Regional Blue Finance & Innovation Manager

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Implementation and portfolio management;

• Lead responsibility to develop a new program of work on Blue Finance and Innovation across a range of blue economy sectors, including in addressing plastic pollution in collaboration with regional teams and partners;
• Coordinate regional alignment of Blue Finance work with other IUCN affiliated financing initiatives, including the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund (BCAF), and others;
• Day-to-day coordination of projects implementation and activities delivery in line with blue finance and innovation in order to ensure the highest quality of outputs and outcomes as well as guarantee that activities are implemented in line with project workplans and budgets;
• Participate in the develop of relevant programme KPIs and ensure its good monitoring and reporting;
• Support the regional COR team on technical reporting and on the development of a regional finance and innovation annual report.

Strategic and Technical leadership;

• Provide leadership, strategic guidance and direction in building a new blue financing constituency for a regenerative and sustainable Blue Economy, including liaising with external partners and organizations in the blue finance and innovation space
• Advise on emerging opportunities on blue finance and innovation that demonstrate potential to change the ocean investment landscape in the WIO;
• In collaboration with the IUCN Ocean team, identify and implement strategic initiatives to support the establishment of a WIO regional Science-Business-Policy platform, incorporating key corporate partners to support agenda-setting and action in blue finance and innovation;
• Act as a driving force for innovation to position IUCN as a leading organization in the region in blue finance and innovative conservation approaches and mechanisms, and in particular on efforts to reach a nature and people positive 30x30 target;
• Ensuring that IUCN’s work in the region is of high technical quality, based on good science and drawing upon state-of-the-art thinking and knowledge;
• Unlock synergies and collaboration with other regional and national COR area of works and IUCN ESARO’s programmes and projects when and where possible;

External engagement and communication:

• In consultation with the Regional Head, Coastal and Ocean Resilience ensure that IUCN is adequately represented in relevant international, regional and country fora and facilitate discussions on relevant marine and coastal emerging issues to position IUCN as a reference in the country;
• Lead responsibility in identification and establishing and sustaining relationships with relevant financial institutions and platforms in the region and internationally;
• Provide evidence-based support and facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues on emerging issues and policy debates around blue finance and innovation;
• Lead coherent and consistent communication of lessons learnt to key decision-makers and other stakeholders within the region and globally as appropriate, including via the web, print and media;
• In collaboration with Regional Head, Coastal and Ocean Resilience identify and manage potential risks associated with IUCN’s public positions in the region and design strategies to mitigate the identified risks;
• Act as a focal point for facilitating and supporting the involvement of IUCN Commissions, Members and other members of the Secretariat in the development and implementation of programmatic activities related to blue finance and innovation.

Programme Development and Resource Mobilization:

• As appropriate contribute in fundraising activities including through development of concepts and projects documents. Contribute to establishing, maintaining and nurturing good relationships with donors, funding agencies and other technical partners so as to ensure the financial viability of the blue finance and innovation area of work in the COR programme;
• Spearhead the development of a pipeline of bankable projects in the coastal and marine conservation realm, including on actions that unlock a regenerative blue economy for coastal communities;
• Undertake research and synthesize briefs on the growing body of work on blue finance and innovation through other strategic opportunities and initiatives in the ocean ESG space.

Monitoring and Evaluation;

• Contribute to the development of the COR Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Framework by providing leadership on identification and mitigation of key risks and barriers to regenerative blue investments in the WIO region;
• Responsible for the coordination of programme monitoring and evaluation in the blue finance and innovation area of work.
• In collaboration with the Regional Head, Coastal and Ocean Resilience, ensure IUCN’s work is accountable to donors and other stakeholders through the establishment and management of effective accountability mechanisms and processes;
• Provide leadership to use data for programme decision-making, for the implementation of management actions based on the findings of monitoring, and to ensure that feedback from stakeholders inform programme development;
• Contribute to programme reporting processes and requirements.

Other responsibilities:

• Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

REQUIREMENTS
Position requirements:

Education;

• An advanced degree in Finance, Sustainable Financing, Development Investment, Innovation, Conservation Finance or related fields;
• Computer literacy in relation to office applications (word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint) use of internet and online communication tools;

Work Experience;

We’re looking for an outstanding, hands-on, highly motivated, autonomous, innovative, solution oriented, results driven and resourceful individual with at least eight to ten years of proven experience in:

• Sound expertise in formulating blue finance and innovation in support of conservation of marine and coastal areas including marine protected areas (MPAs) and conserved areas (LMMAs-locally managed marine areas) or related fields;
• Practical experience in finance and investment roles, preferably in areas related to sustainability, environmental finance, or impact investing. This could involve working at financial institutions, investment firms, asset management companies, or environmental organizations focusing on sustainable finance.
• Strong expertise and experience in engaging global, regional and national stakeholders in blue finance and innovation;
• Up-to-date knowledge on emerging innovations and opportunities on blue finance in relation to coastal and marine biodiversity conservation, with particular focus on financing effective management of MPAs and LMMAs;
• Familiarity with established blue finance biodiversity conservation approaches and methodologies and processes, in particular in the context of the Global Biodiversity Framework and 30x30 target;
• Skilled in network development and alliance building to consult and collaborate across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals, with demonstrated ability to build consensus in cross-cultural situations;
• Ability to interact effectively with and directly support or identify experts required to support all aspects of the COR Programme in the blue finance and innovation area of work;
• Experience with result-based portfolio and project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation methodologies and principles and facilitation skills;
• Experience with project and programme development, management and reporting, with demonstrated budgeting and programme planning abilities;
• Strong interpersonal, management and supervisory skills and experience, with a minimum of 2 years’ in managing teams;
• Computer literacy in relation to office applications (word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint) use of internet and online communication tools;
• Demonstrates strong leadership and people-management experience including supervision of staff, consultants and coordination and effective management of virtual team settings;
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure managing competing demands and complex situations and deliver satisfactory and timely results;
• Must be a strong team player with proven communication and diplomacy skills and ability to work effectively with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams displaying sensitivity and respect for diversity;
• Must be a proactive individual who is able to energize and motivate teams;
• Committed to continuous learning and proactive and mature attitude towards self-development;

Language requirement;

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English is essential, with ability to communicate in French and/or Portuguese is an added advantage;

Core Competencies;

• Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of IUCN in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.
• Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provide a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
• Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.
• Accountability: Takes responsibility of individual and collective actions, promotes the IUCN One Programme approach.

Functional competencies;

• Adheres to IUCN core values of Transparency, Inclusiveness, Professionalism and Accountability;
• Strong interpersonal, management and supervisory skills and experience, with a minimum of 2 years’ in managing teams;
• Ability to manage complex situations and lead the establishment of blue finance and innovation programme portfolios and network and alliance building;
• Be willing to undertake frequent travel and interact with different stakeholders from diverse cultures.