Policy Support Officer, Geneve

About Finance for Peace

Finance for Peace is a multistakeholder initiative by Interpeace that seeks systemic change in how private and public investment supports peace in developing and fragile contexts. It aims to create networked approaches that can co-develop the market frameworks, standards, political support networks, partnerships and knowledge required to scale up Peace Finance – investments that intentionally seek to improve conditions for peace.

Finance for Peace brings together investors, industry, norm-setting entities, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), governments, peacebuilding and development actors, civil society and local communities to further peace-positive investments. By building/enabling the creation of a market for peace enhancing finance, it aims to reduce risks for both investors and communities and achieve outcomes that are bankable and advance peace. By identifying critical frameworks and developing standards and principles, as well as key knowledge and innovative solutions, the initiative will help to create true additionality to investors, as well as more inclusive development.

Working with partners, Finance for Peace seeks to create standards and guidance for peace finance; develop market intelligence and evidence for scaling peace finance, and actively influence policy and partnerships for peace finance.

Finance for Peace is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and builds on feasibility research supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) on a new sustainable investment category called peace bonds. Finance for Peace has been incubated by Interpeace.

For more information about the Finance for Peace initiative, please see our website:

Background rationale for the initiative

New solutions to finance peace and development in the world’s fragile and conflict-affected places are urgently needed. Some 1.9 billion people, almost a quarter of the world’s population and most of the world’s extreme poor, live in the world's 60 fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Because of growing conflict, instability, and violence none of these countries are on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainable development and peace ultimately require conflict-sensitive and peace-responsive private investment, but much investment cannot find its way to places of great need and opportunity because of risks related to peace, whether real or perceived. It is well known that greater investment is possible, the world’s financial resources of almost 300 trillion dollars dwarf the cost of achieving the SDGs.

Herein lies the problem: the peace actions that could reduce conflict and fragility risks and open these markets to greater investment are underfunded and poorly aligned. This is why we need to fundamentally rethink how peace and development is financed, and how private investment can become more conflict sensitive, reducing risks for both investors and communities.

While blended finance approaches have grown and have successfully catalysed significant private capital in developing countries, existing approaches largely do not focus on peace impact. Further, more work needs to be done to ensure blended approaches minimize not just risks to investors but also to communities in fragile and conflict affected settings.

The Finance for Peace initiative seeks to build on the global policy momentum across the major Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and private investors to scale up investment in the world’s fragile emerging markets, enabling the creation of a market for peace finance.

Position within Finance for Peace initiative and Interpeace

Finance for Peace is looking for a Policy Support Officer to support the initiative until December 31, 2024 . The successful candidate will work with the Finance for Peace team to support the development, coordination, and implementation of strategic partnerships and policy work, as well as strategic and stakeholder communications.

The role combines research, administrative and logistical work, as well as policy and multistakeholder engagement. The Policy Support Officer will liaise with external partners of the Finance for Peace initiative, including externally hired expert consultants, academics, private finance, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), government donors, civil society, the UN, peacebuilders and development actors. In this context, the Policy Support Officer will be tasked with providing timely support to ensure the implementation of strategic partnerships and the delivery of key policy engagement materially related to Peace Finance.

Within the Finance for Peace team, the Policy Support Officer will support the Strategic Relations and Policy Team as one out of three workstreams at Finance for Peace, and work closely with the Communications Advisor and the Policy Officer. However, the Policy Support Officer will work across and in-team with the other two workstreams to support the team with the duties outlined below. The Policy Support Officer will report to the Head of Partnerships.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Head of Partnerships, and working closely with the rest of the Finance for Peace team, she/he will be responsible for the following:

• Support with the coordination and communication of ongoing strategic partnerships and policy work with key internal and external stakeholders. This work will include drafting key communication pieces with careful attention and diplomacy depending on the recipient audience.
• Support the team in the coordination and delivery of ongoing project management activities, upcoming events in need of creative and content curation, as well as in the preparation of presentations, briefs and speaking engagements at conferences.
• Support the team in the preparation and delivery of key publications and shorter communication products (for example, briefs, marketing materials, learning materials, research reports).

Specifically, the support role outlined above will lead to following products:

• Policy, partnerships and communications support:
  • Roundtables and events organised by Finance for Peace (hybrid or in-person)
  • Networking and learning content related to the Peace Finance Industry Network (launch planned for Q2 2024)
  • Annual Peace Finance publication (Q4, 2024)
  • Annual Peace Finance networking event (Q4, 2024)
  • Communications products for internal use, website, and in-print delivery for external use/marketing
• Support with ongoing fundraising activities, including supporting grant proposal writing on peace finance with cross-section in climate change, food security and social development/diversity
• Administrative support (travel requests, procurement, research tasks on a needs basis)

Role requirements:

The successful candidate will have some experience in peacebuilding / international development / international relations / politics / finance / economics or a related field. She/he should have interest, natural curiosity and willingness to learn about topics related to (development) finance, investment and peacebuilding, with good desktop research skills.

Education

• Undergraduate or master’s level degree in international studies, development economics, finance, social or political science, or other relevant fields.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years of professional experience, ideally working in a field related to Peace Finance, e.g. private finance, development finance, peacebuilding, international development, or government donor environment.

Competencies

• Excellent organisational and project management skills
• Diplomatic stakeholder management skills with ability to switch tone to the needs of diverse cultural, thematic and technical audiences verbally and in written.
• Interest in knowledge of technical and political issues related to the Finance for Peace initiative, or ability to learn and adapt knowledge.
• Ability to interact with policymakers, researchers, practitioners, private sector and government representatives related to the initiative.
• Experience in grant proposal writing or report writing (desirable).
• Excellent interpersonal skills, proven ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work at a fast pace and to manage competing priorities in a small team with an innovative mission (start-up character).

Interpeace Competencies

• Collaboration and Weaving
• Communication
• Drive for results
• Adaptability and Continuous Learning
• Respect for Diversity

Success factors

• Fluent written and spoken English. Fluency in French or other languages is a plus.
• Ability to learn quickly and contribute to the ideation of new concepts
• Creative team player with a commitment to inclusiveness and consensus building.
• Political tact and a high adaptation capacity
• Entrepreneurial and adaptive mindset, ability to contribute to this growing, fast-paced initiative
• Commitment to the values of Interpeace, and to the mission of the initiative
• Outstanding communication skills with respect to a variety of stakeholders from very different backgrounds
• Emotional intelligence