Director of Climate Finance Learning and Impact

Chemonics seeks a Director of Climate Finance Learning and Impact for USAID’s Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (CFDA), previously known as Green Recovery Investment Platform (GRIP), which has the objective to mobilize private finance and private sector actions that support the transition to an equitable and resilient net-zero economy. CFDA will be managed by a core, Washington D.C.-based team of senior experts in impact investing, climate finance, resilient economies, grants and subcontractor management, and inc lusive development. In partnership with USAID Missions globally, CFDA will co-design buy-in scopes of work and budgets with Mission teams to implement activities tailored to climate context of countries.

The Director of Climate Finance Learning and Impact will serve as a member of the CFDA senior leadership team, overseeing the activity’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities — driving evidence-based learning and adaptive activity implementation, tracking CFDA indicators, ensuring CFDA activities are designed and managed to support climate impacts and other guiding principles, and overseeing the design of research and learning efforts. They will spearhead CFDA’s climate finance learning agenda in coordination with the CFDA technical team and consortium partners. Further, they will support strategic communications and knowledge sharing to disseminate practical, actionable learning to members of the Climate Finance Investment Network (CFIN) who represent global climate finance ecosystem stakeholders (i.e., fund managers, project developers, corporations, DFIs, philanthropies, and other donors). 

This is a key personnel position and is thus subject to USAID’s approval before hiring. This position is expected to bill the majority of their time to CFDA. Depending on funding flows, this position may also bill time to non-billable activities or other billable projects.

Principal Duties And Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Use the CFDA activity-level theory of change and expected results to keep CFDA on track to meet and exceed expectations. Collaborate with missions, local partners, and other relevant stakeholders to articulate buy-in specific theories of change and indicators, enhancing local MEL capacity and ownership 
• Operationalize the Monitoring, Evaluating, Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Plan (MECLAP)— updated each year — to establish a flexible plan on how all activities and buy-ins under CFDA will be monitored from start to completion 
• Lead measurement of CFDA’s performance indicators to assess additionality and efficacy of activities and responsiveness to USAID and local priorities, using both technical performance metrics and operational metrics to monitor progress and implementation 
• Oversee tracking and reporting on the speed of buy-in development, fielding efficiency, number of new partners and collaboration with other agencies/donors, and locally led actions 
• Ensure CFDA’s MEL system is underpinned by USAID’s collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) strategy, which goes beyond measuring outputs and outcomes to allow for stakeholder participation, testing of our theory of change, rapid learning, and adapting or pivoting interventions based on evidence 
• Work with CFDA’s Partnerships Team to ensure that activity-level and buy-in specific data are contributing to and deepening CFDA and USAID’s understanding of best practices and effective programming to expand access to climate finance 
• Use participatory processes to co-develop the CFDA learning agenda with geographically diverse private sector actors, often excluded or underrepresented groups, consortium members, and USAID 
• Oversee learning agenda implementation and dissemination of results 
• Host annual pause-and-reflect workshops with USAID to evaluate activity achievements and lessons learned, and areas of improvement, and co-create solutions 
• Help verify payment for results as well as other innovative activity performance measures 
• Oversee design of a digital dashboard/visual summary of progress that both USAID and activity leadership can access 
• Disseminate learnings and facilitate active engagement and dialogue around knowledge and learning products among partners 
• Coordinate with Chemonics’ Climate Group to monitor and minimize CFDA’s carbon footprint and, as relevant, to build the capacity of other USAID programs and CFDA partners to track and reduce their own carbon footprint 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 10-12 years of experience, or master’s degree and eight years of experience in finance, natural resource management, climate mitigation and/or adaptation, social/environmental impact assessment, ESG, or related field 
• Experience with a relevant technical topic such as climate finance, mitigation, adaptation and resilience, private sector engagement (PSE), or investment facilitation, required 
• Demonstrated knowledge of quantitative and qualitative metrics for monitoring climate change adaptation and mitigation impacts, including understanding of USAID climate change standard indicators required; experience designing and/or employing methodologies for calculating direct and indirect impacts of project interventions on climate a plus 
• Minimum eight years of MEL experience on USAID or donor-funded projects, e.g., using tools for data collection and supporting learning to inform USAID priorities and adaptive management required 
• Proven experience developing MEL methodologies and tools, required; experience designing, implementing, or overseeing baseline assessments and impact evaluations a plus 
• Demonstrated experience overseeing the translation of data and evidence into knowledge products that reach diverse communities of practice preferred 
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and using innovative approaches to solve complex problems required 
• Experience supporting industry outreach and communications to share knowledge, industry best practices, and lessons learned, including familiarity with USAID-supported communication and knowledge management platforms, such as Climatelinks, as well as outlets that reach climate finance community networks that are less connected to USAID 
• Strong knowledge of USAID MEL policies and experience in design and application of data collection and management tools to maximize efficiency and efficacy of activities and improve outcomes 
• Ability to analyze technical results and communicate insights to nontechnical stakeholders and help staff make programmatic improvements desired 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to develop and communicate a common vision to activity team and partners from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds 
• Ability to co-develop and co-implement effective MEL initiatives with USAID, private sector, and local/community entities 
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity 
• Solid analytical skills and ability to use SPSS/STATA/R, qualitative analysis packages, and Microsoft Excel 
• Ability to work in a hybrid setting using Chemonics or other remote management tools 
• Fluency in written and spoken English required; additional language fluency strongly preferred 

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Chemonics is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Chemonics is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics. Military veterans, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Chemonics will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by Chemonics, or (c) consistent with Chemonics legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

COVID-19 Recruitment Information

Chemonics International is continuously monitoring COVID-19 activity around the world. The health and wellbeing of our staff and potential candidates is of the utmost importance to us and we continue to offer virtual interviews for all on-going recruits. On-boarding for new staff is offered in hybrid format through our Washington, D.C. and London, UK offices to accommodate remote workers.

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

Chemonics requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated.

The Salary Range for this position is expected to be: $103,680 – $129,600.