Head of Green Finance & Investment

Job description

This position is based in our WRI Rwanda office in Kigali. This will be a 1 year contract with the possibility of renewal. About the Program: This position is jointly supported by WRI’s Climate, Economics and Finance (CEF) and Restore Local Programs. Rwanda’s Country Platform serves as a coordination and investment mechanism to align public, private, and development finance around the country’s climate, restoration, and green growth priorities. By bringing together government, investors, development partners, and implementing organizations, the Platform aims to accelerate the development and financing of high-impact initiatives that support sustainable economic growth, climate resilience, and landscape restoration. Restoring Africa’s landscapes requires a comprehensive approach that addresses every aspect of the restoration journey. WRI Africa’s blueprint outlines four essential areas of focus: 1. Develop Capacity: To ensure they are ready to receive funding and deliver impact, Restore Local provides targeted training and builds the capacity of restoration champions. 2. Deploy Finance: Through innovative financing mechanisms that blend public, private, and philanthropic capital, Restore Local directly funds champions who restore vitality to the land. Through its TerraFund program alone, it has made $17 million in investments to date. 3. Secure Policy: Restore Local supports government institutions in creating plans and policies that fund and monitor restoration. It connects policymakers with each other and with technical experts through programs such as the Landscape Policy Accelerator. 4. Monitor, Report, Verify, Learn: Through the TerraMatch platform, which combines cutting-edge geospatial data with on-the ground verification, Restore Local enables restoration champions to share the impact of their work with their community, peers and investors. Job Highlight: As the Head of Green Finance & Investment, you will play a strategic role in advancing Rwanda’s climate and green growth agenda by translating priority initiatives into investment-ready opportunities and mobilizing capital for high-impact solutions. This position provides an opportunity to shape Rwanda’s emerging climate finance landscape by connecting government priorities, development finance, private capital, and innovative financing approaches to accelerate investments in restoration, climate resilience, and sustainable growth. You will strengthen WRI’s capacity to engage with government institutions, development finance institutions, commercial investors, philanthropic organizations, multilateral funds, and private sector actors to develop financing solutions and investment opportunities that support Rwanda’s climate and sustainable development priorities. You will report to the Climate, Economics, and Finance (CEF) Program Director, WRI Africa with a dotted reporting line to the Senior Director, Restoration Finance. You will work closely with the Rwanda Country Representative, VIA Foundation, Rwanda Green Fund (RGF/FONERWA), and relevant WRI Africa and Global teams. What you will do: Country Platform for Climate and Development (50%) Support finance and investment components of Rwanda’s Country Platform by advancing investment readiness, project preparation, and capital mobilization for climate resilience, restoration, and green growth priorities. Provide strategic advice to the government on ways to develop their policy and finance response to climate change. Facilitate collaboration among public, private, and development finance stakeholders to identify, structure, and advance investment opportunities. Develop and strengthen a pipeline of bankable projects and programs, supporting financial structuring, investor engagement, and transaction advancement. Provide technical expertise on project finance, financial analysis, investment structuring, and capital mobilization to enhance investment readiness. Design and advance blended finance and catalytic financing approaches that unlock public and private investment. Conduct and coordinate financial, commercial, and investment analysis to assess opportunities, risks, and financing pathways. Support resource mobilization efforts through the development of investment concepts, financing strategies, proposals, and investor-facing materials. Represent WRI in relevant investment, finance, and stakeholder coordination forums, advancing partnerships and financing opportunities. Collaborate across WRI’s restoration, cities, food, and finance portfolios to develop integrated investment solutions. Outcome Buyer Engagement and Outcome-Based Finance Development – Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin (LKR) (50%) Lead the identification, mapping, prioritization, and engagement of potential outcome buyers, outcome payers, and strategic financing partners across the LKR landscape. Develop and implement outcome buyer engagement and partnership strategies aligned with Restore Local’s Outcome-Based Finance approach. Coordinate the preparation of landscape investment cases, financing propositions, communication materials, and tailored engagement strategies for investors and financing partners. Advance outcome-based financing opportunities and transactions by coordinating engagements with restoration champions, VIA Foundation, outcome buyers, financing partners, and relevant WRI teams. Contribute to the structuring and negotiation of outcome purchase agreements and related financing arrangements. Collaborate with WRI teams and strategic partners to strengthen enabling conditions for restoration finance, including measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems. Identify opportunities to scale successful financing models across Rwanda and relevant landscapes. What you will need: Education : You have a completed master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Investment Management, Development Finance, Public Policy, or related field Experience: You have 8+ years of relevant professional experience in project finance, investment structuring, transaction advisory, sustainable finance, development finance, or capital mobilization. Experience providing thought leadership at a strategic and programmatic level, including convening stakeholders around a movement. Experience in deal structuring, financial advisory, blended finance transactions, investment management, or private sector investment, including transaction structuring and execution with proven ability in capital mobilization and investor engagement across public and private capital providers. Experience building and managing relationships with government counterparts, development finance institutions (DFIs), commercial banks, impact investors, private equity funds, climate funds, philanthropic capital providers, and/or advisory firms in Rwanda or comparable emerging markets in Africa. Track record in advanced financial modeling, investment proposal or business case development, investment analysis and valuation, capital raising, and deal origination, structuring, and execution with a focus on climate, sustainability, or restoration. Experience in preparing and presenting of investment memos, financial models, and investor-facing materials. Experience operating effectively in multidisciplinary teams, bridging finance, policy, technical, and implementation perspectives. Familiarity with nature-based solutions, restoration, climate finance, sustainable agriculture, adaptation or green growth investment themes is desirable. Languages : You are proficient in written and spoken English; French and Kinyarwanda are desirable. Potential Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors. How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a cover letter by 18 September 2026 . Internal applicants should submit their application through the Jobs Hub portal in Workday. External applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of applications from qualified candidates. What we offer: 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: World Resources Institute works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyse change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations. 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: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership and Care. Our culture: WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status. Our People team carefully reviews all applications.