Climate Manager

Job Description

The CIFF Climate team is driven by a vision of a climate-safe future for todays children and future generations. We support the urgent global transition to a zero-carbon society. We are committed to strategies that get to the heart of the greatest climatechallenges and are willing to support new approaches to accelerate action and the step-change in ambition required to keep global warming below 1.5 deg C.CIFF has a growing climate portfolio that includes energy, cooling, transport, food and agriculture, financeand industry. Our work is deeply rooted at the regional level and the team works in a matrix structure, located in our offices in London, Beijing, New Delhi and Nairobi and Addis Ababa.While the bulk of our work is undertaken by our partners, CIFFs expertisemeans there are circumstances where we also have a unique contribution to make and can be actively involved in these processes. And beyond the climate team, CIFF is also active on related international issues such as gender, nutrition and international developmentand where appropriate, the climate team co-ordinates with other relevant teams on these issues.Responsibilities for all these elements are currently divided up throughout the climate team. This is a new role to co-ordinate, enhance and lead these internationalefforts, so that CIFF can be more co-strategic, pro-active and add greater value.This position will have responsibility for our international programmes, ensure co-ordination across our regional and international collaborations, advise and provide briefingsfor CIFFs direct engagement in these mechanisms, and engage and align with the wider CIFF team.As well as strong project management, quantitative and qualitative skills, the person will be expected to add insight and value, bringing a geopolitical, strategiclens to our international work, identifying new opportunities and risk mitigation strategies. The heart of the work is collaboration and this position will need exceptional stakeholder management skills and be diplomatic and highly conscious of different culturalcontexts.To thrive in the role, you will need to be motivated by fast paced and diverse work, varying from long-term planning to short-term urgent deadlines, covering global and sectoral dimensions. The work will be truly international, varied, intensely collaborative(both internally and with partners) and can be demanding.CIFF is one of the largest philanthropic funders both in international development and climate change mitigation and offers a broad range of opportunities to work with leading experts in their fieldsas well as ongoing learning and development opportunities including a personal allowance to be spent on any relevant career training every year. Your contribution will be integral to supporting CIFF and our partners - some of the best climate actors in thefield - to deliver against an ambitious climate agenda.Principal AccountabilitiesStrategy & planning Implement and refine of the overall China climate strategy with a focus on Chinas role in global climate governance and its interaction with the rest of theworld. This includes managing existing activities, identifying new opportunities, highlighting risks and mitigation strategies. Ensure strong coordination and alignment of CIFFs global, sectoral and regional priorities and strategies into CIFF China climatestrategy, and provide support to CIFF strategy and portfolio in Southeast Asia. Oversee the forward work and activity plan (internal and external) on an ongoing basis so it operates in a coordinated, integrated matter and delivers the team objectives. Informstrategy implementation and activity planning through insightful briefings and analysis on specific themes, trends, opportunities and risks, working closely with our grantees and partners who are leaders in the field.Programme development, delivery & performanceLead the end-to-end oversight and administration of the management process of relevant grants (from concept formation, proposal development, ongoing management through to final payment) Develop and communicate relevant and insight-rich briefings, strategydocuments, Board reports and portfolio investment reports, to a high standard and in a timely fashion - which can often mean to high quality in very short timeframes. Lead or contribute to the co-ordination of and organizing of relevant dialogues, convenings,or other events and engagements, including defining objectives and anticipated outcomes, shaping agendas, providing briefings, choreographing discussions, ensuring follow-up. Own the forward events schedule for the team to map planned or anticipated engagementacross the international calendar and co-ordinate with other CIFF teams as appropriate. Ensure the portfolio and activities remain focused on intended objectives and key results and track indicators to ensure our activity is adding value.Sector knowledge andprofile-building Build and maintain a range of relevant regional focus and sectoral knowledge and information resources to enable the Climate team to access high quality intelligence, analysis and data to inform current and future programme activity - alwaysseeking to add value and join the dots. Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners across multiple locations and geographies to conduct research projects to inform Climate teams grant making activities.Stakeholder and partner management Maintain excellent,productive and trusted relationships with our partners and grantees in the region and globally, which can include dealing with senior experts and politicians. Support Climate Director in coordination with peer funders, especially those based in Europe andUS. Be a focal point to facilitate communications between Beijing-based colleagues and CIFF global team. Adapt strategies and styles to reflect different cultural contexts.Requirements A relevant Masters level degree (e.g. International Relations, PoliticalScience, Global Energy and Climate Policy, International Political Economy) with strong analytical skills. Relevant additional work experience may be acceptable in place of a Masters degree. Relevant experience of working on climate change with a focus onChina and its role in global climate governance, for example, this could include experience in an NGO, think tank, academia or the public sector. Familiarity with the geopolitical and economic landscape and how it relates to climate including multilateralprocesses, key regional dynamics. Experience multitasking and managing priorities to competing deadlines, thrives on diversity of a role. Strong communication skills and excellent oral and written English and Mandarin required additional language skills anasset. Track record of managing and building trust-based relationships internally and externally with a range of partners, operating across a range of cultural contexts Track record of strong interpersonal skills and working well as a team player