Head of Partnership, Finance for Peace

About Finance for Peace 

Finance for Peace is a new independent initiative that seeks systemic change in how private and public investment supports peace in the world’s developing and fragile contexts. It aims to create multistakeholder approaches that can co-develop critical market frameworks, networks of political support, partnerships and knowledge required to scale Peace Finance – investment that achieves its economic purpose but is done in a way that has an intentional and positive impact on peace. Peace Finance seeks to reduce risks for both investors and communities and bring high levels of additionality. Finance for Peace has been incubated by Interpeace, an International Peacebuilding organisation that has worked on conflict resolution and peacebuilding throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America for over 27 years.

Since April 2022, the Finance for Peace Initiative has established a Peace Impact Lab and Peace Standards Lab to kickstart a process of harmonising metrics, norms, guidance and standards on how the private sector can positively impact peace in fragile and conflict-affected places. These are critical pillars of knowledge and guidance required to grow the market for peace finance in ways that are conflict-sensitive and potentially peace-responsive. The Initiative seeks to develop new partnerships, market intelligence, political and technical support across a diverse array of actors including DFIs, Donors, researchers, scholars, peacebuilding and civil society organizations, as well as the finance sector to develop supporting market infrastructure and knowledge to scale peace-responsive private sector activity.

The initiative has four proposed areas of activity: (1) Providing the Regulatory Enabling Environment for Peace Finance, (2) Providing Critical Market Intelligence for Peace Finance, (3) Developing Supportive Policy and Partnerships for Peace Finance, and (4) Develop research workstreams on Ukraine peace finance, digital verification, and mapping of sub-national risk premia.

The initiative will have a finance and investment industry orientation and seek to bridge the gap between the related parts of the finance sector, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, asset managers, Donors and foundations, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and other financial institutions, with peace and development actors, including practitioners, civil society, governments, and multilateral institutions. The Initiative will create new partnerships, market intelligence, political and technical support across a diverse array of actors to develop supporting market infrastructure and knowledge to scale peace-responsive investment activity globally.

The initiative 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.

For more information about Finance for Peace, please visit www.financeforpeace.org.

Background Rationale for the Initiative

Today, billions of people and most of the world’s extreme poor live in 57 conflict-affected countries. Because of conflict, instability and violence, none of these countries are on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Development requires investment, but investment requires peace. We know greater investment is possible: the world’s financial resources of almost USD 300 trillion dwarfs the cost of achieving the SDGs. Yet, investment cannot find its way to places of great need because of risks related to peace, whether real or perceived.

This leaves some of the world’s fastest growing markets and greatest investment opportunities untapped. And herein lies the problem: the peace actions that could open these markets for investments are underfunded and poorly aligned; blended finance approaches have promises, but do not currently focus on peace.

New approaches are needed: we need to fundamentally rethink how peace and development is financed and aligned. This is why the Finance for Peace initiative is currently working with partners from finance, government, and development institutions to create a market for peace enhanced finance which includes the world’s first peace bonds, but also all forms of finance that will help investors better align and embed what are called peace enhancing mechanisms into their investments.

We believe that peace, like climate, is a fundamental building block for economic growth and all other SDGs. Making this work is not easy, but the opportunity of getting it right is enormous: the market for green bonds has grown from zero to over one trillion dollars in 10 years. The objective of the Finance for Peace initiative is to facilitate a similar outcome for peace bonds. We believe that bringing finance and peace together could unlock immense untapped value for sustainable development and peace.

One way the initiative plans to do this is to set up a standards board to create standards for peace bonds so that the market is protected from the risks of “peacewashing”. Finance for Peace will also create an industry association to increase awareness, including by attending conferences, conducting research and training to help grow both the demand and supply sides of the market.

Position within the Finance for Peace initiative

This is an opportunity for a highly experienced professional to join a new initiative, dedicated to promoting the adoption and implementation of systemic change in how private and public investment supports peace in the world’s developing and fragile contexts.

The Head of Partnerships will work collaboratively with the rest of the Finance for Peace team to support the execution of the four key workstreams listed above, with a leading role in managing the activities within the third pillar – Developing Supportive Policy and Partnerships for peace finance. In this context, the Head of Partnerships will be tasked with developing and maintaining networks and partnerships with key stakeholders including DFI’s, investors, governments, NGOs and independent researchers as well as driving the creation and management of several multistakeholder engagement platforms. These include the Finance for Peace industry association, the Peace Finance Impact Framework consultation platform as well as the peacebuilding, development and civil society community platform. These multistakeholder consultation and engagement platforms seek to build financial sector buy-in, acceptance and provide networking and convening space to grow the practical knowledge critical to growing the nascent peace finance market.

The Head of Partnerships will report to the Executive Director of the Finance for Peace initiative once that position is filled in Q2/Q3 2023. It is envisaged the Finance for Peace initiative will be initially hosted by Interpeace, after which it will become a fully independent entity.

Duties and Responsibilities

Guided by the strategic direction defined by the Executive Director and under their general supervision, the Head of Partnerships develops and maintains key partnerships with key stakeholders relevant to the Finance for Peace initiative They are responsible for the development and execution of a partnership and engagement strategy including the development of a strategic targets program and working to develop relations with those targets as well as their integration into the overall vision of the initiative.

The Head of Partnerships coordinates closely with the Head of Standards and Market Intelligence, Policy Officers and Communications Adviser to ensure that coherent and strategic programme-wide partnership engagement is anchored in all aspects of the initiative’s implementation. The role-holder also heavily interacts with external stakeholders.

The Head of Partnerships will carry out the following duties and responsibilities:

• Develop the partnership and engagement strategy for Finance for Peace that ensures wide buy-in and engagement especially from the private finance sector, including and not limited to asset management firms, emerging market investment, fixed income firms, impact investing firms, family offices, sovereign wealth and pension funds. Also engage public investors, including Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), International Financing Institutions (IFIs), Vertical Climate Funds and other supranational institutions.
• As part of the strategy, develop a strategic targets list and build relationship for engaging the above actors in uptake of key research, frameworks, principles and guidance developed by the Finance for Peace initiative, especially including the Peace Finance Standards (PFS) and Peace Finance Impact Framework (PFIF) that is under co-development by existing finance, DFI and civil society actors.
• As part of the strategy develop metrics for partnership outreach and report regularly against them
• Lead the high-level stakeholder outreach and engagement to increase the buy-in for the mandate of the initiative and actively seek out new opportunities for partnerships.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for partners, addressing any questions or concerns they may have.
• Provide effective and inspiring leadership by being actively involved in all programs and services, developing a broad and deep knowledge of all programs of activities.
• Collaborate with other team members to develop marketing and communications plans to promote Finance for Peace and work with the Head of Communication to ensure that there are strong relationships with the media and external constituency groups including community, governmental, and private organizations and build momentum for the Finance for Peace Mission.
• Manage and cultivate existing relationships with funders to secure and expand recurring revenue streams.
• Translate and tailor key policy and research messages effectively to relevant stakeholders.
• Work with Policy Officers and the Executive Director to develop political attuned strategies for engaging government donors, DFIs, policy makers and UN entities.
• Represent the initiative at senior political and management levels, as well as DFI, donor and multilateral policy fora including participation in conferences, high-level meetings, etc. on issues related to Peace Finance, sustainable investment, impact investing and emerging / developing country development finance.
• Ensure consistent engagement with relevant actors to popularize and streamline the body of knowledge and practice produced by the initiative within their workstreams and institutions.
• Maintain partnership networks through coordination with the Communications Adviser to ensure coordinated communication with relevant investors, DFIs, governments, civil society and peacebuilding/development actors.
• Understand key policy, research and standard setting deliverables and their implications for different actors.
• Provide thought leadership to the Finance for Peace team on emerging opportunities and potential challenges within the international financial landscape.

• Monitor the implementation of and periodically adjust and/or review the strategy, overseeing the alignment with donor requirements and optimising resources to achieve the strategic targets.
• Develops key performance indicators to track the successful implementation of the strategy and to measure its impact.

Qualifications 

Candidates with relevant qualifications, experience, and fluency in English are invited to apply. Relevant experience and qualifications may include:

Education

• Advanced degree in development economics, finance, business, marketing, international affairs, political science, or other relevant fields.

Experience

• At least 7 years of professional experience in the financial sector, whether in commercial market investment, impact or sustainable investment and or development finance institution or innovative finance.
• Multi-disciplinary experience working in external partnerships roles in at least one, or some combination of, private finance, a financial system norm-setting entity, a Development Finance Institution, development or government donor environment.
• Familiarity with technical and political issues associated with sustainable finance, SDG, ESG investing, impact investing, blended finance, and donor policies in development.

Competencies

• Results-driven and ability to tailor communication to distinct stakeholders with tact and political acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and lead highly collaborative, co-creative practices internally and in external partnerships.
• Practical experience building networks of practise and support.
• Ability to effectively navigate multi-cultural and complex organisations.
• Excellent social and inter-cultural skills, outstanding communication skills to a variety of stakeholders from very different backgrounds.
• Strong existing professional network of some combination of private and public investors, the finance sector, DFIs, Governments, Multilateral banks and international organisations.
• Relevant domain knowledge of technical and political issues related to the Finance for Peace Initiative, or ability to quickly learn and adapt knowledge to effectively communicate key concepts of the initiative.
• Excellent spoken and written English, with French as an advantage.

Assets/desired

• Strong track-record of partnership and network building skills.
• Experience working in or on conflict-affected contexts and understanding of emerging market finance and investment as well as development finance.

Success factors

• Ability to communicate and understand strategic needs of different audiences.
• Commitment to the mission of the Finance for Peace initiative to positively change how private investment can build peace, and to the values and working principles of Interpeace.
• Creative team player with a commitment to inclusiveness and consensus-building.
• Political tact and a high adaptation capacity.
• Interpeace Competencies
• Collaboration and Weaving
• Communication
• Drive for results
• Adaptability and Continuous Learning
• Respect for Diversity

How to Apply

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their application no later than 29 March 2023, via the following link: Head of Partnership, Finance for Peace