Amazon Fund Associate

Programme Overview

UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) is a UK Government programme funded through International Climate Finance (ICF) that has been running since 2018. The programme’s overall objective is to alleviate poverty, working primarily through reducing greenhouse gas emissions. UK PACT is a flexible technical assistance (TA) programme that is designed to support ODA eligible countries to increase their future climate ambitions, reduce their emissions, and accelerate just transitions to clean growth. A key feature of UK PACT is that it aims to respond explicitly to partner government demand for capacity building interventions, and that it shares UK expertise (for example in areas such as climate legislation, green finance, and smart energy).

Location

The position can be based in Bogota, Colombia or Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Reporting Lines

This role will report to the Amazon Regional Fund Manager, UK PACT in close coordination with the Regional Grants Manager Latin America.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities

The Amazon Fund Associate will be a key regional member of the Palladium UK PACT team supporting management of day-to-day activities from project implementation and reporting to stakeholder engagement and context analysis to ensure overall programme success.

Specifically, the Amazon Fund Associate will:

Strategy Development and Engagement:

Support on continuous context analysis and assessment of local market capacity to identify the most appropriate avenues for interventions and pathways to climate change impact within each key strategic sectorSupport further demand scoping for UK PACT-funded projects in different countries of the Amazon Region (such as, but not exclusively: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), including stakeholder mapping and engagement, identification of complementary existing programmes (funded by the UK and other donors) to avoid programme duplication, and horizon scanning.

Stakeholder Relationships:

Support the UK PACT Amazon Regional Fund Manager in promoting UK PACT funding opportunities to potential implementing partners, project and programme outputs to intended beneficiaries, and broader UK engagement on low-carbon development where relevantWorking closely with the UK PACT Amazon Fund Manager, contribute to, and where appropriate lead the management of day-to-day interactions with local stakeholders, specifically supporting the relationships with project applicants and grant recipients/implementing partnersMaintain an excellent working relationship with local FCDO team at Post to collaboratively design and generate buy-in for the programme activities

Project Management: Identification, Selection and Design of Interventions:

Support the UK PACT Amazon Regional Fund Manager and PMU in coordination of grant funding windows and support market engagement to ensure the right local stakeholders are aware of, and well-placed to apply for, UK PACT funding opportunitiesContribute to the project screening and selection process, particularly regarding assessing deliverability and impact potential on the groundSupport the UK PACT Amazon Regional Fund Manager to oversee timely implementation of projects and regularly ensure the feedback of results, impacts and learning through quarterly reports to FCDO covering overall progress, progress against outputs, main activities and outputs for the next period, budget, spend and forecast, and risksSupport the UK PACT Amazon Regional Fund Manager and PMU to adhere to any local due diligence required from Implementing Partners and to support initial briefing to potential Implementation PartnersSupport defence against fraud, corruption and safeguarding risks, conducting spot checks and other processes to ensure FCDO grant funding is spent as intended and that Implementation Partners meet FCDO compliance requirementsSupport the UK PACT Amazon Regional Fund Manager in advising on the potential to extend, scale up or replicate successful projects, and work with successful Implementation Partners to do this with FCDO approval

Programme Reporting:

Support Implementing Partners on project reporting (technical, financial, results and risk), by reviewing and requesting additional information, where required, to ensure reporting meets FCDO requirementsSupport identification of country and project-specific risk management, working with FCDO in post and in the UK, the Team Leader and PMU

Key Competencies and Professional Experience Preferred:

Demonstrated Programme and grant management skills, with experience supporting the deliver and management of projects, grantees, or subcontracts (At least 3-4 years)Strong reporting skills with proven ability to contribute to client formal reporting and ad-hoc requestsStrong understanding of environmental/climate change/low GHG emission sectors in the Amazon region (in one or more countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru), in terms of policy landscape, local and regional relevant state and non-state actors in relation to climate change, and low-carbon economic developmentStrong knowledge and understanding of the local political economy and business operating context in the Amazon region (in one or more countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) (including socio-economic context and development challenges and prioritiesStrong organisational, inter-personal administration and communication skillsStrong financial management and administration skills, with the ability to review and quality assure the financial reports of projectsProfessional fluency in written and spoken English. Fluency in Spanish is desirable but not mandatory.Shows flexibility and ability to adapt to changing circumstancesHighly collaborative and committed to close working and open communication with colleagues in post and in the UK, and other UK PACT partnersCommitment to neutrality in all dealings with stakeholders, including political stakeholders, to build trusted relationships and ensure maximum effectiveness of the programme

Safeguarding

We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status. 
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.