Chief of Staff, Climate, Economics & Finance Program

Chief of Staff, Global Climate Economics and Finance Program

This is a hybrid position that requires 8 days a month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC, London, The Hague, Bonn, Nairobi, or Mexico City. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission, as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program

The world needs to cut its emissions in half by 2030, reach net zero by mid-century, and adapt to prevent the worst effects of climate change. This will require a transformation in the economic, financial, and governance systems at global and country levels to simultaneously achieve the world's people, nature, and climate goals.

To address this important challenge, WRI's Global Climate Economics and Finance (CEF) Program undertakes research and analysis, develops tools and standards, communicates and engages, and builds coalitions and capacity to accelerate climate ambition, country transitions, and the required shifts in economic and financial systems and incentives. We work with national governments, policymakers, businesses, civil society, local governments, and other non-state actors as they pursue their own emissions reduction and adaptation goals. We work at the global level and in partnership with WRI's twelve focus countries and regions and WRI's human system transition teams focused on energy, cities, and food, land, water to deliver this transformation.

Job Highlight

Reporting to the Global Climate Director, you will ensure CEF takes an exemplary approach to staff wellbeing, management performance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, contributing to and implementing CEF's approach to WRI's culture values and staff morale. You will work with the CEF Global Director to set up CEF Program systems and processes to guide the cross-global and country office development of CEF strategy, including strategies related to the three thematic pillars: Climate Action, Climate Ambition, Finance, and Private Sector Core Support.

You will set up strategy processes that enable close upstream engagement between CEF Directors and global country and core support leads. You will support the Global Director in ensuring strategic coherence across CEF, monitoring progress toward strategy goals and objectives, and ensuring the strategy is maintained and aligned with WRI's overall 5-year strategy. You will manage collaboration within CEF across other major WRI programs, human system transitions, and WRI in-country teams. You will set up the governance planning and monitoring processes, including for programming, fundraising, and resourcing delivery and PMEL plans. You will oversee implementation of these systems and processes, supporting teams to follow the approach so that CEF is efficient, effective, collaborative, and professional.

In your program management capacity, you will oversee CEF core support teams comprising Research and Data Operations, Communications, Development, Project Management, PMEL, and Director support teams. You will ensure a strong team spirit and collaborative working across the core support teams, clear terms of reference, transparency of roles and decisions, and strong performance. You will provide additional oversight and support in the area of development and fundraising. You will also take on special assignments to support the Global Director and key needs of the program, especially when of a sensitive or highly complex nature.

WRI seeks an experienced leader and organizational manager to serve as the Chief of Staff for the Global Climate Economics and Finance (CEF) Program.

What will you do

Strategy (20%)

• Lead the program strategy development process, setting out clear processes for:
• Senior Directors to develop strategies, outcomes, theories of change, and delivery plans for their pillars.
• CEF's guardianship of WRI's climate goal.
• Identifying priority areas of cooperation with other programs and country teams.
• Design and facilitate processes to ensure upstream engagement on strategy and program development between global and in-country teams, program core functions, other WRI programs, and external partners.
• Ensure a high quality of CEF input into and engagement with institutional strategy, theory of change, and reporting systems.

People Management (30%)

• Lead on cross-cutting people issues in CEF.
• Create and promote a positive, inclusive team culture to increase staff wellbeing, drive performance, and ensure staff retention through celebrating successes and sharing learnings.
• Advise program leadership on issues related to HR, including staff equity, performance management, promotions, hiring plans, and internal processes.
• Ensure strong communications between the Global Director and CEF staff, providing insights to the Global Director and other members of the PMT on issues affecting staff wellbeing, morale, and performance with proposed solutions.
• Coordinate CEF engagement in developing and implementing WRI's approach to company culture, including identifying ways to enhance a collaborative culture within CEF and across related teams.

Overall CEF Program Management (30%)

• Put in place and ensure implementation of CEF governance with clear objectives for each level/type of meeting in a way that fits well with WRI's overall governance.
• Ensure the PMT can provide leadership on a clear vision and strategy alignment, integration focus and impact, funding coordination across WRI, management of risks and results, and ensuring CEF is a great place to work for all staff.
• Lead team preparing for and following up on CEF retreats and regular program meetings to allow for effective decision making and communication.
• Ensure a strong process for gathering and presenting periodic management information to the Global Director and PMT, including on people finance delivery and risks.
• Track Program risks and proactively address delivery issues, proposing mitigation strategies, and driving decision-making processes on sensitive and highly complex.