top of page
Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust Fund - 15.jpg
Start Now

Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Position Title

Location

Reports to

Employment Type

Initial Contract Period


Application Deadline

Expected Start Date

Eligibility of Applicants


Residency Requirement
Compensation Range

Chief Operations Officer, The Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust Fund

The Virgin Islands (BVI)

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Full-time employment contract

Three years, with a six-month probationary period and option to renew subject to performance, operational need and Board approval

15 July 2026

1 October 2026

All qualified persons are invited to apply; preference will be given to suitably qualified Virgin Islanders/Belongers

Successful candidate must reside full-time in the Virgin Islands (BVI)

USD 90,000 - USD 130,000 per annum, commensurate with qualifications and experience

1. Background

The Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust Fund (the "Trust" or "VICCTF") is an independent statutory body established under The Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust Fund Act, 2015 to provide a secure, transparent and accountable mechanism to raise, manage and deploy climate finance for local adaptation, mitigation and resilience priorities. The Board of Trustees has executive control and management of the Trust, supported by a lean Secretariat led by the CEO.

The Trust is guided by the Act, the Board-approved 2018 Operational Manual, the Pilot Business Plan 2026-2031, approved policies, procedures, templates and Board resolutions. The Trust is now moving from establishment to implementation: launching calls for proposals, building project-cycle systems, operationalising financing windows and strengthening fiduciary, reporting and accreditation-ready systems.

2. Purpose of the Position

The COO is a senior Secretariat role responsible for helping the CEO operationalise and manage the Trust. The position combines programme operations, project-cycle management, systems development, implementation coordination, reporting, records, consultant supervision, stakeholder engagement and institutional strengthening. The COO will help build, deploy and grow the Trust’s operational machinery from the ground up, ensuring that the Trust can launch and manage its proposed investment windows and project portfolio while maintaining strong fiduciary discipline and public accountability.

3. Core Responsibility Summary 

  • Support and deputise for the CEO in the day-to-day operational management of the Trust.

  • Lead operational planning, project-cycle management, calls for proposals, implementation monitoring and reporting.

  • Translate the Business Plan and Operational Manual into practical systems, SOPs, templates, dashboards and workplans.

  • Coordinate risk management, internal controls, procurement support, consultant supervision and stakeholder engagement.

  • Ensure operational systems are lawful, transparent, auditable, inclusive, accreditation-ready and suited to a lean start-up Secretariat.

4. Reporting, Authority and Working Relationships

  • Reports directly to the CEO and is accountable for agreed outputs, deadlines and standards.

  • Deputises for the CEO, and exercises delegated authority, when authorised, including representing the Secretariat and maintaining continuity of management.

  • Works closely with the finance, administration and legal functions, Executive Assistant, Board committees, Review Committees, consultants, service providers, implementing partners, applicants, grantees, financial intermediaries, donors and public-sector counterparts.

  • May supervise Secretariat staff, interns, secondees, consultants and service providers assigned to operations, programme delivery, project management, monitoring and reporting.

5. Key Duties and Responsibilities

5.1 Strategic and Operational Planning

  • Support preparation and implementation of operational workplans, annual plans, budgets, and Board reporting products.

  • Coordinate Secretariat inputs to the Five-Year Business Plan, investment/spending strategy, Operational Manual updates, SOPs and implementation reviews.

  • Maintain a rolling operationalisation tracker covering Board decisions, priority deliverables, consultants, procurement, risks and deadlines.

  • Prepare concise briefs, decision papers, implementation updates and management notes for the CEO, committees and Board.

5.2 Project Cycle Management

  • Administer and improve the Trust’s project-cycle system from identification, screening and appraisal through award, contracting, disbursement, monitoring, closure and learning.

  • Lead operational administration of calls for proposals, including call packages, eligibility checks, review logistics, applicant communications, Board recommendation packages and award documentation.

  • Coordinate finalisation of grant, cooperation, reimbursable grant, guarantee-related and implementation agreements with finance, legal and technical support.

5.3 Operational Systems and SOPs

  • Translate the Business Plan and Operational Manual into practical procedures, templates, workflows and dashboards.

  • Develop and maintain SOPs, checklists and pro-forma documents for the Business Plan’s financing/deployment windows and operational processes.

  • Coordinate the preparation and updating of grant manuals, project management procedures, monitoring templates, risk registers, reporting templates, procurement templates, agreement templates and applicant-facing guidance materials.

5.4 Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning

  • Operationalise implementation and results tracking, including indicators, beneficiary data, climate results, project status and institutional performance metrics and performance against milestones, budgets, deliverables, safeguards, gender commitments, reporting obligations and disbursement conditions.

  • Prepare or coordinate dashboards, portfolio updates, annual report inputs, public project updates, donor reports, audit inputs and special reports, ensuring ensure data efficiency and quality.

  • Document lessons learned from calls for proposals and deployments and ensure lessons inform future procedures and planning.

Apply

To apply for this position, make submissions to applications@vicctf.org (with a copy to info@vicctf.org), or complete the application form below and upload your CV and any relevant supporting documents. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please share copies of relevant qualifications or certifications

5.5 Risk, Compliance and Internal Controls

  • Apply risk management to project-cycle and operational decisions, including fiduciary, compliance, operational, environmental and social, gender, reputational and strategic risks.

  • Maintain project and operations risk registers with risk owners, mitigation measures, correction actions and escalation triggers, including recommendation of practical options for resolution.

  • Support controls for conflict-of-interest declarations, segregation of duties, approval thresholds, procurement compliance, disbursement conditions, document retention and audit trails.

5.6 Procurement, Consultants and Stakeholders

  • Support procurement planning, terms of reference, evaluation materials and delivery monitoring in accordance with approved procedures.

  • Supervise consultants and service providers assigned to operational, programme, technical or project-cycle deliverables.

  • Coordinate applicant sensitisation, stakeholder consultations, guidance materials, frequently asked questions and technical clarifications.

  • Support the CEO’s engagement with Government, statutory bodies, utilities, civil society, community organisations, private sector partners, financial intermediaries, donors and development partners.

6. Provisional First 6-months Deliverables 

The Trust is expected to commence the Operational Phase of its five-year pilot Business Plan from July 2026 to June 2028, including the staggered deployment of at least one Call for Proposal (CFP) cycle using the various funding windows (including grants, direct solicitation and revolving “loans”) of the Plan’s active deployment operating architecture. An evaluation of this Operational Phase will inform the updating of the Plan and the design and deployment of the Maturity Phase from July 2028 to June 2031. By the time of onboarding of the COO in October 2026, the Trust would have launched the first CFP and be actively evaluating submissions and engaging in decisions, contracts and other tools for awards and funding disbursements. Accordingly, within the first 6-months of the COO’s engagement, s/he will be expected to (inter alia):

  1. Support completion of the first CFP evaluation process, including eligibility screening, review logistics, applicant communications, evaluation records and Board decision packages.

  2. Coordinate the transition from award decisions to contracting and impact, including grant agreements, grant and cooperation agreements, stakeholder implementation support and supervision.

  3. Develop or refine core project-cycle tools, including application checklists, appraisal templates, project files, monitoring templates, disbursement checklists, close-out tools and applicant guidance materials.

  4. Establish a project and portfolio tracking system or dashboard to monitor applications, awards, agreements, milestones, disbursements, safeguards, gender commitments, risks and reporting deadlines.

  5. Prepare an initial project-cycle and operations risk register with risk owners, mitigation measures, escalation triggers and recommended corrective actions for the CEO and relevant Board committees.

  6. Complete a practical onboarding and operational readiness review, identifying immediate gaps, risks, dependencies and decisions required for effective implementation of the Business Plan.

  7. Prepare concise monthly or quarterly implementation updates for the CEO, committees and Board, documenting progress, bottlenecks, lessons learned and recommendations for improving the Operational Phase and informing the Maturity Phase.

 

The final deliverables and timelines will be confirmed by the CEO in consultation with the Board.

7. Required Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

7.1 Minimum Qualifications

  • Undergraduate degree in sustainable development, climate change, environmental management, international development, project management, public administration, business administration, economics, finance, law, engineering, disaster risk management, natural resource management or a related field.

  • Master’s degree in a relevant field is strongly preferred.

  • Certification in project management, monitoring and evaluation, grants management, procurement, risk management, climate finance or sustainable finance would be an asset.

7.2 Minimum Experience and Competencies 

  • At least ten years of progressively responsible professional experience, including at least five years in programme or project-cycle management, portfolio management, institutional operations or a similar leadership role.

  • Demonstrated experience managing complex programmes, grants, projects, funds, calls for proposals, donor-funded projects or development finance mechanisms.

  • Experience developing or applying operational manuals, SOPs, project-cycle systems, grant agreements, monitoring frameworks, reporting systems and internal controls.

  • Experience working with Boards, committees, public agencies, civil society, private sector partners, donors, consultants or financial intermediaries. Climate, conservation, sustainability or disaster risk finance experience would be a strong asset.

  • Experience supervising staff, consultants, service providers and multi-disciplinary teams.

  • Expected to have or quickly develop working familiarity with relevant BVI statutory and institutional frameworks affecting the Trust, including procurement, public finance, governance, and related compliance requirements.

  • Experience in the Virgin Islands, Caribbean, small-island or Overseas Territory contexts is strongly preferred;

  • Competence with relevant digital systems, including dashboards, databases, project/data management platforms and relevant AI tools.

7.3 Personal Attributes

  • Commitment to transparency, fairness, Integrity, impartiality and respect for confidentiality.

  • Practical, delivery-oriented, flexible and agile mindset suited to a start-up institution.

  • Ability to work independently while maintaining accountability to the CEO and Board-approved processes.

  • Diplomacy, sound judgment and maturity in managing sensitive stakeholder relationships and information.

  • Capacity to balance ambition with compliance, pace with quality, and innovation with prudent risk management.

8. Conditions of Employment

  • Full-time appointment based in the Virgin Islands (BVI).

  • Three-year initial contract with six-month probation and option to renew subject to performance, operational need and Board discretion.

  • Compliance required with the Act, Operational Manual, staff policies, confidentiality obligations, conflict-of-interest rules, data and records requirements and approved procedures.

  • Willingness to work outside normal office hours when required for Board meetings, stakeholder sessions, public consultations, donor engagement, travel or urgent deadlines.

  • Employment of non-Belongers/non-residents, if applicable, will be subject to all relevant labour, immigration, work-permit and visa requirements.

9. Compensation

  • The successful candidate will receive an annual salary and compensation package in the range of USD 90,000 to USD 130,000. Placement within the range will be determined by qualifications, experience, demonstrated competence, market considerations and the Trust’s approved budget.

10. Application Requirements

Interested applicants should submit the following by 15 July 2026 (23:59 BVI time) to applications@vicctf.org and copy info@vicctf.org. Email subject line: Application - VICCTF Chief Operations Officer.

  • Cover letter addressing suitability for the role;

  • Curriculum vitae;

  • Names and contact details of three professional references;

  • Copies of relevant qualifications or certifications.

11. Selection Process

  • Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered.

  • Applications will be screened for eligibility and assessed against an approved evaluation matrix.

  • Shortlisted candidates will be invited to one or more interviews and may complete a written exercise, presentation, case study or practical task.

  • Reference checks, background checks and due diligence will be completed before final appointment.

  • While all qualified persons are invited to apply, preference will be given to suitably qualified Virgin Islanders/Belongers.

  • The Trust reserves the right not to make an appointment, whether or not a candidate is found suitable.

 

The Trust is committed to fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment, consistent with equal opportunity, confidentiality, good governance and the strategic needs of the Trust .

bottom of page