improve management effectiveness by defining realistic expected results, monitoring progress toward their achievement, integrating lessons into decisions, and reporting on performance;
10. Liaise with the World Bank's Information Technology Vice Presidency to ensure that GEF's business needs are appropriately supported by information technology systems, including both software and hardware;
11. Liaise with the World Bank's General Services Department to meet the facilities needs of the GEF Secretariat;
12. Develop and establish guidelines, norms, practices and procedures in all GEF Units to improve the GEF's effectiveness and efficiency;
13. Manage between one-third and one-half of PPO’s complement of currently 31 staff positions and 5 additional temporary staff, and provide management oversight of PPO’s work-streams (listed above);
14. Deputize for the Director as required, and be an active member of GEF’s Senior Management team and the PPO management team;
15. Division-wide management to ensure optimum performance and motivation, including organizing retreats, HR management, and Divisional meetings.
Desired Skills and Experience
Candidates must meet the criteria for international level GH: Sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results over an extended period; prior substantive and sustained work experience in achieving results on the ground in more than one world region.
Areas of demonstrated capabilities include:
• Strong technical expertise on the interface between environment and sustainable development.
• Masters or PhD degree in relevant field, and typically the successful candidate will have a minimum of 12 years of experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility
• Demonstrated experience working across thematic boundaries, and with multiple stakeholders and regions in building collaborative alliances for results
• Professional experience with both funding and implementing projects, and developing analytical work on, integrating the many dimensions of environment and development in developing countries.
• Client orientation, diplomatic skills, as well as sensitivity to social and cultural issues as they affect environmental and sustainable development projects and programs.
• Ability to lead/coach teams to achieve results, build strong teams across the matrix and develop/nurture new talent.
• Strong written and oral communication skills with proven experience in dealing with the media, including the ability to influence and persuade.
• High degree of discretion, ethics, tact and sensitivity in handling complex and often politically sensitive issues.
• Language: English is essential; Spanish or French desired.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in race, gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
For further details and to apply, please go to www.worldbank.org/careers and under “current job openings” seek vacancy number 150374. Deadline for applications March 26, 2015.
