Sustainable Finance Senior Associate, Central America

PURPOSE

The Sustainable Finance Senior Associate will support the delivery of technical assistance to perspective issuers, accompanying them throughout the pre- and post-issuance process, including stakeholders’ engagement (regulators, arrangers, underwriters, stock exchanges, investors, guarantors), green bond framework development, green project pipeline development, roadshow organization and delivery, second party opinion negotiation, development of impact reporting. S/he is expected to Support on the development of pre- and post-issuance processes of thematic bonds.

ENGAGEMENT

• Will report to the Sustainable Finance Senior Officer of Central America and Sustainable Finance Officer of Latin America and Caribbean.
• Support stakeholder engagement, including government agencies, regulators, financial institutions, development banks, and climate finance entities.
• Maintain strong working relationships with various ministries (e.g., Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment), development institutions and financial market players.
• Participate in policy dialogues to advance green finance frameworks in prioritized Central America countries.
• Engage with donors and institutional investors to explore financing opportunities for sustainable finance projects.

DELIVERY

Thematic Bond Advisory:

• Support issuers throughout pre- and post-issuance processes.
• Conduct thematic bond readiness assessments for prospective issuers.
• Identify and prioritize eligible projects for thematic bond financing.
• Assist in developing thematic bond governance structures (e.g., impact monitoring, use-of-proceeds management).
• Provide guidance on impact reporting and alignment with international standards and principles.
• Support issuers in obtaining Second Party Opinions (SPOs) from accredited verifiers and external verification for impact reports.

Policy and Market Development:

• Conduct research on barriers to thematic bond issuance in Central America and propose solutions.
• Provide technical input on sustainable finance policy frameworks in collaboration with regulators.
• Assist in the development of impact indicators for periodic bond reporting.
• Prepare presentations and external communication material for potential issuers.

Capacity Building & Knowledge Sharing:

• Develop capacity-building modules for public and private sector actors.
• Contribute to international learning networks to exchange best practices on thematic bonds.
• Publish case studies, reports, and policy briefs to support knowledge dissemination.

Program Management & Reporting:

• Assist in internal and external reporting on projects being implemented.
• Monitor and evaluate sustainable finance activities and outputs to ensure alignment with program goals.
• Assist in preparing concept notes to the GTF Board and monitor and track project deliverables and budget execution.
• Support the preparation of funding proposals for international climate funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Global Environment Facility).

REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED:

• Applicants must be nationals of El Salvador or hold a valid work permit to work in El Salvador.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Sustainable Development or related fields.
• At least 4-5 years of experience in financial institutions, development organizations, finance or economics ministries, stock exchanges or capital markets.
• At least 2 years of experience in sustainable finance (preferably in thematic bonds).
• Strong understanding of green finance instruments, sustainable investment frameworks, and impact reporting.
• Familiarity with sustainable finance taxonomies, standards (e.g., ICMA Principles), and ESG regulations.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal);

PREFERRED:

• Advanced degree (Master’s in Finance, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, or Sustainable Development).
• Experience working with regulators, sovereign issuers, and institutional investors.
• Knowledge of sustainable banking initiatives and environmental and social safeguards (ESS).
• Strong data management and knowledge-sharing experience.
• Any other language proficiency is a plus.
• Data and knowledge management experience is a strong plus;
• Project Management knowledge and experience is a plus.

FUNCTIONAL:

• Ability to analyze market barriers and propose practical solutions.
• Ability to work with high-level government officials and financial institutions.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams under tight deadlines.
• Proactive in identifying new opportunities for sustainable finance development.
• Ability to work with cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams and with limited supervision.

CORPORATE

• Understand and actively support GGGI’s mission, vision and values.
• Promote the optimum use of public resources.
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.
• Process and share information easily.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily.
• Promote creativity and innovation among staff.
• Be able to support where needed and provide solutions to project-level challenges.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Sustainable Finance Senior Associate is an X7 grade level in GGGI El Salvador national salary scale. The salary range for the position starts at USD 30,951 per annum, depending on the country, qualifications, experience and internal equity.

GGGI provides 15% of base salary towards retirement plan/long-term savings, 27 days of annual leave, and private health insurance that covers dental and vision.

GGGI is committed to providing a work environment that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate diverse life-cycle challenges and assist Staff members in achieving a better balance between work and personal/family commitments, thus ensuring high performance, long-term productivity, and well-being.