Climate & Nature Specialist

Job Description

The Climate and Nature Specialist is responsible for providing technical and operational support on climate finance, climate policy, and green investment across DBSA sectors. The role assists in mobilising climate and nature finance from global mechanisms such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and other climate and nature financing mechanisms. This position contributes to embedding climate and nature considerations into DBSA’s operations and supports the achievement of the Bank’s climate and nature finance targets.

Key Responsibilities

Climate Finance Advisory & Mobilisation

• Provide advisory support on GEF/GCF climate finance processes and opportunities.
• Assist in identifying co-financing opportunities leveraging GEF/GCF funding.
• Support partnerships with internal lending units, DFIs, and private investors to expand access to climate finance.
• Contribute to advisory work on adaptation and mitigation financing mechanisms.
• Assist in preparation of policy submissions to GEF/GCF, UNFCCC mechanisms, and other fora.
• Support DBSA’s representation at climate finance meetings by preparing briefing notes and key messages.
• Provide technical input on national and international climate policy, including NDC implementation.

Project Appraisal and Portfolio Support

• Support appraisal and monitoring of climate finance projects, ensuring compliance with safeguards and accreditation requirements.
• Assist executing agencies with procurement, reporting, and documentation for GEF/GCF projects.
• Prepare technical inputs for project documentation, supervision missions, and evaluations.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain working relationships with clients, partners, and government officials to support project preparation.
• Support partnerships and networking initiatives that strengthen DBSA’s climate finance positioning.
• Liaise with investment peers to contribute to pipeline development.
• Represent DBSA in technical working groups and industry engagements.

Reporting and Governance

• Draft accurate and timely reports to GEF, GCF, and other climate finance sources in line with accreditation, fiduciary, and safeguard requirements.
• Support the management, administration, and operationalisation of DBSA-accredited climate funds, systems, and reporting frameworks.
• Maintain essential documentation, data integrity, and audit-ready records across the climate finance portfolio.
• Implement and refine reporting formats, portfolio dashboards, and decision-support tools to strengthen climate investment oversight and management.

Key Measurement of Outputs

• Number of opportunities identified and supported.
• Contribution to programmes developed and capitalised through climate and nature funds.
• Value of bankable projects supported.
• Percentage greening of loan book influenced by specialist inputs.
• Quality of stakeholder relationships maintained.
• Contribution to team performance and knowledge transfer.

Expertise & Technical Competencies

Minimum Qualification

• A Bachelors Degree in Environmental/Natural Sciences, Engineering, Finance, Commerce, Economics or a relevant field.

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in the climate and nature/environmental sector or the financial/DFI/development sector with a focus on Climate and Nature Financing or project development for energy, water or transport, including the technical and financial aspects of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and investments.
• Experience in climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, resilience or mitigation.
• Experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water security, sustainable transport, or related low-carbon sectors
• Proven expertise in climate & nature metrics and GHG accounting tools.
• Understanding of GEF/GCF operations, climate and nature definitions, eligibility criteria, and fiduciary standards.
• Knowledge of climate-related markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and international best practices.
• Experience engaging senior executives in government, DFIs, the private sector, and DFI/financial institutions.
• Track record in client relationship management and transaction execution.

Desirable Requirements

• A Master's in Environmental Science related qualification, an MBA or a relevant master’s degree.
• Experience in policy dialogue and stakeholder engagement on climate issues.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Business Acumen

• Reviews own actions against the organisation's strategic plan; includes the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projects, or thinks about long-term applications of current activities.
• Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.
• Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
• Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA's strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of DBSA's core sector role in achieving DBSA's strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.

Project Preparation

• Demonstrates a sound understanding of limited recourse and balance sheet funding, the process required to prepare projects, and financing documentation required to present projects for investment decisions.
• Leads an internal team of sector specialists and analysts to appraise and present transactions to internal committees.
• Appoints and leads a team of external consultants/advisors (technical, environmental, financial and legal) to prepare and present the Project Information Memorandum (PIM) to prospective financiers.
• Analyses sponsors’ financial statements, understands and reviews financial models.
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of the water, transport and energy sectors to identify potential fatal flaws generally associated with these sectors in projects presented and key risks to be mitigated.

Project Management

• Ability to plan, initiate, execute, control and close projects related to a relevant function as well as to track and manage resources, timelines, costs, deliverables and performance, and implement contingency plans, if necessary, to ensure projects are completed.
• Defines, plans and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
• Assembles and leads diverse and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
• Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
• Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective action by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.

Solutions Focused

• Identifies complex problems based on a broad range of factors, many of which are ambiguous or difficult to define.
• While remaining guided by organisational values, identifies optimal solutions, thinking first in terms of possible approaches and flexibilities in the system vs. blind adherence to rules or procedures.
• Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions after they have been implemented and identifies needed changes.

Planning and Organising

• Coaches others on advanced planning and organising skills.
• Plays a role in transferring advanced planning and organising skills and knowledge to others.
• Identifies and acts on opportunities to partner with other units in the department to achieve desired results.
• Develops partnership agreements that ensure winwi