Director, Resilience & Climate Action Department

Overview

This leadership role sits within the Operations - Global Practices and Partnerships Directorate at the Islamic Development Bank’s Jeddah headquarters in Saudi Arabia. It is a fixed-term M3 grade position focused on directing the Resilience and Climate Action Department and driving delivery across a wide range of development themes.

The postholder will shape strategy, secure the resources needed to execute it, and coordinate work across climate change, environment and social safeguards, fragility and conflict-affected situations, disaster risk management, emergency relief, NGOs/CSOs and the third sector, women’s empowerment, and youth development in member countries. The role also involves leading the Climate Change & Environment Division, the Fragility and Resilience Division, and the Women & Youth Empowerment Division, while reporting to the Director-General of the Global Practices and Partnerships Directorate.

Job Purpose

The director is expected to provide strategic leadership for the department, oversee annual planning, and ensure that key performance indicators and strategic results are achieved in line with the Bank’s priorities. The role includes developing upstream advisory solutions, coordinating with sector expertise centers, supporting the implementation of Bank policies and strategies, and delivering programs and projects in member countries in partnership with internal and external stakeholders. The position also serves as an advisory point for management on high-level engagement in the assigned thematic areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the principal reference point for department themes including climate change, environment, women’s empowerment, youth development, fragility, resilience, natural disasters, emergency response, and civil society/NGO engagement across the Bank and the IsDB Group.
• Guide the development of Member Countries Partnership Strategies with relevant stakeholder teams.
• Contribute to management, coordination, and delivery of the Bank’s corporate strategy priorities tied to the department’s focus areas.
• Provide technical direction and supervise portfolio monitoring activities, including the use of indicators, metrics, tools, analytics, and data interpretation to support monitoring outcomes.
• Lead external partnership efforts related to the department to strengthen visibility and build durable networks.
• Work with other thematic and sector teams to ensure tailored knowledge and expertise support project preparation and implementation, while addressing cross-cutting topics such as climate, environment, women, youth, capacity development, fragility, conflict, resilience, disasters, civil society, and NGO engagement.
• Ensure knowledge sharing and learning from the department’s thematic work is captured and disseminated.
• Drive the creation of short- and medium-term global plans and programs for implementation in member countries.
• Prepare policy briefs and notes, and stay current on international developments in resilience and climate action across the 57 member countries and globally.
• Set and monitor key results targets and performance indicators for departmental action plans.
• Contribute strategically to the Bank’s annual budgeting process and resource allocation.
• Spot process-improvement opportunities and route changes to the quality team for updates to the Operations Manual.
• Represent the institution in local and international forums on topics connected to climate change, environment, women’s empowerment, youth development, capacity building, fragility, conflict, resilience, disaster risk management, and civil society engagement.
• Coordinate the activities of all RCA divisions and align work with other internal units, as needed.
• Collaborate with sector units to help project teams access the right expertise for preparation and implementation.
• Review annual and multi-year plans, and oversee the design and execution of annual programs for the Resilience and Climate Action function.
• Coordinate with IsDB Group entities on major group-wide initiatives relevant to the RCA Department, including programs such as FSRP and similar efforts.
• Work with Treasury to support thematic contributions to relevant Sukuk programs under the Sustainable Finance Framework.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead the department and its thematic areas with strong integrity and a commitment to excellence.
• Align departmental direction with the Director-General for Global Practices and Partnerships.
• Promote close collaboration with other Global Practices and Country Programming functions.
• Build internal and external partnerships to support cross-functional work and serve as a spokesperson on resilience and climate action matters.
• Support division heads in closing capability gaps through recruitment and staff development.
• Provide thought leadership to regional hub sector teams on impact measurement and monitoring practices.
• Manage delivery across the department’s three divisions and oversee staff work programs, including advisory and technical support on fragility, conflict, resilience, disaster risk management, and civil society engagement.
• Inspire and guide managerial, lead, senior, and technical staff while setting clear expectations and maintaining strong communication.
• Lead direct reports through regular coaching, feedback, and performance support.
• Assess staff skills and determine actions needed to improve effectiveness and impact.
• Coach, mentor, and develop direct reports and high-potential talent, especially within the fragility and resilience division.
• Model IsDB values and leadership competencies, and provide direction during change or uncertainty.
• Build commitment and energy around the department’s goals and help teams navigate periods of transition.
• Set priorities, delegate responsibilities clearly, and track workflow execution.
• Review individual performance regularly and take timely action where improvement is needed.

Reporting and Communication

• Oversee progress reporting on thematic activities in line with Bank rules and procedures.
• Manage departmental performance and resources through delegation, stretch objectives, regular feedback, and prompt action on underperformance.

Qualifications

A master’s degree or PhD is required in environmental sciences, social sciences, conflict and development, social development, economics, or a closely related field.

The role calls for at least 15 years of relevant experience in areas such as climate change, women’s empowerment, youth development, fragility, conflict, resilience, development, social development, and NGO-related practice or similar domains.

Candidates should also bring 7 or more years of managerial or supervisory experience, including at least 5 years within a development institution.

English is mandatory. Arabic and French are preferred.

Additional Information

Requisition ID: 5885

Business unit: Operations - Global Practices and Partnerships Directorate

Department: Resilience and Climate Action

Country: Saudi Arabia

Location: Jeddah HQ

Job grade: M3

Contract type: Fixed term

Closing date: 30-Jul-2026

Application Requirements

Applicants are expected to submit a CV, a copy of passport, and an academic certificate.

Current regular staff of the Bank who are selected through the competitive process will retain their existing contract type and other terms and conditions.

The Bank does not charge applicants any payment at any stage of the recruitment process, including application submission, CV review, interviews, or final processing. It also does not request bank account information. Any fraudulent job advertisements or offers made in its name are not the responsibility of the Bank.

Skills and Knowledge

The role requires strong command of climate change, resilience, and social action themes; policy development; partnership building; project design and delivery; and performance monitoring. It also calls for sound judgment, ethics, adaptability, risk awareness, and the ability to lead diverse teams in a complex development setting.