This position is Hybrid or remote based in Kigali, Rwanda. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

WRI is spearheading the African Cities Climate Resilience (ACCR) Program, a major initiative to build urban resilience in African cities by promoting the use of nature-based solutions (NBS). The ACCR Program will work with 5+ African cities to reduce climate-induced heat and water risks and shocks, boost social equality, and protect biodiversity by improving the health and coverage of ecosystems that provide resilience benefits to communities.
We provide:
1. Customized technical assistance and capacity building to city leaders and partners, for example including:
o NBS opportunity identification and planning, utilizing cutting-edge geospatial analysis and technical feasibility analytic approaches;
o Gender, social inclusion and equity plans to maximize the benefits of NBS projects to vulnerable and marginalized communities;
o Spearheading multisector partnerships that engage city leadership, civil society, business, government, communities, and researchers to move on large-scale NBS opportunities;
o Business case development and financial strategies to unlock investment in NBS;
o Plans to institutionalize NBS in city planning and development, including development of policy agendas, and the improvement of relevant regulations and incentives.
2. Proof of concept implementation projects, orchestrating and managing NBS implementation projects at the community and basin level in priority cities and attracting scaled finance for city-wide NBS deployment.
3. Regional peer learning, capacity building, and trends analysis to set enabling conditions in place and to prime a pipeline of NBS investment projects that utilize resilient NBS and green-gray infrastructure.
4. A regional workgroup of funds, facilities, and financial institutions that are keen to support and invest in NBS and green-gray infrastructure. We facilitate dialogue on NBS across projects and investors, and work to scale up resources for the ACCR cohort of projects. We currently partner with cities in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Africa, as well as cities in DRC, ROC, Burundi, and Ghana. – Cities4Forests is an alliance of 95 cities, representing more than 297 million residents, acting to conserve, restore and sustainably manage nature for human well-being. Cities4Forests supports local champions to influence policy, prepare projects, and unlock finance for nature across the world. The initiative has developed world-class guidance on NBS project preparation, social equity plans, and financial analysis approaches, and has piloted new financing models and institutional structures to advance NBS on the ground. It runs NBS project accelerators in three world regions.
The WRI Urban Water Resilience initiative works with city stakeholders to help address their water risks and vulnerabilities through research, technical assistance, and capacity building to undertake strategic planning, identify place-based interventions, and secure funding and financing resources to implement solutions. It champions the Africa Cities Water Adaptation Platform (ACWA Platform), a partnership of 25 organizations dedicated to supporting cities to achieve water resilience. Together, these initiatives and teams bring ample experience in creating accessible, equitable, healthy, and resilient urban areas for people, businesses, and the environment. We work with governments, financial institutions, and civil society to ensure a climate-resilient future by harnessing the multiple benefits nature provides in and around cities.

Job Highlight:

The Climate Resilient Cities Associate will primarily support the Africa Climate Resilient Cities program in Rwanda. Currently, the CRC Associate will focus on coordinating the implementation of the 2 years project on Scaling Urban NBS for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) in Kigali City and will support the Head of the cities program in the coordination of a 5-year Resilient and Equitable Cities program and other engagement work underway in Rwanda. The CRC Associate will work with city stakeholders and WRI Head of cities program to scope technical assistance, identify, and prioritize activities that will lead to investment and implementation on the ground. The CRC Associate will support the Head of cities program in stakeholder’s management and partner’s engagements. This will also include providing support for the operationalization of the African Cities Water Adaptation Platform (ACWA Platform).

What will you do:

Project Management and Coordination (60% of time):

• Monitor the delivery of planned project components, outputs, and activities to ensure that they adequately address identified climate vulnerabilities and barriers, and lead to the achievement of expected results;
• Provide technical advice when required;
• Develop progress reports to the donor on the scope of activities included in the project work plan;
• Ensure integration of gender mainstreaming in project activities and social and environmental safeguards throughout the proposal;
• Participate in the day-to-day coordination of the project, ensuring the timely and successful delivery of all project deliverables;
• Management the partnerships with local partners for the implementation of project activities in Rwanda;
• Advise and support the communication team in the updating and ongoing maintenance of the Urban Water Resilience and Cities4Forest communications materials;
• Prepare and monitor the signing of agreements with implementing partners for project implementation;
• Organize and participate in face-to-face consultations workshops with key stakeholders to share and collect information and ensure alignment between project activities and local needs;
• Manage Stakeholder relations management and engagement;
• Support the program and project management of existing Cities4Forest and UWR initiatives underway in Rwanda;
• Support the management of the ACWA Platform, as and when required.
• Develop new knowledge products and recommendations on effective strategies for enhancing NBS design and implementation, operations and maintenance, and monitoring;
• Provide input for the baseline assessment on the state of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) integration into urban planning in the city, including an estimation of the feasibility of NBS integration into urban planning and development processes;
• NBS and water resilience opportunity identification and planning;
• Collaborate with UWR and Cities4Forest team to prepare the different funding; requests required to mobilize funding for project proposal development;
• Support business case development and financial strategies to unlock investment in NBS;
• Provide technical inputs to working documents, studies and technical reports as required in the framework of different project activities;
• Support fundraising, including cultivating new project opportunities and prospective donors as well as preparing proposals;
• Liaise with internal staff and project stakeholders to solve problems and generate solutions to project implementation issues;
• Support the preparation of progress reports in compliance with relevant guidelines, including (but not limited to) periodic status/progress reports, annual project performance reports including monitoring of project: Performance Management Framework; Financial data; Risk’s assessment; Project indicators; Lessons learned; Project Results;
• Support the documentation of lessons learned from the project and provide recommendations;
• Support the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) experts in developing and implementing a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system.

Relationship Management, Diplomacy, and Strategic Planning (40% of time):

• Attend stakeholder meetings, present the program/project on behalf of WRI at various in city events like focus groups meetings, assessment workshops, visioning workshops, action plan launch event; in coordination with the head of the cities program;
• Support the head of cities program in responding to local partner’s queries, advise on contextually relevant matters;
• Coordinate with the head of cities program to strategically promote and elevate city champions in collaboration with WRIs communications and engagement lead to support messaging for the city work;
• Ensure compliance with WRI Africa policies and protocols for events including travel policies, logistics, venues, out of pocket expenses, etc.;
• Support the head of cities program to identify key funding and financing strategies that will enable action on the ground and to inform a national strategy to finance and fund climate resilience;
• Coordinate next steps with the head of cities program to design and implement network exchange programs between cities that support peer to peer learning on common challenges identified in cities;
• Work closely with the head of the cities program, the Cities focal points and the local partners to support securing commitments for the action plans from cities’ stakeholders and leadership and identify priority climate resilience actions;
• Guide the local partner in identifying, scoping, managing, and implementing discrete technical assistance to support cities in advancing action on high priority climate resilience initiatives for the city.

What will you need:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, water resources management, climate resilience, natural resources management or closely related fields.
• Experience: You have 7 years of relevant, full-time work experience in urban development or planning, Natural resource management either in a project implementation or research capacity.
• At least 5 years of working experience in Rwanda for national or local institutions and/or government.
• Subject matter knowledge of urban development policy or professional experience at an urban planning and urban development policy institution/research organization. Experience in designing hard and soft landscape strategies to address water related risks including flooding, pollution, siltation, landslides as well as recharge and restoration solutions for degraded aquifers, water bodies and watersheds is desired.
• Demonstrated track record of accomplishments in advancing integrated urban planning, sustainable cities, and climate resilience etc.
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams including water, energy, landscape, environment, transport, and engineering disciplines.
• Demonstrated previous experience on research, coordinating/leading original projects, programs, and urban planning activities.
• Experience with strategic planning processes, and knowledge of land use planning, zoning, and building regulations with a focus on water related matters. Experience in problem solving, consensus building, and lateral thinking would be key.
• Prior experience working with city or national governments; ability to navigate pathways to influence public policy for urban climate resilience.
• Experience communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Able to work independently and teams including contribution to team discussions
• Full fluency in Englishrequired
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize work visa.

Potential Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of October 16, 2023. You mustapply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary.
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work.
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI.
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure.

About Us:

Founded in 1982, 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 to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

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.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

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. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.