Special Assistant

Global Roles; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Global Environment Facility Secretariat seeks a Special Assistant to the CEO to provide high-level strategic, diplomatic, and operational support in a fast-moving international environment.

Responsibilities include briefing preparation, stakeholder engagement, and coordinating the CEO’s agenda, travel, and engagements with senior governments, multilateral organizations, and NGOs. Fluency in English and another relevant language is required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international relations, economic development, public policy, business administration, diplomacy, or a closely related field.
• Extensive experience supporting senior public officials and multilateral or diplomatic settings is required.
• Excellent written and spoken English; fluency in at least one additional language relevant to the GEF partnership is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO’s relationships with senior authorities and officials across governments, multilateral agencies, NGOs, and private sector partners.
• Prepare concise briefing materials, agendas, and messages for high-level engagements.
• Accompany the CEO to events and coordinate with host institutions and teams.
• Manage the CEO’s agenda, travel needs, and priority scheduling to ensure timely follow-up.

Skills

International Relations

Diplomatic Engagement

Executive Briefing Preparation

Stakeholder Management

Multi-lateral Coordination

Political Awareness

Strategic Support

Time Management

Prioritization

Multitasking

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Discretion

Organizational Skills

International Travel

Public Policy

Economic Development

Business Administration

Diplomacy

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent in international relations, economic development, public policy, business administration, diplomacy, or a closely related field

Job description

The Special Assistant to the CEO provides high-level strategic, diplomatic, and operational support to the Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility Secretariat. The role involves preparing and coordinating the CEO's engagements, priorities, and relationships across the Secretariat and wider GEF partnership in a fast-moving international environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO’s relationships and substantive engagement with senior government authorities, heads of GEF Agencies, heads and senior officials of multilateral environmental conventions, leaders of multilateral organizations, international NGOs, civil society, private sector institutions, and other senior stakeholders.
• Prepare the CEO for bilateral meetings, missions, Council-related engagements, conferences, and public events through concise briefing materials, stakeholder profiles, key messages, agendas, and follow-up notes.
• Accompany the CEO to selected events, missions, and high-level meetings, coordinating closely with host institutions and relevant GEF Secretariat teams.
• Coordinate and help organize the CEO’s agenda in partnership with administrative and substantive teams, ensuring that priorities, preparation requirements, travel needs, and decision points are anticipated and sequenced effectively.
• Act as the first point of contact for senior-level requests directed to the CEO’s office, exercising sound judgment in triaging, routing, and following up on issues.
• Support the CEO’s interactions with the GEF senior management team and facilitate timely information flow, alignment, and follow-through on agreed actions.
• Maintain a structured system for tracking the CEO’s commitments, correspondence, stakeholder engagements, decisions, and follow-up actions.
• Draft and coordinate high-quality correspondence, meeting records, speaking points, outreach notes, and other executive materials, as required.
• Anticipate sensitive political, diplomatic, reputational, and scheduling issues and propose practical options for the CEO’s consideration.
• Build effective working relationships across the Secretariat and with external partners, while maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion.
• Undertake other responsibilities assigned by the CEO that are consistent with the role.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international relations, economic development, public policy, business administration, diplomacy, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated progression in responsibility.
• Substantial experience in international relations at the government level, a multilateral organization, an international financial institution, or an international NGO.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or engaging senior public officials, heads of institutions, or comparable senior stakeholders in multilateral or diplomatic settings.
• Experience preparing executive briefings, coordinating high-level engagements, and managing multiple time-sensitive priorities is highly desirable.
• Excellent written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency in at least one additional language relevant to the GEF partnership is required.
• Outstanding diplomatic judgment, political awareness, discretion, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organization, time management, prioritization, and multitasking skills, with close attention to detail.
• Ability to work at pace, remain composed under pressure, and adjust to changing priorities and schedules.
• Strong writing, synthesis, and verbal communication skills for senior audiences.
• Collaborative, service-oriented, and team-based working style.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally and work flexibly alongside the CEO, including outside standard working hours when required by official duties.

Skills

• International Relations
• Diplomatic Engagement
• Executive Briefing Preparation
• Stakeholder Management
• Multi-lateral Coordination
• Political Awareness
• Strategic Support
• Time Management
• Prioritization
• Multitasking
• Written Communication
• Verbal Communication
• Interpersonal Skills
• Discretion
• Organizational Skills
• International Travel
• Public Policy
• Economic Development
• Business Administration
• Diplomacy

Languages

English