Green Finance / Sustainable Circular Cities / Full or part-time / Remote (Switzerland)
Application deadline: August 31st, 2025
Start date: By November 2025
About GDFA
The Green Digital Finance Alliance (GDFA) is a think-and-do tank that convenes world-leading experts and industry leaders in technology and finance to co-create transformative, data-driven solutions that shape a net-positive, resilient future, where economy and nature reinforce each other.
The role
We are expanding our Sustainable Circular Cities program. We are now looking for a versatile and ambitious Transformative Finance Specialist with experience and interest in business, financial and technological innovation in the field of sustainable urban transformation for ongoing and new EU and international consortia projects. This role is ideal for someone who combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution and a drive to imagine and build what doesn’t yet exist.
As an entrepreneurial and still young organisation, we need doers who think holistically, challenge and like to be challenged, who can own a project and show a high level of self-dependency. We support each other and will ensure adequate onboarding, but with high ambitions for impact to be delivered, we are looking for teammates who can help us grow beyond the sum of the parts. GDFA has built a reputation of being a valuable intersectional partner and catalyst, and we want to grow from there. To do that, we need people who can bridge across silos, who thrive in interdisciplinary work within international, cross-cultural contexts, who can sensitively deal with different stakeholder groups, and are effective at facilitating collaboration for lasting impact and long-term relationships.
You will strengthen GDFA’s position as a leading organisation in digital, financial, and business model innovation by co-designing and piloting tools, frameworks and solutions that drive transformation and climate resilience in cities and urban areas. Given the entrepreneurial nature of the team and organisation and our commitment to evolving in line with identified impact pathways, there is a significant opportunity to shape and grow the role. Depending on your profile and interests, it may develop cross-thematically to advance GDFA’s oceans and blue economy work, or take on a stronger focus on fundraising and strategic asset development.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead or contribute to the development of innovative financial models and solutions for sustainable urban transformation and climate/nature-related initiatives
- Co-create scalable and regenerative business models that drive the adoption of sustainable and circular solutions for net-positive and resilient cities
- Conduct applied research, data analysis, and tool development to explore emerging areas such as tokenised assets, outcome-based finance, or nature-linked investment models
- Explore translating socio-economic and ecosystem benefit data into compelling investment narratives and structures that align impact with financial return
- Coordinate and facilitate co-creation sessions and strategic workshops with a range of partners
- Contribute to public-facing outputs, including reports, playbooks, and toolkits that make our financial innovations accessible and actionable for wider audiences
- Support knowledge and project management, including project documentation, coordination of internal and external workflows, and reporting
- Collaborate on GDFA’s wider portfolio where needed, especially around nature-positive coastal and ocean finance
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Solid practical experience in sustainable finance, financial markets, financial modelling, financial products, or structuring, with well-established networks in the field
- Deep understanding of environmental sustainability, climate, nature, and biodiversity challenges and opportunities and the ability to assess and envision how financial solutions can drive positive outcomes
- Proactive, collaborative, and self-driven approach to work
- A bias toward action, experimentation with the ability to connect high-level ambition to real-world delivery
- Ability for clear project-related communication, with the urgency to deliver much-needed impact
It is a bonus if you bring:
- Experience in the urban environment, smart cities, energy use in buildings, environmental sciences, zero emission building and neighbourhood concepts
- Understanding or experience in project finance (e.g. smart city or infrastructure project finance)
- Experience with data analysis and data modelling
- Familiarity with digital assets and blockchain / DLT applications
Depending on your profile, you may also have some of the following:
- Experience in fundraising and donor relationship building and management
- Knowledge of the coastal communities, blue economy, oceans and marine biodiversity
- Good understanding of sustainable finance policy frameworks and regulatory environments related to buildings and cities or oceans or nature and biodiversity, with experience in advocating for policy change and developing policy recommendations
Key skills and competences:
- 4–6years of related work experience, preferably in sustainable finance, financial structuring, or mission-driven consulting at the intersection of systems /digital innovation and finance
- Completed education at master’s level or equivalent in a relevant field
- Legal eligibility to work in Switzerland (Swiss or EU/EFTA citizen, or valid work permit)
- Well-developed sense of ownership and initiative, able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a lean team environment
- Excellent research and analytical skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with people from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, seniority, geographies, and affiliations
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; other European languages are a plus
- Proficiency with digital tools and platforms such as Miro, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office
- Ability to travel occasionally, typically not more than 3 times a year
What we offer:
- Full-time/part-time permanent position (min. 60% FTE, depending on the final scope of responsibilities and the candidate’s profile)
- Flexibility of a mostly remote role within Switzerland (unfortunately we do not provide relocation support)
- Exciting and intellectually stimulating responsibilities within an international environment
- An open, supportive and inclusive work environment with a dedicated team that operates remotely on the basis of cooperation, trust and mutual respect
- No rigid hierarchy, combined with dynamic development opportunities in line with performance and organisational needs
- Visibility and real ownership, with opportunities for credit and public recognition for work contributed, and direct engagement with stakeholders
- Highly flexible working conditions
- A competitive compensation for non-profit industry, in line with experience and responsibility
How to apply:
- Please submit all materials in English
- Send your CV and a short cover note (maximum 1 page) to recruiting@gdfalliance.org. While we actively encourage the meaningful use of AI tools in our work, we want to hear your own voice in the cover note
We welcome applications from candidates with diverse professional and personal backgrounds, including those who may have followed non-linear career paths or have taken time away from work. As an equal opportunities employer, we value diversity in all its forms and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
If you meet most, but not all of the requirements listed, we still encourage you to apply. We are looking for the right person, not just a checklist.
If you have any questions about the position, please email recruiting@gdfalliance.org.
We look forward to hearing from you!
