INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page.

GGGI has partnered with ICE to promote the development of district cooling solutions in San Jose. The ICE supplies electricity to 99.7% of the country and is a leading player in the decarbonisation of the economy. While most of ICE’s energy generation capacity is based on renewable energy generation assets, it still employs intensive, outdated and polluting cooling systems. In order to curb HFC emissions and promote energy efficiency, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has embarked on the development of Costa Rica National District Cooling Strategy, and mandated ICE with its implementation.

With finding from the KNGDF, GGGI will deliver demand-led technical assistance to the ICE to design and finance district cooling solutions for San Jose’s buildings, telecommunication and energy generation assets. The project will contribute to avoid the emission of 913,600 tCO2eq and reduce Costa Rica’s HFC emissions by 97.5% by 2030.

The Senior Associate, Energy will work under GGGI’s Regional Energy Lead and be primarily responsible for the coordination of tasks under the District Cooling project funded by the Korean Green New Deal Fund (KGNDF). The objective of the project is to design and structure the finance of district cooling solutions for San Jose’s buildings.

The Senior Associate, Energy will be based in San José and will work embedded in the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) offices. The Senior Associate, Energy will be responsible to coordinate: (i) the identification and design of technical solutions for district cooling, (ii) the development of policy recommendations to promote district cooling solutions; (iii) the design of business models for large-scale district cooling solutions; and (iv) the design of finance instruments to fund the designed solutions.

The Senior Associate, Energy will have technical guidance and input from GGGI Regional Energy Lead, the GGGI Regional investment officers and technical consultants.

PURPOSE

The Senior Associate, Energy will be the National Project Coordinator for the KGNDF-funded project District Cooling in San Jose, Costa Rica. S/he will work closely with the Project Manager and the rest of the project team to ensure successful project implementation. This will include assessment of the legislation, policies and regulation of district cooling solutions in Costa Rica, consolidating best practices and experiences of cooling solutions in the region, coordinating the engagement of project stakeholders, supporting GGGI technical staff and consultants in delivery of the technical designs, business models and finance instruments to implement district cooling solutions, participating in knowledge sharing programs, and coordinating inputs for monitoring and reporting. The individual shall engage with colleagues within GGGI and ICE staff to successfully achieve the project objectives.

ENGAGEMENT

The individual shall be responsible for coordinating local and regional stakeholders and GGGI team to deliver the activities for the project. S/he will also be the key interlocutor with ICE counterparts, implementing consultants and will actively participate in the workshops and training organized as part of the project.

DELIVERY

The general roles and responsibilities of the Senior Associate, Energy include:

• Support GGGI Regional Energy Lead / Project Manager in the planning and execution of the KGNDF-funded project in Costa Rica.
• Coordinate between the ICE staff, government officials, consultants, GGGI regional staff and other project stakeholders (like government officials and beneficiaries) to ensure optimal results achieved for the project.
• Assist in the development of policy recommendations to promote district cooling solutions in Costa Rica.
• Perform data gathering, background research, and analysis to assess the cooling solutions, demand and cost of in San Jose.
• Support the Regional Energy Lead on the development of technical, economic and environmental models to design solutions and develop the business models for district colling in San Jose.
• Conduct energy audits in selected end-users for district cooling solution.
• Coordinate the development of feasibility studies for selected solutions.
• Support in the consolidation, refinement and propagation of locally relevant cooling technologies and solutions.
• Support the regular monitoring and reporting of the project, both internally and to the donor.
• Prepare capacity building materials and deliver knowledge sharing workshops both internally and externally.
• Facilitate effective communication and cooperation across thematic areas and with country teams to enhance GGGI’s delivery.

REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: A bachelor degree in energy policy, technology, engineering, macro-economics, or other related fields.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of professional experience in the above fields with an emphasis on energy efficiency/ cooling solutions and project implementation. Specific experience in cooling systems highly desirable.
• Experience in coordinating relationships with government officials, industry groups and contractors to deliver timely and high-quality results.
• Understanding of energy access issues, energy policy, and regulatory frameworks in Costa Rica.
• Experience in data analysis, research, and application of quantitative/qualitative assessment desirable.
• Demonstrated understanding of green growth in the context of developing countries.
• Understanding of financing mechanisms for energy projects and experience in market assessments and cost/benefit analysis are a plus.
• Experience in Costa Rica context, preferably on policy consultation and project development, is a plus.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is a must.
• Must be a citizen or Costa Rica or have a valid work permit for Costa Rica

FUNCTIONAL

• Strong background in project finance, origination and development, and engaging with development partners in support of government climate change objectives;
• Strong understanding of global landscape of climate change policy and finance;
• Specialization in sustainable energy and related fields is a distinct advantage;
• Proven experience leading or supporting project delivery, i.e. managing/supporting the delivery of results on time and on budget;
• Strong command of utilizing Microsoft Excel, and other complex data management software is a plus;
• Excellent analytical skills, critical thinking ability, and data mining skills; and

CORPORATE

• Understand and actively supports GGGI’s mission, vision and values.
• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership.
• Excels at problem solving, ask questions and seeks support when needed, shares easily information and knowledge with others both internally as externally.
• Manage emotions and stress positively, builds rapport and resolves conflict easily.
• Strong ability to work independently and/or remotely, while maintaining productivity.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills; including public speaking.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Senior Associate is an X7 grade level in GGGI’s Costa Rica salary scale. Determination of base salary is subject to candidate’s experience, academic background, and internal equity. GGGI provides 15% of base salary towards retirement plan/long-term savings, days of annual leave, and private health insurance.

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

Date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Applications and CVs must be sent in English.