The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) is a coalition of leading financial institutions committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of the global economy. Its mission is to use the levers of finance and investment to help companies and countries manage an orderly and fair transition to a net zero world. GFANZ’s members currently include over 450 financial firms with combined balance sheets of over $130 trillion across 45 countries. Members join GFANZ through sector-specific alliances that are part of the Race to Zero. They use science-based guidelines to achieve net-zero emissions, covering all emission scopes, include 2030 interim targets, and commit to public reporting and accounting.  GFANZ is committed to broadening, deepening and raising net-zero ambitions across the financial system and demonstrating firms’ collective commitments to supporting companies and countries to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Learn more about GFANZ at www.gfanzero.com.

The role:

GFANZ plans to establish a regional network on the African continent that will help bring a region-level lens to the opportunities and challenges associated with financial sector decarbonisation. The network will initially focus on three key areas: knowledge sharing & engagement, recruitment, and implementation. GFANZ has committed to help finance the transition of emerging markets and developing countries – and has a high-priority workstream dedicated to this. For GFANZ to meet its goals of accelerating the global transition to a net-zero economy, it is imperative that there be a robust presence across all regions of the world. The GFANZ Africa director will be based in Africa, with the precise location depending partly on the successful candidate. The postholder must have the right to live and work in the continent. The role will require some travel, both within Africa and globally.

In addition to the three key focus areas for the network of knowledge sharing & engagement, recruitment, and implementation, the Director will also work closely with the rest of the GFANZ Secretariat and the UN High Level Champions team to drive forward their shared objectives in the region, including but not limited to:

1. Mobilisation and policy engagement: Facilitate engagement between government leaders, corporates, private finance, and development finance institutions with the objective of increasing private capital flows and transactions to climate-aligned investments, particularly around GFANZ catalytic initiatives active in Africa (e.g., CFLI, FASTInfra, and GEAPP). Support the domestic, regional, and international work to develop net-zero aligned public policy and new financial architecture (such as country platforms) to fund the continent’s transition to net zero.  

2.COP27 Preparation: Working with the Climate Champions and the rest of the GFANZ Secretariat, define and drive the Africa-specific finance objectives to support a successful COP27; and help to develop region-specific programming around GFANZ priority themes.

The Director will be a senior member of the global GFANZ Secretariat, working for the GFANZ leadership team, and will be expected to participate in and support major GFANZ activities and events. The GFANZ Leadership team is comprised of UN Special Envoys Mark Carney and Mike Bloomberg, UN High Level Climate Champion Nigel Topping and GFANZ Vice Chair Mary Schapiro, who oversees the global secretariat.

We’ll trust you to:

• Serve as the lead and primary project director for the Regional Network and as a point of connection between GFANZ/the UN Race to Zero and regional industry leaders and policymakers including from the official, finance, scientific and climate communities.
• Develop connections with key regional stakeholders and operate in an inclusive manner to help drive the creation of programming that engages all relevant actors for your given region and sub-regions, as an on-the-ground ambassador for GFANZ in the region.
• Provide thought leadership that enables relevant audiences to understand the benefits of GFANZ membership and transitioning to net zero
• Represent GFANZ in speaking engagements and drive presence in key regional conferences
• Serve as ultimately responsible for ensuring Regional Network activities and work product are of high quality
• Work with the rest of the global GFANZ Secretariat and membership to provide updates on key Network initiatives and feedback on net zero implementation challenges and opportunities
• Develop and coordinate programming and trainings with regional financial sector stakeholders to provide information and support on GFANZ goals and to engage on challenges to uptake.
• Manage the creation of resources and/or translation of existing resources that drive engagement and implementation efforts
• Work closely with key stakeholders and partners, such as the UN High Level Champions, UNEP FI, the alliances and networks within GFANZ, and the other Directors of GFANZ Regional Networks to ensure activities, work products, and goals are cross-complementary and maximise the impact of GFANZ’s overall work programme
• Ensure work product and Regional Network activities incorporate the perspectives of the diverse types of financial institutions that are part of GFANZ

You’ll need to have:

• 15+ years’ experience* working in financial services, public policy and climate/environmental subject areas with a proven understanding of the financial services value chain

* Please note we use years of experience as a guide, but we certainly will consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary for the role


• A strong regional network, understanding of key stakeholders and the structure of the region’s financial services sector
• Strong collaborator who understands the complexity of engaging multiple audiences and navigating their diverse interests and goals
• Excellent organisational abilities and can lead multiple pieces of work in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment
• The ability to balance immediate and long-term priorities, and proven ability manage organisational workload to ensure team delivers high-quality outputs to time
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, and strong negotiation and consensus building skills; ability to connect and work closely with financial institution practitioners, official sector, academics, and civil society
• Outstanding analytical abilities, with proven ability to synthesise large amounts of information into clear impactful writing – both for short memos and longer-form reports
• Graduated with a Bachelor's degree, preferably with a focus or concentration in finance, sustainability, or a related field

Does this sound like you?

Apply if you think we're a good match. We'll get in touch to let you know what the next steps are.

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