Program Director Bangladesh

Program Director Bangladesh job ad

Program Director Bangladesh

Tara Climate Foundation is a philanthropic climate foundation dedicated to fostering a future where Asia’s unwavering commitment to climate action paves the way for just, thriving and resilient societies. Tara operates in East, Southeast and South Asia, excluding India and China.

Our mission is to support a diverse group of partners in accelerating Asia’s energy transformation and championing climate action. Tara plays three main roles in the region:

• Grantmaker: Tara works closely with mission-aligned foundations and philanthropists to pool resources and grant funds to organisations working to accelerate Asia’s energy transition and climate action (excluding China and India).
• Convenor: Tara cultivates networks that facilitate the exchange of ideas between business, civil society, and government throughout and beyond Asia.
• Local and regional expert: With strong networks spanning civil society, businesses and government, Tara funds thorough research and analysis to address knowledge gaps, stay abreast of emerging trends, and craft evidence-based strategies to advance our mission.

Despite heightened global focus on climate issues, philanthropic giving toward climate change initiatives remains disproportionately low, constituting just 2% of worldwide philanthropic giving, with an even smaller percentage allocated to Asia. In response to this challenge, in 2021 Tara established its headquarters in Singapore and has experienced significant growth, expanding our funding base to include more than a dozen philanthropic foundations. Currently, we provide grants to over 300 organisations operating across 13 countries and jurisdictions in the Asia region. Our team of over 50 experts is spread across the Asia-Pacific region, working to combat climate change in this decisive decade.

The Program Director Bangladesh has overall responsibility and leadership of the country program, including developing and implementing program strategy, representation, convening and networking to drive systemic change and strengthen the national partner ecosystem. The Program Director Bangladesh is also responsible for partnerships and grants management and has an excellent understanding of the politics as well as economics of energy transition in the country, with experience working with government agencies, corporates, NGOs and think tanks.

The Program Director, Bangladesh, will engage in the following key responsibilities:

Program Strategy

Lead the development of national long-term program strategy and annual objectives aligned with Tara’s organizational goals, consulting with team and partners. Ensure a multi-faceted strategy with continuous evaluation. Develop resource requirements, budget plans, forecasts, and reviews for Bangladesh. Report quarterly on progress and annually on achievements, impact, and lessons learned. Contribute to the foundation’s overall regional strategy and goals.

Partnership & Coordination

Identify, assess, and onboard new grantmaking partners aligned with program strategy. Proactively develop a trust-based ecosystem of diverse partners (regional stakeholders, think tanks, CSOs, foundations, governments, business associations) encouraging collaboration. Regularly assess partners’ program and operational capacities and strategically support their organizational development. Coordinate with internal Tara team members for organizational and regional alignment.

Representation & Networking

Establish and maintain high-level relationships with key stakeholders (funders, civil society, business, government) to advance program objectives. Represent Tara nationally to various partners. Represent the national program at international and regional forums as requested.

Grantmaking

Develop and deliver a substantial national grant portfolio across key climate mitigation sectors. Guide and advise grantees to ensure objective and results achievement. Monitor grantee deliverables and provide general oversight. Advise operations on legal/operational/risk requirements for grantmaking and senior management on significant risks and mitigations.

Convening & Collaboration

Organize and lead convenings of national partners and stakeholders to enhance strategy, learning, and impact, fostering community and trust. Lead coordination among national and regional partners to achieve outcomes greater than individual efforts. Collaborate effectively with Tara regional thematic and program support specialists.

Expertise & Knowledge

Use knowledge of national, regional, and global trends to inform strategic decisions and program adaptation. Use deep expertise in Bangladesh’s context (political, social, economic, energy systems) to proactively scan for risks and opportunities (public/private sector developments, regulations, corporate investments). Confidently communicate insights to internal and external audiences.

Leadership & Management

Provide leadership and manage a team of up to 2 Tara team members. Contribute to Tara’s organizational leadership and culture, role-modeling values. Mentor and coach team members, directing their professional development. Promote a culture of excellence, service, high performance, and continuous improvement.

Compliance & Risk Management

Uphold all organizational standard operating procedures and policies (compliance, budget, HR, procurement, IT). Integrate risk management, safeguarding, and safety & security into working practices to protect people, information, and assets.

Excited by the prospect of working for a dynamic and fast-growing international organisation dedicated to addressing the climate crisis, the ideal candidate will have at least:

• 12+ years of relevant work experience, gained in either local or international foundations, donor agencies, NGOs or clean energy related companies or financial institutions.
• 7+ years’ experience in leadership positions, with experience managing experienced/expert team members.

In addition, the ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• A strong understanding of the Bangladesh energy system, the barriers and opportunities for accelerating its energy transition.
• A strong understanding of national climate policy, the major sectors driving greenhouse gas emissions in Bangladesh and the scope for change.
• Strategic thinking capabilities, and the ability to translate strategy into action.
• An understanding of the role of civil society organisations in effecting policy change.
• An ability to maintain trusting professional relationships across different sectors, a diverse group of partners, including many working in different cultural contexts.
• Experience in leading coordination and collaboration with diverse stakeholders, such as government, parliament, corporates, think tanks, universities, local governments, NGOs, and CSOs.
• An existing good network including senior policy and decision-makers in industry, government, business and NGOs; experience working with government institutions and/or business associations a plus.
• Team leadership experience, with the ability to manage a high performing team in line with Tara’s values, organisational culture and standard operating procedures.
• Experience in grant making and grant portfolio management.
• Excellent written and oral English and Baṅgāla communication skills.
• Reliable computer skills with standard applications (e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Sharepoint)

Personal Attributes:

• Deep commitment to solving the climate crisis and enabling systemic change.
• Intrinsic motivation and excellent organisational and self-management skills.
• Deeply collaborative.
• Flexibility over working hours to accommodate global time zones.
• Willingness to travel both regionally and internationally.
• Impeccable ethics, and experience of working securely and confidentially and operting with high security.

Education:

• Master’s degree qualification or relevant expertise in a relevant field such as renewable energy, environmental management, business administration, economics, or sustainable development.

Location:

• The candidate must be based in Bangladesh and hold citizen or long-term residency status with legal permit to reside and work in that country.

What Tara Foundation can offer

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international team that combines passion for making a difference with a rigorous, results-oriented approach to work.
• A flexible work environment.
• Opportunities for career development and personal growth.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.
• A collaborative, fun and thriving team, driven by our mission and dedicated to living our values.