Project Preparation Facility Specialist

Grade: IS-4
Deadline: 07 October 2025 (11:59 PM KST)
Job Category: International
Salary: USD 129,400 (plus attractive benefits, that include the following allowances (as applicable)): Relocation, dependency, housing, education assistance and home country travel.

Introduction

The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest dedicated multilateral climate fund and invests in impactful, innovative, catalytic programs and projects in developing countries across the globe. The GCF has a portfolio of 314 projects across 133 countries, with a total commitment of USD 18.0 billion to date.

In 2023, an additional USD 12.8 billion was pledged, to support our new strategic and programming cycle from 2024-2027; our ambition is to grow to become at least a USD 50 billion fund by 2030. Rooted in the core objectives of impact and efficiency, access and a focus on the most vulnerable, and mobilizing a much higher scale of public and private sector financial flows for climate action we have an unparalleled scale of resources, which, together with our risk appetite and flexibility allows us to bring together different partners and stakeholders in innovative partnerships for profound impact.

GCF is seeking a top-tier individual with a demonstrable track record of harnessing experience, energy and networks to tackle complex global climate change challenges.

You will be committed to making a positive, measurable difference through a mission-driven role, and thrive in a fast-paced, diverse environment.

You will be a nurturer of people: recognizing and growing the talent around you, exemplifying values of transparency, respect and innovation.

You will be committed to learning, knowledge-sharing, convening and communicating with partners to work together to ideate, develop and implement climate action initiatives that make a profound difference to people and planet.

You will join a team of talented, committed individuals representing almost 80 nationalities contributing skills and experience from academic, scientific, private, government and nonprofit backgrounds. Together, we work with governments, communities and civil society, technical agencies, and the private sector across the world.

Interested in more information?
Learn about working for GCF: https://www.greenclimate.fund/about/careers
View current vacancies: https://jobs.greenclimate.fund/

About the Green Climate Fund (GCF)

Set up in 2010 by the 194 countries who are Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), GCF takes its responsibility as the world’s largest dedicated multilateral climate fund to heart. GCF funds transformative climate projects across the developing world, supporting countries in their responses and actions to tackle climate change while fostering sustainable development within their communities.

Our country-driven approach ensures that our actions are tailored to the unique circumstances and national aspirations of each nation we support. Besides channeling public and private sector investment through a broad range of financing instruments, GCF builds the capacity of developing countries to take climate action through an extensive Readiness Programme ensuring countries are increasingly well-equipped and financed to manage their climate futures.

Headquartered in the Republic of Korea, GCF operates with a diverse and talented workforce of over 300 people.

Position Objective
The Project Preparation Facility (PPF) Specialist is responsible for guiding the Green Climate Fund on, and enabling GCF’s Accredited Entities (AEs) with, delivering strategic, country-driven and ambitious programming supported by the PPF and aligned with their and GCF’s strategy and programming goals. S/he will provide technical and intellectual leadership in deploying PPF resources to support AEs, particularly direct AEs and Project-specific Assessment Approach (PSAA) applicants, in the preparation of high-quality projects for climate financing. As part of the Department of Investment Services (DINVS) and working in close collaboration with Regional Departments, Private Sector Facility (PSF) and other Secretariat teams, s/he will leverage GCF’s financing and capacity building programmes to enable AEs to develop impactful investments pipelines. S/he will also oversee the dissemination of best practices in project preparation from the PPF portfolio and seek to build partnerships within the GCF and among external peers to promote climate action through project preparation.

Purpose
Strategic objectives and responsibilities:

• Establish PPF as a foundational input in the GCF programming cycle, ensuring that it operates in alignment with country priorities and GCF programming targets as articulated in the strategic plan. To that end, develop, consult and continuously update PPF strategy to best serve its objectives, and manage the deployment of PPF funds allocated by the GCF Board in alignment with Board guidance and requests additional funding based on demand from AEs.
• Operationalize PPF support for funding proposal preparation by AEs, DAEs, PSAA applicants for balanced and impactful programming in public and private sectors, mitigation and adaptation results areas, sectors, and among the four regions.
• Work across DINVS, Regional Departments and PSF to leverage PPF as a key instrument for access to climate finance for countries and partners, in synergy with Readiness and other funding windows supporting programming.
• Lead efforts to assure ease of access and results driven performance of the PPF. Undertake reviews of efficiency and impact, propose streamlining of processes for value-addition and reinforce strengths and best practices for project preparation.
• Working with Regional Departments and PSF, supporting predictable and demand-driven deployment of PPF by AEs, DAEs, and PSAA applicants for pipeline development, building transparency via clear Standard Operational Procedures and PPF Guidelines.
• Lead analysis and dissemination of lessons learnt by PPF and cultivate partnerships within GCF and among peer PPFs to promote aligned project preparation.
• Contributes to GCF strategy and planning processes to integrate PPF in the Secretariat and Board workplan, reporting and results frameworks.
  

Engagement
Advocacy and cross-institutional partnerships:

• Advocate with AEs, DAEs and PSAA applicants to raise the ambition of programming strategies through PPF support for preparation of projects that align with GCF strategic programming goals and climate impact targets.
• Persuade colleagues and management to advance innovative and impactful projects that align with GCF policies, particularly GCF investment criteria and use of concessional resources (e.g. PPF grants) and needs of public and private sectors.
• Institutionalize and advocate for assessment of PPF support based on a structured and risk-based approach of technical and financial elements key to ensuring results.
• Using a program of knowledge management and partnership activities, elevating the recognition of the GCF in project preparation and mobilizing technical and co-financing support from peers and third-party funding sources where possible. Represent GCF in external events on climate finance and project preparation.

Delivery
Strategy, Pipeline, Portfolio delivery actions:

• Develop, consult and finalize the PPF strategy for departmental, secretariat and Board approval and in turn, continuously update standard operating procedures and related documents to operationalize the strategy in an evolving GCF environment.
• Operationalize PPF Funding, Service and Technical Assistance modalities from initial appraisal to approval and implementation of PPF support, including reporting to the Secretariat, Board and COP on pipeline and portfolio status and performance.
• Assess PPF pipeline and portfolio, maintaining dashboards on funds committed, disbursements, cancellations, reflows, support to IAEs, DAEs PSAA, region & sector.
• Steer deployment of PPF support to selectively and intentionally build a pipeline of investments with AEs and PSAA applicants, frontloading technical input and climate science during PPF proposal development laying foundations for quality FPs.
• Engage across the CN and FP development cycle as an integral part of project teams in accordance with GCF standard operating procedures, administrative instructions, and ‘Efficient GCF’ procedures. To that end, bolster measures to improve PPF submission, appraisal and approval with speed and efficiency engaging with Regional
• Divisions, PSF, and ICT colleagues to improve and optimize systems and processes for PPF delivery.
• Oversee the performance of PPF Service providers and long-term agreement holders, including periodic reviews of the fit-for-purpose of firms for public and private sectors.
• Provide oversight on instruments for accountability, specifically enforcing partners’ adherence to PPF grant agreement terms and deliverable based payments for PPF Service providers, that assure high quality funding proposals are developed by PPF.
• Organize knowledge (events, publications, webinars) curating lessons from PPF pipelines and portfolio implementation to enable learning-based origination, in collaboration with colleagues in the Secretariat and Independent Units.
• Manage PPF team members and consultants and work with DINVS, Regional Departments and PSF to ensure a collaborative work environment modeling the Fund’s values.

Requirements (Education, experience, technical competencies required of the job)

• Master’s in economics, environmental studies, business administration, finance, or other relevant fields; or a relevant Bachelors’ degree with 2 additional years of experience;
• 9 years or more experience, including experience in international organizations in formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs related to climate change in developing countries employing different financial instruments (grants, loans, equity, guarantees).
• Track record in project preparation with international organizations including the structuring of the terms of reference of the project preparation teams and costing of project budgets.
• Knowledge of climate change and climate finance strategies of countries and regional institutions.
• Demonstrated communication skills and strong client-orientation
• Fluency in English is mandatory, knowledge of other UN language, e.g. French or Spanish is an advantage.

Competencies
Demonstrates competencies for vision, leadership, empowering others and managing performance, including through the following behaviors:

• Clearly communicates links between the Fund’s strategy and the work unit’s goals.
• Serves as a role model that other people want to follow.
• Empowers others to translate vision into results.
• Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations and makes sure that roles are clear to staff members.
• Values all staff members’ input and expertise and show appreciation for achievement and effort.
• Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff.

The closing date for application is 07 October 2025. Applications submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

*The person assessed by the Selection Panel as most suitable for the position will be proposed for appointment. Selection among short-listed candidates will also take into account performance at interview, appropriate testing, and references.

Applications from women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.