Innovative Finance Programme Officer

Job pupose

Background: The GICHD conducted the study “Innovative Finance for Mine Action: Needs and Potential Solutions”, which was published in May 2024 and explores the current funding gap in the mine action sector as well as innovative finance solutions to help close this gap. The frontloading model, already used for global vaccination programmes and which uses long-term donor pledges to raise bonds on the capital market and directs the proceeds to fund humanitarian and development activities immediately, was explored within the study as an option that would respond to the scale of funding needed in the mine action sector, and notably allow for reliable, long-term and flexible funding. To be able to advance with the overall set-up and implementation of a frontloading mechanism or any other long-term funding mechanism for the mine action sector, including its specific governance structures, and pursue other relevant innovative finance areas of work that benefit mine action, the GICHD proposes accordingly to establish an Innovative Finance Secretariat supported by an Innovative Finance Programme Officer.

The overall role of the Innovative Finance Programme Officer will be to support the processes contibuting to the concrete design, advancement and implementation of frontloading for the mine action sector as well as other relevant innovative finance mechanisms for the mine action sector at a global/multi-country level.

Key responsibilities

A. Innovative Finance Secretariat. Under the direction of the Innovative Finance Advisor, the Programme Office will:

1. Support the outreach and partnership-building efforts with donors, including donor states, intergovernmental organizations, and private sector entities, to secure high-level political and financial support for a Funding Mechanism for Mine Action (FMMA), with a focus in Frontloading.
2. Contribute to the maintenance of strategic partnerships with development finance experts and other key stakeholders to build support for the design and structuring of the FMMA.
3. Support efforts to engage with affected States and international/local mine action organizations to collect input and perspectives throughout the FMMA development process.
4. Contribute to monitoring the broader innovative finance landscape in the humanitarian aid and development sectors to identify opportunities for collaboration, alignment, or knowledge exchange.

B. Innovative Finance Technical Working Group. Under the direction of the Innovative Finance Advisor, the Programme Office will:

1. Participate in the design, preparation, logistics support and delivery of the IFTWG.
2. Contribute to the IFTWG meetings’ substance
3. Support with administrative processes in the innovative finance project portfolio, such as drafting, reviewing suppliers’ contracts, agreements, processing payments as well as supporting the coordination of mission logistics, taking minutes and reporting.
4. Actively contribute to the innovative finance project monitoring and reporting based on the Results Based Management (RBM) system.

Qualification and professional experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, in business, finance, economics, public policy or other relevant field.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a combination of applied financial modeling or structuring.

Knowledge, skills and competencies

• Good knowledge and understanding of various innovative financing mechanisms (frontloading, bonds, equity, public financing, etc.), innovative finance frameworks and taxonomies, and related policy developments.
• Excellent project management, analytical, planning, and organizational skills.
• Fluency in English, both written and oral; fluency in an any other language spoken in Explosive Ordnance affected countries an advantage.
• Effective and persuasive verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of the humanitarian sector is an advantage.
• Ability to work in multi-cultural settings with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate in writing or verbally technical information to a variety of audiences.

Operating network

• Development finance experts, including but not limited to those engaged in the immunization frontloading model (IFFIm, the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank).
• Relevant private sector actors, including financial and investment experts.
• International (including UN) and regional organizations actively involved in innovative finance, including multilateral and regional development finance institutions.

Travel requirements

May be required to travel up to 10% of the working time including to countries affected by explosive ordnance, with low-medium-high risk environment.

Contract information

This is a fixed term contract of 12 months. Starting as soon as possible. Please note that the position is open only to candidates already based locally (Geneva, Switzerland), as relocation support is not available.

Applications

If you feel you have the right profile, kindly register your application on-line, including a CV in English on pdf format of maximum 2 pages.

The GICHD implements a Gender Equality and Inclusion Policy and is an equal opportunities employer. Applications are encouraged from women and men, nationals of mine-affected countries and individuals with a disability or special needs, who meet the above profile requirements.