Mongolia: Program Lead
GGGI has a unique in-country presence and serves as an independent, trusted advisor and strategic development partner embedded within Member and partner governments. This distinctive positioning enables GGGI to facilitate the transition to green growth by providing policy advice and technical assistance in the development of green growth strategies, policies and regulations, mobilizing green investments, implementing transformational projects, and strengthening institutional capacities at the subnational, national, and regional levels.
In Mongolia, GGGI works closely with the Government of Mongolia and a wide range of development partners to advance the country's green growth and climate objectives. The Mongolia Country Program leads the implementation of GGGI's country program and serves as the primary point of engagement with government institutions, development partners, financing institutions, and private sector stakeholders. The Country Program identifies and develops new program opportunities, mobilizes investments and resources, and ensures the effective delivery of GGGI's technical assistance.
As GGGI's portfolio in Mongolia continues to grow in scale and complexity, the Program Lead provides the strategic leadership required to strengthen partnerships, drive program growth, oversee organizational performance, and maximize GGGI's long-term impact in the country.
POSITION SUMMARY
Based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the Program Lead provides strategic leadership and overall management of GGGI's Mongolia country program. As GGGI's lead in Mongolia, the incumbent leads the development and implementation of the country program, cultivates and maintains strategic partnerships, mobilizes resources and investments, and ensures the effective delivery of high-quality programs and operations while upholding the institutional reputation and integrity of the Mongolia Country Program.
The Program Lead is accountable for advancing GGGI's strategic objectives in Mongolia through effective leadership, stakeholder engagement, project development, and organizational management. The position serves as GGGI's primary point of engagement with the Government of Mongolia, development partners, donors, and other key stakeholders.
PURPOSE
Lead GGGI's engagement and operations in Mongolia by providing strategic direction for the country program, identifying and developing new partnership and investment opportunities, and ensuring that GGGI's interventions effectively support national green growth and climate priorities. The Program Lead is responsible for delivering a high-impact country portfolio, driving program growth and resource and investment mobilization, and managing complex institutional relationships while ensuring alignment with GGGI's corporate strategy and operational standards.
Strategic Leadership and Country Program Direction
- Provide overall strategic leadership of the Mongolia Country Program, ensuring alignment of country program priorities with GGGI's Global Strategic Plan, Mongolia's national green growth agenda, and relevant international frameworks including the NDC, Paris Agreement, and Sustainable Development Goals.
- Develop and periodically review the Country Planning Framework in consultation with the Government of Mongolia and GGGI headquarters.
- Position GGGI as a credible, value-adding partner in Mongolia's green economy transition.
- Provide technical and strategic guidance across all the Country Program workstreams.
Government Relations and Stakeholder Coordination
- Serve as GGGI's primary focal point with the Government of Mongolia, including the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Energy, and other relevant line ministries and agencies.
- Maintain and strengthen the institutional relationship between GGGI and Mongolia under the Host Country Agreement (HCA), including leading HCA approval and renewals, amendments, and compliance.
- Represent GGGI in high level national and international events.
- Lead coordination with development partners, UN agencies, international financial institutions, and bilateral donors active in Mongolia.
Program Management and Delivery
- Oversee the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all active projects, ensuring timely delivery of outputs, outcomes, and milestones.
- Provide leadership on flagship programs.
- Ensure compliance with GGGI's project management standards, donor requirements, and applicable financial regulations.
- Supervise the preparation of high quality donor reports, policy briefs, technical deliverables, and publications.
- Apply adaptive management practices, adjusting workplans and resource allocation in response to evolving program contexts and risks.
- In particular, the Program Lead will need to lead a project focused on mitigating climate change and improving air quality in Ulaanbaatar by transitioning high-emission, coal-fired Heat-Only Boilers (HOBs) to cleaner fuel alternatives like LPG. He/She will work with subject matter experts in HQ and other country offices to implement the project.
Investment and Resource Mobilization
- Lead resource mobilization efforts for the Country Program, identifying, developing, and pursuing new funding opportunities from bilateral donors, multilateral climate funds, and other sources.
- Develop and submit project concept notes, full proposals, and funding applications in collaboration with technical staffs and GGGI headquarters.
- Support the Government of Mongolia in accessing international climate and green growth finance, including building national capacity for fund application and management.
Team Leadership and Organizational Management
- Lead, manage, and develop the Country Program team, including national and international staff, and consultants, fostering a high performance, collaborative, inclusive and respective work environment.
- Oversee the Country Program operational and administrative functions including procurement, HR, financial management, and office administration, in compliance with GGGI's corporate policies.
- Ensure sound financial stewardship of the Country Program budget, including budget planning, expenditure monitoring, and regular financial reporting to GGGI headquarters.
- Champion GGGI's institutional values – Integrity, Transformational, Inclusive, Boldness, and Excellence within and beyond the Country Program.
ENGAGEMENT
- Serve as GGGI's Program Lead in Mongolia, building and maintaining trusted relationships with Government of Mongolia counterparts, development partners, donors, and GGGI headquarters, and other key stakeholders.
- Foster strategic partnerships, represent GGGI in high-level dialogues and external forums, negotiate collaborative initiatives, and coordinate closely with GGGI headquarters and regional teams to ensure alignment, knowledge sharing, and effective program delivery.
DELIVERY
- Provide overall leadership and oversight of the Mongolia Country Program to ensure the effective planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of programs and projects.
- Lead project development, investment and resource mobilization efforts to expand GGGI's country portfolio.
- Ensure sound financial and operational management, compliance with organizational policies and donor requirements, effective risk management, and the timely achievement of program objectives while fostering a high performing and collaborative country team.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Master's degree or higher in environmental policy, economics, international development, public policy, sustainable energy, climate science, or a related field.
Experience
- Minimum 9 years of progressively responsible professional experience in program management, green growth, climate change, sustainable development, or related fields, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role.
- Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing complex development programs or portfolios.
- Proven experience working with senior government officials, development partners, international organizations, and private sector stakeholders.
- Strong track record in project development, investment and resource mobilization, and partnership building.
- Experience managing donor funded programs and ensuring compliance with institutional and fiduciary requirements.
- Experience representing an international organization or development institution is highly desirable.
- Previous experience in Mongolia and strong understanding of the country's legal, institutional, policy, and development landscape are essential.
Languages
Full professional proficiency in Mongolian (native) and English, including the ability to develop high quality technical and policy documents and to represent GGGI in formal settings in both languages.
FUNCTIONAL
- The following competencies reflect the substantive knowledge and technical capabilities required for this position:
- Demonstrated strategic leadership and program management capabilities.
- Strong understanding of climate change, green growth, sustainable development, and investment ecosystems.
- Proven ability to identify strategic opportunities and translate them into impactful programs and investment initiatives.
- Strong stakeholder engagement, negotiation, diplomacy, and partnership building skills.
- Experience mobilizing financial resources from bilateral, multilateral, climate finance, philanthropic, and private sector sources.
- Strong analytical, policy advisory, and problem solving capabilities.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and report writing skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, work under pressure, and deliver high quality results within deadlines.
- Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and fostering innovation is desirable.
CORPORATE
- The successful candidate should demonstrate GGGI's core competencies by:
- Acting with integrity, transparency, and accountability in all professional activities.
- Promoting collaboration, respect, and inclusion across diverse teams and stakeholders.
- Delivering results with professionalism, ownership, and a strong client service orientation.
- Building trust through effective communication, partnership, and stakeholder engagement.
- Leading people through coaching, empowerment, and continuous development.
- Demonstrating strategic thinking, innovation, and sound judgment in decision-making.
- Managing public and donor resources responsibly while ensuring compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
- Championing GGGI's mission, values, and reputation both internally and externally.
WORKING CONDITIONS
This position is a G10 grade level in GGGI’s National 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, 27 days of annual leave, and private health insurance that covers dental and vision. 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.
ONLY APPLICATIONS IN ENGLISH WILL BE EVALUATED
