Climate Entrepreneurship Advisor

Position Title: Climate Entrepreneurship Advisor (CEA)

Position Location: Hanoi City, Vietnam

Reports To: Project Director

Contract Term: 01 Year, Renewable 

Languages Required: Fluency in English and Vietnamese is required

Expected Start Date:
[June, 2026]

BACKGROUND

WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 350 staff, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors and philanthropic foundations.

The AGILE Project

The Advancing Growth, Innovation and Leadership for Enterprises in Vietnam (AGILE) project is a four-year initiative (2025–2029) implemented by WUSC with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The project aims to contribute to the increased resilience of Vietnam's climate-vulnerable populations by fostering a more effective and inclusive business ecosystem that supports the growth of Climate Enterprises (CEs), especially those that are women-led or serve women.

AGILE operates at the intersection of gender-lens investment, climate adaptation finance, and enterprise growth. The project pursues three interlinked pathways to achieve systemic change:

Outcome 1100: Strengthened support from ecosystem actors to Climate Enterprises (CEs), embedding gender and climate criteria into enterprise support models.

Outcome 1200: Increased investment in gender-responsive and inclusive CEs by developing pipelines of investment-ready enterprises and reducing perceived risks for investors.

Outcome 1300: Increased deployment of funds using a gender lens by strengthening investor capacity to apply Gender Lens Investing (GLI) principles.

WUSC is seeking to recruit a Climate Entrepreneurship Advisor (GEA) to work for the AGILE Project in Vietnam.

NATURE AND SCOPE

As the focal point for the project's climate portfolio, the CEA is primarily responsible for ensuring the technical/operational integrity of the "Climate" aspect within "Climate Enterprises." The CEA provides technical assistance to design, implement, monitor, and report on activities that drive climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes.

Strategic Alignment: A critical function of this role is to operationalize the findings of the project's Environmental and Climate Vulnerability Assessment (ECVA). The CEA must ensure that technical support and interventions are targeted specifically to address the vulnerable areas identified in the assessment, ensuring project resources are deployed where resilience is needed most.

In terms of committed targets, the CEA is collectively responsible for contributing to achieving the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): “Number of investors received technical support on climate investment to better understand the market (ID6)”; and “Number of household and community members that are vulnerable to climate change and will benefit from climate mitigation and adaptation solutions (ID11)”; contributing to increased resilience of Vietnam's climate-vulnerable populations.

The CEA will work closely with the Business Growth & Ecosystem Advisor (BGEA) to enhance accelerator programs with practical climate and environment, social and governance (ESG) content. Additionally, the CEA will collaborate with the Deputy Project Director/Investment Lead and Sarona Asset Management to support the identification of green/climate resilient investment opportunities. The position will also work with the MERL Manager to track environmental impact.

This position reports directly to the Project Director. The incumbent will collaborate with other project technical and operational staff as well as cross-cutting team members (GESI, Volunteers, etc.).

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Climate Technical Expertise and ESG Integration

ESG & Curriculum Enhancement: Provide technical inputs to Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs), such as BK Holdings, to enhance incubator curricula. This includes integrating modules on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, climate business modeling, and resilience planning.

Vulnerability-Based Gap Analysis: Support ecosystem actors, especially competent ESOs to conduct technical gap analyses of CEs using the ECVA report as a baseline. Identify specific technical needs (e.g., water efficiency in drought-prone areas) to ensure solutions directly address identified vulnerabilities.

Capacity Building: Deliver training for ecosystem actors to ensure they can evaluate business models not only on financial potential but also on ESG compliance and climate impact.

Technical Assistance and Advisory

ESG Adoption for SMEs: In collaboration with the BGEA and especially appropriate ESOs, (i) provide timely technical guidance for CEs in adopting and reporting on ESG metrics; and help enterprises move beyond basic compliance to using ESG as a value driver for attracting high-quality investment.

Technical Assistance Matchmaking: Work closely with competent ESOs to coordinate a roster of technical consultants who can provide specialized support (e.g., climate smart agriculture, circular economy transition, energy audits) that aligns with the priority areas identified in the EVCA.

Product Development: Provide technical assistance to  appropriate/selected ESOs to build capacity for CEs on refining their products or services to maximize their climate adaptation potential for end-users in vulnerable communities.

Knowledge Management and Communications

Visual Documentation: Capture high-quality photographs and visual content from the field to accurately document project activities, CE milestones, and the impact of climate interventions on vulnerable communities.

Knowledge Products: Develop and contribute to compelling communications materials—such as success stories, case studies, and infographics—that highlight the project’s climate adaptation and mitigation achievements.

Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with the communications team to translate complex climate and ESG data into accessible, engaging formats for broader dissemination among ecosystem actors, investors, and donors.

Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting

Impact Measurement: Co-lead the project's Learning Agenda with the MERL Manager, specifically focusing on tracking climate impact metrics (e.g. adaptation, GHG reduction  beneficiaries) and ESG performance improvements.

Planning and Reporting: Lead the development of climate-related inputs for the project's annual work planning process. Ensure that work plans explicitly address the recommendations of the ECVA and support the Finance Manager to report the percentage of budget allocation between adaptation and mitigation.

Data Quality: Ensure that climate and ESG data collected from CEs and partners is accurate, verifiable, and aligns with donor reporting requirements.

Other Duties: Perform other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Climate Change, Nature-based solutions, Sustainable Development, or a related field.

A minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience working at the intersection of environmental sustainability and private sector development.

Experience utilizing environmental climate vulnerability assessments to design or guide project interventions is an advantage.

Ability to conduct environmental gap analyses and carbon footprint assessments.

Moderate understanding of ESG principles and reporting standards relevant to SMEs and investors. 

Proven ability to translate technical climate data and ESG requirements into actionable, practical business advice for entrepreneurs and investors.

Understanding of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies suitable for the Vietnamese context.

Experience working directly with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to implement ESG frameworks, "green" their operations, or develop climate-smart products. is an asset.

Good communication skills; experience in photography and producing knowledge products is an advantage.

Networking skills, with the ability to engage with technical experts, business leaders, and environmental stakeholders, are an advantage

Language & IT skills:

Professional fluency in both English and Vietnamese is required.

Experience using Google Workspace and AI-powered tools is an advantage.

APPLICATIONS 

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference for youth around the world. We believe youth have the potential to provide for their families, build strong communities, and create positive social change for future generations. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, employment, and empowerment.

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls, please.