Project Pipeline Manager – Canopy Trust

Catalytic’s mission is to accelerate the design and deployment of catalytic finance solutions for sustainable infrastructure. We identify and develop robust project pipelines and deploy technical assistance to support infrastructure projects to become more investible and impactful. Catalytic seeks to ensure positive social and environmental outcomes in addition to financial returns for impact investors, applying credible methodologies for the measurement and evaluation of impacts.

In addition, Catalytic incubates and structures blended-finance funds aiming at scaling up and speeding up the implementation of urban infrastructure projects with positive climate impacts.

Canopy Trust is one of the programmes implemented by Catalytic, which provides blended finance solutions to attract private sector investments towards early-development-stage projects to limit deforestation and support socio-economic development in the Congo Basin in Central Africa. It supports sustainable agriculture and forestry, renewable energy and sustainable cooking along with deforestation-free value chains, through technical assistance (TA) at project level and catalytic investments at both project and investment fund level .

Canopy Trust is an initiative implemented by Catalytic Finance Foundation (Catalytic) with the funding support of multiple donors.

Reporting to the Programme Manager and working closely with the Investment Specialist as well as with other Catalytic’s colleagues and partners, the Project Pipeline Manager has the following roles and responsibilities:

• Research and knowledge production: map and identify stakeholders and expand knowledge base of target countries and sectors (including but not limited to stakeholders mapping, country assessment and update, risks and opportunities, event mapping)
• Originate quality projects that fit into the scope of Canopy Trust
• Conduct assessment of projects, including eligibility screening, evaluation, and prioritsation of projects for receiving TA, and conduct scoping of TA
• Working closely with the Program Manager on project evaluation and selection for TA, prepare TA Memos and present them to the Technical Assistance Committee for approval, including preparing for the Committee meetings and taking minutes.
• Responsible for the procurement of consultants for TA studies and for overseeing the commissioned TA studies; evaluate projects post TA for their impacts and investibility and hand over selected projects to the Investment Specialist or to other investors.
• Oversee the flow of projects in the pipeline of Canopy Trust, managing the data collection (reception of projects, upload into database, tracking, etc.) and the communication with project developers and project stakeholders
• Oversee and continuously improve the TA pipeline processes from sourcing projects to handing prepared projects for investment consideration.
• Provide numbers, results, analysis, and deliverables for regular as well as ad-hoc Communication, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a similar function, either with investment funds, international organisations, or NGOs; experience with similar financing facilities with pipeline building for climate actions and achieving other SDGs
• Experience working in or with the Central African region
• Knowledge and working experience in projects aiming directly or indirectly at deforestation mitigation
• A good understanding of business development and financial models for SMEs or infrastructure projects, in the context of emerging and developing countries.
• Deal sourcing experience and network in the region are a strong
• Experience working with stakeholders in the space of impact, blended-finance investment for climate targets would be a plus
• Experience with international standards, such as IFC Performance Standards, Gold Standard, IRIS+, and carbon credits would be a plus
• Soft skills and making good judgement with a large volume of projects within a limited time are some of the essential qualities required in this role
• Passionate about climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, reducing deforestation with a strong commitment towards a more sustainable world
• Team player, highly organized, flexible and experienced in working in a multicultural environment
• Taking initiatives and thinking out of the box to find solutions to challenges are needed on a daily basis.
• Strong skills with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, graphic design applications and AI
• Proficient English and French level in writing and
• Excellent writing, drafting and editing skills
• Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in environmental science, finance, economics, or international relations

The working station will be Geneva, Switzerland. The candidate is expected to already hold valid resident permit in Switzerland.