Climate Finance Expert

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Ghana.

📋 Description

• Deliver technical and advisory assistance for the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of financial instruments and capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing MSME access to finance.

• Provide specialized knowledge regarding Ghana's financial sector and its ability to support MSMEs.

• Evaluate the needs, capabilities, and limitations of banks, non-bank financial institutions, development finance institutions, and other financial-sector participants.

• Offer recommendations for enhancing MSME access to finance, particularly in underserved and climate-relevant sectors.

• Facilitate engagement and coordination with financial institutions and stakeholders within Ghana.

• Assist in the design and development of climate-aligned credit guarantee products and risk-sharing mechanisms.

• Analyze market demand, financial institution prerequisites, and potential MSME beneficiary segments.

• Advise on the alignment of guarantee products with Ghanaian regulations, climate priorities, and market conditions.

• Aid in the development of product structures, eligibility criteria, operational procedures, and monitoring frameworks.

• Support the adoption and implementation of climate-aligned financial products.

• Design, structure, implement, and manage credit guarantee schemes and risk-sharing facilities for bank loan portfolios.

• Monitor, evaluate, and mitigate risks associated with wholesale credit lines and guarantee portfolios.

• Provide expertise on the regulatory environment and institutional landscape of Ghana's financial sector.

• Advise on national regulations, policies, guidelines, and market practices impacting financial institutions, MSME finance, guarantees, and development finance.

• Map and engage with public and private sector stakeholders, including regulators, financial institutions, government agencies, business associations, and development partners.

• Offer expertise on Ghanaian environmental and social legislation, regulations, standards, and safeguards.

• Incorporate environmental and social risk considerations into financial products, guarantee mechanisms, and portfolio monitoring systems.

• Advise financial institutions on environmental and social safeguards and risk management practices.

• Guide Ghanaian stakeholders on development finance opportunities, financing sources, and instruments.

• Provide recommendations on mobilizing capital, enhancing access to local and international financing, and navigating Ghanaian and regional capital markets.

• Prepare recommendations, financing strategies, and stakeholder engagement approaches.

⛳️ Requirements

• Must be a Ghanaian national.

• Possess an advanced university degree in Finance, Economics, Banking, Business Administration, Development Finance, Public Policy, or a related field.

• Have a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in the financial sector, development finance, banking, MSME finance, credit, guarantees, or related fields.

• Demonstrated experience working with financial institutions in Ghana, including banks, non-bank financial institutions, development finance institutions, or other relevant financial sector entities.

• Proven experience in supporting MSME access to finance and/or MSME lending programs in Ghana.

• Background in designing, implementing, managing, or evaluating credit guarantee schemes, risk-sharing facilities, or similar financial instruments.

• Experience in monitoring and evaluating credit and/or guarantee portfolios, preferably under projects financed or supported by IFIs, MDBs, or other development finance partners.

• Familiarity with conducting training needs assessments and designing and delivering capacity-building programs for financial institutions.

• Strong understanding of the Ghanaian financial sector, including relevant regulations, institutions, market dynamics, and stakeholder landscape.

• Good knowledge of Ghanaian environmental and social legislation and safeguards relevant to investment, lending, and financial sector activities.

• Excellent analytical, report-writing, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills.

• Fluency in English is required.

• Knowledge of relevant Ghanaian languages is an advantage.

• Experience in climate finance or the development of climate-aligned financial products is highly desirable.

• Experience advising on access to development finance, blended finance, guarantee instruments, and/or capital markets is a plus.

• Familiarity with IFI and MDB requirements, standards, and operating practices is highly desirable.

🏝️ Benefits

• Fixed-term engagement contingent upon the successful outcome of a bid for an upcoming Climate Finance project.

• Opportunity to collaborate with an international development consultancy.

• Work that contributes to sustainable policy change and impactful public policy.

• An environment that encourages ambition, creativity, and a passion for positive change.

• Commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Rolling review and interviews.