Head of Finance, Multilevel Partnerships

As the Head of Finance for Multilevel Partnerships at World Resources Institute (WRI), you will lead the design, delivery, and monitoring of the Climate Finance workstream. This role is pivotal in ensuring coherence between global finance reform efforts, country platform design, and on-the-ground technical assistance in priority regions such as Kenya and Colombia. You will produce actionable analysis on subnational climate finance and translate findings into practical recommendations for governments and financial actors. The role is divided into two main areas: Programme Delivery (60%) and Team Leadership and Diplomatic Engagement (40%).

Key Responsibilities

Programme Delivery (60%)

• Lead Design & Monitoring: Drive the design, delivery, and monitoring of the Climate Finance workstream to align global finance reforms with local technical assistance.
• Technical Analysis: Produce actionable insights capturing enabling conditions for subnational climate finance and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Knowledge Exchange: Organize annual knowledge exchange series for national/subnational officials, development banks, and funders to share lessons on climate finance access.
• Advocacy Coordination: Coordinate CHAMP’s advocacy on subnational finance access, developing concrete "asks" for MDBs and climate funds and supporting political engagement.
• Country Support: Assist CEF colleagues in CHAMP-endorsing countries to ensure subnational participation in governance and pipeline decisions.
• Investment Planning: Coordinate technical assistance in Kenya and Colombia with the Senior Urban and Regional Economist to ensure investment plans incorporate subnational priorities.
• Response Management: Support the Head of National Action in responding to Requests for Support (RSLs) from CHAMP-endorsing countries regarding climate finance.
• Reporting & Documentation: Capture, synthesize, and disseminate lessons learned; maintain detailed project plans using Asana, including risk registers and mitigation measures.
• Financial Oversight: Oversee budgeting, contracting, and financial monitoring for the workstream.

Team Leadership and Diplomatic Engagement (40%)

• Strategic Partnerships: Develop and maintain relationships with Ministries of Finance, MDBs, national development banks, and climate funds to influence reform agendas.
• Thought Leadership: Position WRI and CHAMP as thought leaders by representing the program at external events and authoring articles on climate finance.
• Internal Coordination: Align CHAMP-related activities across WRI workstreams, country offices, and development teams.
• Collaborative Leadership: Partner with the Head of Governance and Diplomacy and Head of National Action on global advocacy and technical support.
• Fundraising: Work with the Fundraising Manager to develop proposals and cultivate investment partnerships.
• External Stakeholders: Partner with C40 and GCoM to coordinate programmatic delivery and advocacy.
• Mentorship: Provide strategic direction and guidance to finance managers or analysts within the team, fostering technical excellence.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Education: A degree in a relevant field such as economics, finance, international development, or public policy.
• Experience: Relevant international experience in (sub)national climate finance, public finance, development banking, or related fields. Focus on subnational or urban climate investment is highly desirable.
• Policy Expertise: Proven track record advising governments or financial institutions on climate finance policy or investment planning with measurable results.
• Institutional Knowledge: Demonstrable understanding of the structure and functioning of MDBs, climate funds, and public development banks, and financing instruments for local governments.
• Stakeholder Management: Experience engaging senior government officials and representatives from financial institutions to build consensus around institutional change.
• Management Skills: Proven programme management skills, including the oversight of multi-country projects.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the official application portal. Use the link below to access the application form: Apply here For more information about the organization, visit www.wri.org.