Nature-based Solutions Specialist, Water Program

This position can be based in either of these locations: Bogota, Colombia; Mexico City, Mexico; Washington DC.

Job Summary

The Cities4Forest team at WRI seeks a full-time Research Analyst specialized in nature-based solutions (NBS) to work towards mainstream NBS in infrastructure investment projects across Latin America and the Caribbean with opportunities to work in the United States as well. In this role, you will help lead WRI’s research and advisory work on NBS across LAC.
Anticipate work includes:

• Advising the water utilities of some of Latin America’s largest metropolitan areas (in Peru and Colombia, for example), helping them to understand, plan, and implement cost-effective and resilient NBS as a core water management strategy
• Working with national governments, subnational governments, hydropower companies, civil society, and research partners to plan and pilot NBS in Colombia and Costa Rica
• Supporting financial institutions such as the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to increase wise investment in NBS, by helping build their institutional capacity to prepare and appraise NBS as part of larger-scale infrastructure investment projects
• Contributing to economic and financial analysis of NBS investment opportunities and identifying opportunities to build the pipeline of NBS projects
• Convening key decision makers in dialogues about NBS to support knowledge exchange and increasing the level of ambition
• Possibility to assist on projects in the United States that are advancing innovative financing for NBS, and to help contextualize financial instruments that have worked in the United States to the Latin American context

While the team has already lined up several discrete projects for you to undertake, you will also help develop the Initiative’s regional strategy and source new opportunities to scale our impact. The successful candidate will have specialized knowledge in NBS for water and/or disaster risk management, and experience with how these projects are designed and implemented. Exemplary research and writing skills, an ability to communicate highly technical material to policy makers and other lay audiences, and an ability to cultivate and manage productive relationships with external partners are also key assets. You will work with the global Cities4Forests team of 25 staff across the world. You will report to the Senior Associate for Natural Infrastructure, and interface daily with the WRI-Global and international offices in the region. This is a 12-month position with a strong possibility for extension based on performance.

This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you can be based at WRI’s office in Washington, DC or the WRI Mexico Office or WRI Columbia office once restrictions have lifted.

Job Responsibilities

NBS Research and Advice (75%)

• Work with financial institutions, the public sector, private sector, utilities, donors, and civil society to develop strategies that support increased investment in NBS, and to prepare NBS projects for implementation
• Tap into a growing global network of cutting-edge NBS project developers to source ideas and guidance to inspire and enable successful NBS projects in LAC
• Develop new knowledge and recommendations on effective strategies for NBS design and implementation, on topics such as inclusive and effective community engagement in NBS projects, NBS operations and maintenance, integrating NBS into standard procedures, etc
• Engage and build the capacity of regional partners to adopt NBS at scale
• Introduce cities to new business models and financing approaches for NBS
• Conduct outreach and communications including presenting at internal/external meetings and conferences, co-authoring reports and blog posts, and other activities
• Design and support WRI roundtables, workshops, working groups or other convenings with key stakeholders

Fundraising and Operations (25%)

• Work with senior staff on the strategic development and management of work across region
• Develop relationships and manage multi-sector partnerships to produce project outcomes
• Support fundraising, including cultivating new project opportunities and prospective donors as well as preparing proposals
• Organize internal and external meetings, workshops, and other data gathering and research dissemination activities
• Liaise with internal staff and project stakeholders to problem solve and generate solutions to project implementation issues

Job Qualifications

• Master’s degree in environmental management, business, natural resource economics (or a Bachelor’s degree with 2 additional years of experience)
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant full-time work experience is required
• Prior experience in designing, evaluating, and/or implementing NBS in Latin America and/or the Caribbean
• Prior experience working with governments; ability to navigate pathways to influence public policy
• Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse teams of individuals and colleagues
• Strong written and oral communication skills, particularly when it comes to communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines while setting and delivering on clear priorities
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and demonstrated strong work ethic
• Flexibility to travel
• Fluency in English and Spanish required
• Legal ability to work in one of these countries without visa support

How to Apply:
Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. Only applications in English with Cover Letters will be considered. Specify in your cover letter if you are legally authorized to work in either Mexico, Colombia, and/or the United States. 

Program Overview

Over the past decade, WRI has been at the forefront of increasing investment in well-designed NBS for water security, disaster risk reduction, and climate and community resiliency. We have developed guidance on best practices for evaluating enabling conditions for NBS and appraising NBS projects. We have pioneered an economic method for analyzing NBS investment opportunities and applied it with utilities in several watersheds around the world including in Portland Maine, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Monterrey Mexico, Bogota, Colombia and other locations. We supported the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank in their NBS strategies. We have advanced the first green bond standard for water infrastructure and worked with a utility to issue the first-ever green bond for forest-based water infrastructure. And, we developed and piloted an multi-stakeholder finance platform, known as the Forest Resilience Bond, resulting in an unprecedented pipeline of blended finance NBS deals. Our Learning Guide on Social Equity Considerations supports cities to advance inclusive and equitable NBS projects. Our work with Caterpillar Foundation, Loreal, FEMSA, and Nestle have resulted in significant investment in watershed stewardship as well. The Cities4Forests program at WRI spearheads a voluntary coalition involving 60+ city’s mayors’ offices globally that are committed to implementing NBS. Cities4Forests members receive technical assistance and participate in peer-to-peer learning to advance NBS strategies in cities, nearby forests that supply cities water, and far-away forests important for climate change. Building on this progress, we now aim to scale up bankable NBS deals that leverage blended finance in the United States and globally through the Cities4Forests network.

WRI Overview

World Resources Institute  (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges , and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
 
We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa ,  Brazil , China  ,  Europe  ,  India  ,  Indonesia  ,  Mexico and the  United States as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.