Head of Finance, Multilevel Partnerships

Head of Finance, Multilevel Partnerships

As the Head of Finance, Multilevel Partnerships, you will serve as the organisational lead for CHAMP's subnational climate finance agenda, providing strategic oversight and technical leadership to global and country efforts to close the subnational climate finance gap through policy influence, advocacy, and implementation support. Reporting to the Senior Director, Finance and Private Sector, and working closely with the Senior Urban and Regional Economist and the NDC Partnership, this position requires expertise in public and blended finance, strong diplomatic skills to engage with Ministries of Finance, multilateral banks, and development finance institutions, and the ability to turn country-level lessons into systems-level change.

What You Will Do

Programme Delivery (60%)

• Lead design, delivery, and monitoring of Climate Finance workstream to ensure coherence between global finance reform efforts, country platform design, and on-the-ground technical assistance in Kenya and Colombia.
• Produce actionable analysis and insights capturing enabling conditions for subnational climate finance, drawing from country experiences and global practice, and translate findings into practical recommendations for governments and finance actors.
• Organise annual knowledge exchange series for national and subnational officials, country platform coordinators, development banks, and funders to share lessons on subnational access to climate finance, city pipelines, and innovative instruments.
• Coordinate CHAMP's advocacy on subnational access to finance with partners, developing a set of concrete "asks" for MDBs and climate funds and supporting political engagement at international climate and finance events.
• Support CEF colleagues in at least two CHAMP-endorsing countries to ensure country platforms and allow for subnational participation in governance and pipeline decisions.
• Support Senior Urban and Regional Economist coordinate technical assistance in Kenya and Colombia, ensuring climate strategies and investment plans incorporate subnational priorities and identify domestic and international finance opportunities.
• Support Head of National Action coordinate response to RSLs from four CHAMP-endorsing countries where these relate to climate finance.
• Capture, synthesise and communicate lessons learned from all programme activities.
• Maintain detailed and up-to-date project plans for all deliverables using Asana, with clear milestones, risk registers, and mitigation measures, ensuring proactive communication with the Director and Project Board.
• Oversee budgeting, contracting, and financial monitoring for the Climate Finance workstream.

Team Leadership and Diplomatic Engagement (40%)

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with Ministries of Finance, MDBs, national development banks, climate funds, and other finance institutions to influence subnational finance reform agendas.
• Position WRI and CHAMP as experts on subnational climate finance, representing the programme in external events and cross-institutional platforms, and author regular articles on subnational access to climate finance.
• Coordinate across WRI workstreams, country offices, and development team on CHAMP-related activities, and ensure integration of CHAMP activities, lessons learned and insights into WRI's broader research, policy, and advocacy priorities.
• Collaborate closely with:
  • Head of Governance and Diplomacy on connecting climate finance systems insight to global advocacy and Steering Group priorities,
  • Head of National Action on coordinating capacity building and technical support for project preparation in Kenya and Colombia,
  • Fundraising Manager on developing proposals, cultivating funder relationships, and identifying new investment partnerships for finance-related initiatives,
  • C40 and GCoM to coordinate programmatic delivery, technical support and advocacy for improving subnational access to finance.
• Support Director of Urban Efficiency and Climate, Project Board and WRI Ambassadors with all necessary information for decision-making, progress monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide strategic direction and guidance to finance managers or analysts within the team, fostering technical excellence and high standards of delivery.

What You Will Need

• Education: You have a degree in a relevant field, such as economics, finance, international development, or public policy.
• Experience: You have relevant international experience in (sub)national climate finance, public finance, development banking, or related fields, with a focus on subnational or urban climate investment desirable.
• Proven track record advising governments or financial institutions on climate finance policy, investment planning, or coordination mechanisms with measurable results.
• Demonstrable understanding of the structure and functioning of multilateral development banks, climate funds, and public development banks, and of financing instruments applicable to local governments.
• Experience engaging senior government officials, MDB representatives, and other stakeholders to shape reforms and build consensus around institutional or financial system change.
• Proven programme management skills, including oversight of multi-country projects.
• Analytical, writing, and communication skills, capable of bridging technical finance topics and policy strategies for diverse audiences.
• Requirements: Existing work authorisation is required for candidates who wish to be based in the UK or Kenya. WRI cannot support visa sponsorship for this role in the UK or Kenya.