Associate Director (Latin America), Global Energy Transition Initiative/

About the Organization

ClimateWorks is a global platform for philanthropy to innovate, collaborate, and accelerate climate solutions that scale. We partner with leading funders in the climate mitigation space, working with broad networks of international NGOs, in-country civil society organizations, and research institutions to dramatically escalate climate solutions.  Through our Global Programs and Services, we have helped grow climate philanthropy to where it stands today, by equipping philanthropists with the knowledge, networks, and strategies to drive climate solutions and by building the infrastructure and networks to execute progress.

Our overall work falls into three core functions:

• Scaling solutions: Our collaborative Global Programs — focused on solution areas including carbon dioxide removal, cooling, industry, transportation, and more — produce results that are bending the greenhouse gas emissions curve. From the U.S. to Europe, China, Brazil, and beyond, we collaborate with a diverse community of funders, NGOs, and climate leaders to accelerate just and equitable climate solutions.

 

• Guiding and supporting funders: Our Global Services provide funders with comprehensive resources to assess, build, evolve, and execute high-impact climate-giving strategies. Our Global Intelligence service equips funders and the climate community with climate insights to pinpoint opportunities for impact and philanthropic insights to help identify investment priorities. We facilitate Global Collaborations that enable funders to increase individual and collective impact. Our Global Grantmaking services enable funders to invest in climate solutions around the world.

 

• Fostering collaboration, exploration, and growth: Our collaborative approach and commitment to learning ensures that we continuously explore innovative ideas and emerging opportunities — all with the aim of scaling philanthropy-supported initiatives to help end the climate crisis.

 

As experts in climate science, public policy, economic and social analysis, and strategic philanthropy, ClimateWorks’ staff understands the multi-faceted challenges and opportunities of climate change. We are researchers, strategists, collaborators, and grantmakers who care passionately about our mission. For more information, please visit www.climateworks.org.

 

Program Department Summary

The ClimateWorks Programs Team drives innovation and climate solutions that scale. Through our portfolio of global and transnational climate mitigation strategies and grantmaking, we help funders maximize their philanthropic impact. ClimateWorks supports climate change mitigation efforts from early explorations to scaled initiatives. We help develop innovative and high-impact solutions, fund their implementation, and scale up those that show the greatest promise.

The ClimateWorks Programs Team is nearly 60 strong and growing. It includes 12 senior experts (Program Directors and Strategists), each of whom engages partners in many countries to advance climate solutions globally. Senior Programs staff are sought after international experts, authors, speakers, and network-builders. Information on ClimateWorks’ Global Programs can be found here: https://www.climateworks.org/programs/

Program Summary

The Global Energy Transition Initiative is a customized partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and ClimateWorks Foundation, with a single mission: to deliver high-impact and immediate actions to drive a country-level transition from coal to clean energy that is in line with the global 1.5 °C pathway.

Since the inception of this partnership in late 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies and ClimateWorks Foundation have supported a broad spectrum of global and in-country partners to overcome economic, political, technical, and social challenges to shift away from coal to clean energy. Since 2022, the Global Energy Transition Initiative has covered more emerging and developing countries in Asia, Africa, and South America and has expanded its strategies from increasing climate ambition to implementing the clean energy transition.

With key partners from these countries/regions, the priorities of the Global Energy Transition Initiative are to:

• Shape and implement robust country-specific coal phase-out and clean energy transition pathways in line with the global 1.5° C scenario.
• Leverage international and regional initiatives to scale-up clean energy investments and end new coal pipelines.
• Support the advancement of open-source data, policy research, and analytics to inform and empower the energy community and strengthen countries’ and non-state actors’ net-zero accountability.

Job Summary

We are looking for an Associated Director, based in Latin America to join the Global Energy Transition Initiative. She/he will lead Global Energy Transition Initiative’s Latin America energy transition component, expanding Latin American-based partners, and collaborate and coordinate with other regional energy transition works under Global Energy Transition Initiative.

 

Essential Tasks

Strategy development and execution

 

• Lead the country-specific energy transition strategy development in Latin America, primarily focusing on Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
• Stay adaptive and agile to the strategy implementation, taking into account the dynamic of political, economic and technological opportunities exposed to the priority countries.
• Foster strategic synergies and collaboration with other regional/country energy transition under the Global Energy Transition Initiative and other ClimateWorks Foundation Sectoral Programs.

 

Funder Engagement

 

•  Collaborate with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ International Energy Transition Team on strategy development and alignment.
• Collaborate with regional/country-leads from the Bloomberg Philanthropies on strategy execution.
• Advise funders on political, economic, industrial and technology developments and trends that are pertinent to energy transition in Latin American countries.

 

Partnerships and Stakeholders Management

 

• Develop and explore new partnerships with global, regional and country-level organizations and regranting organizations.
• Collaborate with Global Energy Transition Initiative team and other ClimateWorks staff to identify synergies and collaboration opportunities in energy transition /climate mitigation.
• Engage other philanthropic organisations, whenever strategy is aligned.
• Convene, coordinate and collaborate with a range of public and private sector stakeholders, including government officials, development finance institutions, private sectors, regional organisations, and inter-governmental organisations.

 

Grant-making, pipeline development and grantee portfolio management

 

•  Identify new/prospective grantee partners and develop grantee pipelines.
• Manage the Latin America-based energy transition grantee partners, developing an end-to-end grant management process, from request for proposal, review and comment, to regular reporting.

 

Required Qualifications

• 8-10 years of hands-on technical and policy experience in energy sector decarbonisation; Experience in working on design, adoption and/or implementation of policies related to power sector decarbonization in Latin America, especially Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
• Hands-on experience on policy design and policy advocacy; corporate sector/or financial sector experience is a plus.
• Working knowledge of (or demonstrated ability to learn about) high emitting economies’ power sector decarbonization pathways and transitional finance in power sector, especially related to moving away from coal finance towards clean energy investment.
• Savvy about the dynamics between political, government policy-making, business and financial community, and civil society in power sector decarbonisation.
• Strong stakeholder and partnership development skills.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently (both virtually and in-person) with minimal supervision
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as public policy, economics, or business administration, background with electric engineering and/or power system modelling is a plus. Advanced degree in a related field is a plus.

 

Compensation

ClimateWorks offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience (geographic differential applied based on location).

 

Location

ClimateWorks Foundation is based in the San Francisco Financial District. This position will be remote, candidate must be based in Latin America with a preference for someone based in Mexico, Colombia, or Brazil.