CLIMATE ADAPTATION SENIOR OFFICER, COLOMBIA

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

Since 2013, GGGI has been working with the Government of Colombia to advance green growth policies and green investments, through strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Treasury and Public Credit, the National Planning Department, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and subnational institutions. GGGI Colombia has grown significantly over the past few years and has transformed into a portfolio-based country program, with programs and projects of varied sizes covering various GGGI Programmatic Solutions, including Sustainable Forests, Solar PV, Climate Resilient Agriculture, Climate Action, and Green Investments.  

During 2024, GGGI and Canada have designed the project 'Gender-Responsive Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: Transforming Cesar's Sustainable Future,' which aims to promote inclusive economic growth and climate resilience through the implementation of innovative EbA solutions. The project seeks to contribute to Colombia's adaptation goals and targets while creating resilient territories. To achieve these goals, GGGI is seeking a Climate Adaptation Senior Officer to lead the project implementation and ensure the delivery of high-quality and impactful outcomes of the project in Colombia.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Climate Adaptation Senior Officer, based in Bogotá, will act as Project Manager of the Gender-Responsive Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: Transforming Cesar's Sustainable Future project, funded by Canada and will oversee the implementation of the project, advancing in the implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) solutions in the Cesar Department.

The Climate Adaptation Senior Officer will report to the Colombia Program Manager and collaborate closely with GGGI Andean Representative, the LAC regional office, and GGGI headquarters to ensure the success implementation of the project and coherence across the organization.

PURPOSE

This role is central to ensuring the project’s alignment with national strategies such as Colombia’s National Adaptation Plan (PNACC) and the Departmental Climate Change Management Plan. The Senior Officer will lead efforts to integrate climate adaptation strategies into local and regional governance structures. This includes engaging government agencies, international donors, and local communities to ensure the delivery of impactful and scalable outcomes. The Senior Officer will provide technical leadership, facilitate capacity-building initiatives, and support the development of innovative financial mechanisms to enable ecosystem-based solutions.

The Senior Officer will provide technical leadership, facilitate capacity-building initiatives, and support the development of innovative financial mechanisms to enable ecosystem-based solutions, assuring impactful project delivery in alignment with GGGI’s mission and vision.

 ENGAGEMENT

• Report to the Colombian Program Manager.

• Build and maintain engagement with government counterparts and key institutions, Canada, implementing partners, relevant academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, international, private sector and other stakeholders in Colombia and Cesar, establishing strong relationships and securing the implementation of the project

• Map, identify, and engage with key stakeholders to secure the success implementation of the project.

• Represent GGGI in high-level discussions, including government dialogues, donor meetings, and multistakeholder forums related to the project

• Foster partnerships with local institutions to strengthen project delivery and ensure alignment with national and departmental policies.

• The Climate Adaptation Senior Officer will report to the Colombia Program Manager and collaborate with HQ, LAC regional office, LAC Country Programs, especially Andean countries, to identify synergies and leverage complementarities.

DELIVERY

Under the leadership of the Country Program Manager, the Climate Adaptation Senior Officer will be responsible for the delivery of the following tasks:

• Providing strategic guidance to project team, oversee project implementation and ensure quality of delivery.

• Oversee project implementation, ensuring compliance with timelines, budgets, and quality standards.

• Provide strategic guidance to project teams and stakeholders to enhance the impact of EbA initiatives.

• Develop and implement robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess project outcomes and ensure accountability.

• Identify and pursue opportunities for resource mobilization and innovative financing to support project sustainability.

• Prepare high-quality reports for donors, government partners, and GGGI leadership.

• Provide technical support related to climate adaptation strategies to the broader Colombia Country Program and to the Andean Representative, ensuring coherence and integration across initiatives.

REQUIREMENTS

 QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be a Colombian citizen or a foreigner holding a valid Work Visa.

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Economics, Engineering, Social Science or other fields. An advanced degree in Environmental Sciences, Climate Change, Project Management, or related fields is valued.

• Preferred 6-7 years of professional experience, with at least 3 years focused on climate adaptation and resilience projects.

• Proven experience in coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors.

• Experience working in policy design and/or project preparation, preferably with subnational governments.

• Knowledge of Colombian national and subnational public policy frameworks, political cycles, and financing structures.

• Demonstrated experience working with international organizations, a large multinational business or consultancy, a large non-profit organization or government.

• Demonstrated experience in working as part of a team, and in multicultural settings, and ability to manage multiple parallel tasks.

• Demonstrated Experience in leading/managing multidisciplinary teams.

• Familiarity and understanding of green growth issues, trade-offs, benefits, evaluation tools and linkages with poverty reduction and development outcomes.

• Verbal and written fluency in English.

FUNCTIONAL

• Exceptional analytical skills, alongside strong synthesis skills.

• Leadership and teamwork.

• Able to pick up and assimilate relevant information quickly and easily. Learns new tasks rapidly and responds swiftly and appropriately. Can think on their feet in rapidly changing environments.

• Strong problem-solving, and strategic thinking capabilities.

• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. 

• Excellent ability to multi-task and prioritize under stressful circumstances.

• Attention to detail, quality control and strong organizational abilities.

CORPORATE

• Understand and actively support GGGI’s mission, vision and values.

• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.

• Process and share information easily.

• Manage emotions and stress positively, build rapport and resolve conflict easily.

• Promote creativity and innovation among staff.

• Be able to lead where needed and provide solutions to project-level challenges.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Climate Adaptation Senior Officer is an X9 grade level in GGGI's Colombia Salary Scale. For the X9 national salary scale, the annual base salary starts from USD 38,953. Determination of base salary is subject to candidate's experience, academic background and internal equity.

GGGI provides 15% of base salary towards retirement plan/long-term savings, 27 days of annual leave, and private health insurance that covers dental and vision.

GGGI is committed to providing a work environment that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate diverse life-cycle challenges and assist Staff members to achieve a better balance between work and personal/family commitments, thus ensuring high performance, long-term productivity, and well-being of Staff members.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

 The followings may be included in this section:

• Request document to be submitted: application form, cover letter, and CV in English.

• Selection method/process: competitive.

Date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English.