Green Climate Fund – Associate General Counsel, Operations (Projects and Readiness)

Associate General Counsel – Operations

(Projects and Readiness)

July 2023

About Green Climate Fund

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a one of the primary funding institutions of the international climate finance architecture under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. It was set up by the 194 countries who are parties to the convention and is designed to support significant efforts to address climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The GCF started funding projects and programmes in developing countries around the world in 2015. The GCF is expected to be a significant channel for distributing a significant portion of the 100 billion USD in annual climate finance that the developed countries have committed to mobilise by 2020. These funds will flow from a variety of public, private, and innovative sources through many channels.

The overall goal of the Fund, as defined in its governing Instrument, is to contribute to the achievement of the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC by promoting the paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways. Its climate investments are placed in the context of sustainable development and secure additional economic, social, developmental, and other environmental benefits while taking gender equality and other human rights considerations into account. The GCF aims to achieve this by providing support to developing countries, particularly those most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and to adapt to climate change impacts.

The Role

Position: Associate General Counsel – Operations (Projects and Readiness)

Location of Position: Incheon, South Korea

Salary Level: IS-6

Job Summary

OGC is responsible for protecting the legal interests of GCF and advises on methods to limit GCF’s risk exposure appropriately. It prepares or reviews documents which create and define the legal rights or obligations of GCF.

The Associate General Counsel will be part of the Office of the General Counsel providing legal support to the GCF on operational matters, which include both the projects and readiness portfolios.

The work of the Office of the General Counsel in such matters includes: negotiating accreditation master agreements; conducting legal due diligence and advising on legal matters relating to projects and programmes including the legal structures to be used, negotiating term sheets, and negotiating template and project/programme-specific funded activity agreements, preparing legal advice on the interpretation of statutes, contracts and other legal documents; and advising on policy matters related to projects and programmes as well as the readiness portfolio.

The Associate General Counsel – Operations (Projects and Readiness) will assist the General Counsel, in coordinating the legal work related to projects and readiness matters of the Fund. They will provide legal advice and support relating to the drafting, reviewing and negotiating of financing agreements; conducting legal due diligence in connection with funding proposals; and preparing legal advice on the interpretation of statutes, contracts and other legal documents, with a focus on the GCF’s cross border, equity fund activities.

In addition, the Associate General Counsel will manage and supervise the day-to-day work of the projects and readiness counsels (Senior, Counsel and Associate level). Furthermore, they will establish among relevant OGC staff, the necessary expertise for both the establishment of equity fund structures and restructurings.

Responsibilities

PURPOSE

• Review, and supervise the review by OGC staff of, funding proposals and legal documents required by the GCF for its operations, and ensure they are coherent with best practice and the legal and policy framework of the GCF;

• Conduct and review, and supervise the review by OGC staff of, the legal due diligence in connection with the proposed funding structures;

• Prepare, and supervise the preparation by OGC staff of, drafts of legal arrangements with accredited entities; and

• Participate in GCF’s Board meetings and other events and meetings of the GCF. This may include assisting in the preparation of relevant documentation, preparing summaries of discussions and presentations.

ENGAGEMENT

• Participate in and support OGC staff, including the General Counsel, as the case may be in the negotiation of legal arrangements with accredited entities;

• Coordinate, manage and supervise the work of Senior Counsels, Counsels, Associate Counsels and interns with regard to projects and readiness matters within the Office of the General Counsel;

• Proactively support the establishment of innovative financing structures and establish among Senior Counsels, Counsels and Associate Counsels the necessary expertise for both the establishment of (equity) fund structures and restructurings;

• Advise projects teams on the legal and policy framework of the GCF;

• Perform the activities listed above independently under the supervision of the General Counsel, as the case may be; and

• Perform additional tasks as assigned by the General Counsel.

DELIVERY

• Timely delivery of review of funding proposals and other legal documents necessary for GCF’s legal and policy framework;

• Thorough, accurate and timely delivery of due diligence reports;

• Tangible support and assistance in negotiations of legal arrangements with accredited entities;

• Sound practical legal advice on the legal policy framework as well as accurate summaries and presentation in Board meetings;

• Tangibly supporting the establishment of innovative financing structures;

• Establishing expertise among Senior Counsels, Counsels and Associate counsels so that they can independently support the creation of innovative and effective (equity) fund structures and support the establishment of other GCF private sector funding modalities, as may be required; and

• Effective and accountable supervision of Senior Counsels, Counsels, and Associate Counsels.

Person Specification

• LLM, or equivalent law degree;

• Qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction;

• At least 15 years of relevant work experience practicing law in cross-border transactions involving innovative financing, including debt and equity transactions with a well-recognized law firm and or the private sector

• Extensive experience in the legal structuring of financial and commercial transactions (including equity funds and cross border arrangements) and working with innovative and complex financial instruments, including, in the private sector;

• Solid understanding of different financial instruments and their features specifically debt, equity, grants and guarantees and use type in different investment scenarios;

• Good understanding of different equity types (preference, mezz., junior, convertibles) and valuation methods;

• Solid legal drafting skills specifically of drafting financing and commercial agreements;

• Experience liaising with, and advising, senior management and staff as well as extensive experience managing diverse teams of lawyers;

• Understanding of venture capital specifically early stage and growth capital including series A funding

• Experience in negotiating investment terms, analyzing financial statements, private placement memorandums, legal documentation and PE regulatory requirements and compliance;

• Knowledge and experience of leading and engaging with institutional investors and financial institutions;

• Experience in, or working with, developing countries;

• Emotional intelligence and values-driven work ethic; and

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential for this position; knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Jones-CV-072023-GCF or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter072023-GCF.

Timeline

Closing date: 18th August 2023

(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis)

Selection process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of GCF’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at gcf-associate-general-counsel@ oxfordhr.com in the first instance.

About Oxford HR

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We understand the nuances of purpose-led leadership because we’ve worked in organisations across the breadth of the sector ourselves. We’ve also worked with such organisations since 1995; so we appreciate just what benefits impactful people can bring.