Position summary

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat, a Vice-Presidential Unit within the World Bank, is seeking an Adviser to serve as Lead Environmental Specialist and strengthen its capacity to design, assess, and advance innovative financing approaches that mobilize public and private capital for global environmental benefits. Reporting directly to the CEO and Chairperson and supervising the Blended Finance and Private Sector Coordination Unit, the role operates at the intersection of nature, environment, climate, capital markets, and multilateral development finance, with a focus on blended finance, non-grant instruments, and private sector resource mobilization.

Why this role matters

GEF-9 programming places increased emphasis on mobilizing private capital, mainstreaming blended finance, and using scarce concessional resources to catalyze larger investment flows for developing countries. This role provides the strategic and technical finance leadership to make that ambition real, turning concessional resources into scaled investment for biodiversity, climate, land, water, and pollution-reduction outcomes.

Key responsibilities

• Advise GEF leadership by providing strategic and technical advice to the CEO and Chairperson on nature, environmental, and climate finance and opportunities to mobilize private and multilateral capital in line with GEF-9.
• Lead the Blended Finance and Private Sector Coordination Unit in developing, assessing, and refining blended finance and non-grant instrument proposals across GEF focal areas and Integrated Programs.
• Analyze transactions including structures, financial additionality, concessionality, risk allocation, capital mobilization, expected reflows, and alignment with measurable global environmental benefits.
• Engage capital providers including GEF Agencies, MDBs, IFIs, institutional investors, asset managers, commercial banks, DFIs, and philanthropic capital to advance private sector resource mobilization.
• Develop financial products that reduce risk or cost of capital for environmental investments, advising on guarantees, first-loss and subordinated capital, equity and fund investments, outcome-based finance, risk-sharing facilities, insurance, and sustainability-linked structures.
• Produce decision materials by leading technical notes, financial analyses, term-sheet inputs, decision memoranda, and briefings for the CEO, senior management, and governance.
• Lead policy and reporting on non-grant instruments and blended finance, including reporting and presentations to the GEF Council, and contribute to knowledge products and staff capacity building.

Team and stakeholders

The role reports to the GEF CEO and Chairperson, supervises the Blended Finance and Private Sector Coordination Unit, and coordinates with other Division heads, GEF Agencies, MDBs, IFIs, investors, governments, and implementing partners.

Key details

This is a term-staff position (GH grade, international recruitment) based in Washington, DC. It supports a Financial Intermediary Fund and is subject to WBG Staff Directives and the FIF’s governance framework.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in finance, economics, financial economics, business administration, or a closely related field; a degree combining finance/economics with environmental or natural-resource expertise is an asset. A CFA designation or comparable qualification is highly desirable.
• A minimum of 12 years of relevant experience, with a sustained track record in nature, environmental, climate, sustainable, or development finance.
• Demonstrated experience with private sector clients, investors, financial institutions, or capital markets, preferably involving resource mobilization, risk sharing, or blended finance for environmental or development outcomes.
• Substantial experience with blended finance, concessional finance, non-grant instruments, or risk-sharing structures in emerging markets and developing economies.
• Experience in multilateral settings with MDBs, IFIs, climate or environmental funds, governments, and implementing partners.
• In-depth knowledge of blended finance principles, debt and capital markets, project and structured finance, guarantees, subordinated instruments, equity, and risk mitigation products, and the climate and nature finance architecture.
• Excellent analytical, drafting, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.