VIET NAM: INVESTMENT OFFICER, METHANE MITIGATION

ASEAN-Korea Cooperation on Methane Mitigation (AKCMM). AKCMM is a 3-year, USD 20M regional project aimed at reducing methane emissions at scale in ASEAN Member States (AMS). The project seeks to achieve this objective through the following four interventions (i.e., outputs):

• Output 1. Developing enabling policies and institutions

• Output 2. Improving measurement of methane emissions

• Output 3. Designing, financing, and implementing methane reduction sub-projects

• Output 4. Promoting regional dialogue and partnership

 POSITION SUMMARY 

• General. Reporting to the Country Representative to Viet Nam, the Investment Officer - Methane Mitigation, plays a critical role in the successful completion of the Viet Namcomponent of ASEAN-Korea Cooperation on Methane Mitigation (AKCMM), USD 20M regional program to be implemented in ASEAN Member States (AMS). In addition, the position contributes to related investment initiatives and resource mobilization efforts within the broader GGGI Viet Nam program, particularly in areas related to methane mitigation, climate finance, and green growth investments.
• Team composition. The Investment Officer works closely with two other staff members to be hired under AKCMM’s Viet Nam component – Officer, Methane Policy and Officer, Methane MRV – to deliver Outputs 1 ~ 4 in Viet Nam.

These three staff members will work as part of GGGI’s Viet Nam country office. GGGI country teams are generally comprised of a Country Representative, several Project Managers and Officers, and administrative focal points.

In addition to the Viet Nam country office, the Investment Officer – together with his/her AKCMM colleagues – will also receive guidance from the Asia Regional Office since AKCMM is a regional project being undertaken in ASEAN Member States. Staff members from the regional office will lead the delivery of AKCMM’s regional elements and share best practices of/lessons learned from other GGGI country teams.

• Primary role. The Investment Officer’s main responsibility is to successfully complete Output 3 by originating, designing, financing, and implementing methane reduction sub-projects in Viet Nam. He/she must have achieved a measurable and verifiable reduction in methane emission through his/her methane reduction sub-projects. A brief description of each step is provided below:
  
  • Origination. Origination refers to the process of formulating a concept for a methane reduction sub-project in the form of a Project Idea Note (PIN). A PIN is a document that is 3~5 pages long and includes, among others, the following: (i) summary of the idea, (ii) sector, location, and duration, (iii) expected outcome (especially the approximate quantity of methane emission reduction), (iv) estimated budget, (v) project structure describing the flow of funds from GGGI to subcontractors, beneficiaries, and other entities as relevant, and (vi) risks and mitigation measures.

The Investment Officer shall be guided by Viet Nam’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), government strategies/plans pertaining to methane reduction, and recent developments in the field, etc., when originating methane reduction sub-projects. Given the major sources of methane emission in the ASEAN region, the sub-projects will likely take place in the following sectors: (i) agriculture/livestock (e.g., alternate wetting-and-drying rice farming), (ii) solid waste management (e.g., capping landfills), or (iii) oil and gas (e.g., fugitive emissions).

• Design. Design refers to the process of elaborating and improving the project idea. The Investment Officer shall exercise her/his judgement to determine what the next steps should be for the project idea to progress towards implementation. It may involve, for example, conducting feasibility studies, engaging potential beneficiaries to ensure their cooperation, collecting additional data, or identifying competent partners to manage salient risks.

At the end of the design phase, there should be a comprehensive set of documents detailing all the information required to implement the sub-project. There should also be at least a high-level agreement among sub-project stakeholders on their respective roles and responsibilities.

• Financing. Financing refers to the process of mobilizing the funds needed to implement the sub-project. This process can be simple or complicated depending on how the sub-project is designed. To understand the Investment Officer’s role, note the hypothetical scenarios presented below, assuming that he/she has been allocated a budget of USD 1M for the sub-project.

- Scenario #1. An alternate wetting-and-drying sub-project together with a community of rice farmers where the budget is used to pay premia to participating farmers. Here, the Investment Officer has opted to utilize the budget as a grant; he/she has also chosen not to mobilize additional funding from external parties.

- Scenario #2. An alternate wetting-and-drying sub-project together with a community of rice farmers, but the Investment Officer (together with the line ministry) has designed a scheme where (i) the training and monitoring of rice farmers are managed by a local rice exporter for a nominal fee (the main benefit to the exporter being hands-on experience growing low emission rice), (ii) the reduction in methane emissions will be certified and the resulting income from the sale of carbon credits are shared with the farmers, (iii) the local branch of a state-owned agricultural bank has agreed to issue cheaper loans for input to attract more farmers subject to there being a partial loan guarantee, etc. Here, the Investment Officer has mobilized additional resources (both monetary and in-kind) through creative utilization of the project budget.

- Scenario #3. A landfill project that incorporates technological/operational solutions from Republic of Korea to significantly reduce methane emissions. The Investment Officer has used some of the budget to co-finance the feasibility study for the landfill (together with the Korean technology provider); he/she has also used the budget to mobilize investment from Republic of Korea’s development bank for the landfill project.

The ideal Investment Officer would be someone who (i) is capable of utilizing the budget to design sub-projects that are technically feasible and financially viable, (ii) successfully mobilizes substantial investment from external parties, and (iii) develops a robust implementation arrangement with risks allocated to partners best positioned to address them.

• Implementation. Implementation refers to the process where all implementing partners enter into an agreement with respect to the sub-project and activities are carried out. The Investment Officer must ensure that these entities remain committed throughout the implementation phase, identify and address unforeseen risks/delays and, resources/time permitting, continue originating a pipeline of methane reduction sub-projects.
• Secondary roles. The Investment Officer’s secondary responsibilities are as follows:
  • Support the Policy Analyst, Methane Mitigation, in delivering Output 1
  • Support the MRV Officer, Methane Mitigation, in delivering Output 2
  • Support the Program Manager, ASEAN Regional Programs, by drafting blogs, briefs, and presentation decks for Output 4
  • Undertake all tasks required to comply with administrative and reporting rules of the Government of Viet Nam, GGGI HQ, AKCF, and the ASEAN Secretariat (with respect to Output 3).
  • Support investment-related activities of the GGGI Viet Nam Country Office, including contributing technical inputs to concept notes, project proposals, and funding applications related to methane mitigation, climate finance, or other green investment initiatives.
  • Contribute to resource mobilization efforts by identifying potential investment partners, financing sources, and opportunities to scale up successful methane mitigation solutions.

PURPOSE 

The Investment Officer is directly responsible for all stages of the investment cycle (i.e., origination, design, financing, and implementation) and undertakes both technical and administrative tasks associated with each stage. He/she achieves a measurable and verifiable reduction in methane emissions through methane reduction sub-projects that are technically feasible and financially viable; he/she also utilizes the budget to devise creative structures/arrangements that mobilize substantial co-investment from external parties. Specific tasks include, among others,

• Analyzing the investment need in Viet Nam with respect to methane emission reduction (particularly the government’s preferences and priorities), the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches to designing methane reduction sub-projects, potential entry points for private sector firms and financial institutions, etc.
• Adapting the latest developments in methane reduction methodology to design sub-project ideas tailored to Viet Nam. He/she must strive to go beyond process-oriented implementation and achieve superlative outcomes through technical expertise as well as by bringing competent organizations on board as implementation partners. He/she should, therefore, be someone who is constantly seeking to learn and optimize while also being excellent at communicating such knowledge.
• Applying the information and results (both interim and final) to achieve methane emission reduction at scale & originate new sub-projects. The AKCMM, upon completion, would have established a strong foundation for a variety of subsequent projects on methane; by having a strong pipeline of sub-projects, he/she will contribute to the drafting of follow-up regional/national proposals that (i) replicate/scale-up proven approaches or (ii) seek to develop more ambitious/innovative solutions.
• Identifying opportunities to structure methane mitigation projects that can attract additional investment, including through blended finance, carbon finance, or public-private partnership arrangements.
• Contributing to the development of new project concepts and proposals for GGGI Viet Nam, particularly those aimed at scaling up methane mitigation or climate investment initiatives.

ENGAGEMENT 

The Investment Officer will engage various stakeholders (e.g., national/provincial/municipal government agencies, bilateral/multilateral agencies, private sector firms and financial institutions, research institutions and academia, NGOs, and local communities) to support the implementation of methane mitigation initiatives. This engagement will also include working with potential investors, financial institutions, and private sector partners to explore opportunities for co-investment and to scale up methane mitigation solutions. Specific tasks include, among others,

• Analyzing the nature of relationships between GGGI and stakeholders in Viet Nam with respect to AKCMM – both those that already exist and those that are yet to be established but are necessary for the project’s success – and develop strategies to build, strengthen, and maintain such relationships. In doing so, he/she must clearly articulate the nature of the relationship, particularly on how their involvement adds value to the delivery of Output 3.
• Providing substantive input to potential partners so that their engagement is aligned with the goals of Output 3 specifically and AKCMM in Viet Nam generally. He/she must, therefore, have a complete grasp of the present and future trajectory of a sub-project’s implementation-related discussions/negotiations (especially on risk allocation) leading up to the signing of all implementation-related agreements. He/she shall therefore serve as an effective convenor and communicator, ensuring that there is a shared understanding of the sub-project among all implementation partners.
• Leading salient dialogue with government agencies, implementation partners, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders on matters related to Output 3 throughout a sub-project’s implementation phase. This may range from responding to a request for additional information to discussing a contractual amendment to certain activities to account for an unforeseen obstacle or delay. 

DELIVERY 

The Investment Officer will, based on guidance from and supervision of the Country Representative.

• Monitor outcomes from major national/regional/international fora as well as GGGI’s project portfolio to identify emerging needs in Viet Nam related to methane mitigation,
  • Originate, design, finance, and implement methane reduction sub-projects in Viet Nam to achieve measurable and verifiable reduction in methane emissions, utilizing the budget to develop creative structures/arrangements,
  • Identify opportunities to (i) engage entities based in the Republic of Korea at each stage of the investment cycle (e.g., Korean technology providers, think tanks, project developers, etc.) and (ii) mobilize additional resources from external parties to deliver results at scale,
  • Manage engagement with stakeholders of sub-projects to be delivered under Output 3,
  • Plan and manage missions to gather baseline data, consult stakeholders, validate assumptions, and assess the political/operational/technical feasibility of sub-projects to be delivered under Output 3,
    • Manage the delivery of Output 3 by (i) preparing a work plan, (ii) holding regular meetings with external stakeholders, (iii) procuring competent service providers, (iv) managing the budget and contract(s) related to the output, (v) anticipating and addressing risks, (vi) solving problems of technical or operational nature, and (vii) communicating the results effectively,
    • Understand and comply with all administrative and reporting rules as required by the Government of Viet Nam, GGGI HQ, AKCF, and the ASEAN Secretariat (with respect to Output 3),
    • Support the delivery of Outputs 1, 2, and 4,
    • Identify opportunities to mobilize additional financial and technical resources from development partners, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders to scale up methane mitigation investments.
      • Provide technical inputs to the preparation of new investment proposals, concept notes, and funding applications developed by the GGGI Viet Nam Country Office related to methane mitigation, climate finance, and green growth investments, and,
      • Have an up-to-date knowledge of GGGI processes, standards, and safeguards and following/adhering to them through the investment cycle.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in finance, economics, business, or related field.
• Proven track record working directly with the Vietnamese private sector and government institutions is a must.
• Proven track record with investment project in agriculture and/or waste sector is a must.
• Proven track record collaborating with academia in finance, project developers, financial institutions, and investors in Viet Nam is a must.
• Experience in climate finance, carbon markets, or blended finance mechanisms is considered an advantage.
• At least 5 years of professional experience (preferably 7–9 years) across banking sector, finance, or project origination, including hands-on work with green/sustainability instruments.
• Working relationships with the Government of Republic of Korea, particularly managing the fund from them, is a plus.
• Demonstrated strong knowledge in agriculture and/or waste sector is a must.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and deliver concise, high-quality technical outputs.
• Oral and written fluency in Vietnamese and English.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally.
• Immediate on-site availability in Hanoi (Viet Nam) is highly preferred.
• Note: Applications without demonstrable, specific experience working with Vietnamese government and private sectors operating in Viet Nam will not be considered. 

FUNCTIONAL

• Self-motivated learner with attention to detail.
• Excellent multi-cultural literacy and interest in being a part of an international team working in an evolving and entrepreneurial environment. 
• Leadership, teamwork, and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication (both written and oral) and facilitation skills.
• Problem solver, able to find and implement solutions.
• Anticipate and provide necessary technical and content-based support.
• Willingness and ability to travel 

CORPORATE

• Understand and actively supports GGGI’s mission, vision and values.
• Promote the optimum use of public resources
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.
• Process and share information easily.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily.
• Promote creativity and innovation among staff.
• Be able to lead where needed and provide solutions to project-level challenges.