Regional Technical Specialist for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy -Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Grade:  P3

Closing Date: Nov 24, 2022, 06:59 AM

Job Description

Background
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Organizational Context

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS’ Nature Climate and Energy (NCE) Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Sustainable Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships in NCE, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds (VFs), UNDP provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

Sustainable Energy

UNDP has been a leading advocate and the largest UN implementing agency for the energy transition at global, regional and national levels for several decades. UNDP’s sustainable energy programme supports policy makers with high quality data to make informed decisions on selecting and designing cost-effective public instruments to promote private investment in clean energy, contributing to SDG 7. UNDP has a successful track record in using policy instruments to de-risk and catalyze investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy access projects, including a series of sustainable energy initiatives specifically adapted to the needs (and resilient recovery) of fragile and crisis-impacted countries.

Under UNDP’s new Strategic Plan (2022-2025), energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions – alongside poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality – to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience.

In energy, UNDP’s first objective is to increase energy access for those furthest behind. By speeding up investment in distributed renewable energy solutions, especially for those hardest to reach and in crisis contexts, UNDP aims – together with its partners – to increase access to clean and affordable energy for 500 million people by the year 2025. Second, UNDP works to accelerate the clean energy transition through systems-change that supports inclusive, green and resource-efficient economies. This work capitalizes on technological gains, clean energy innovations and new business models in the energy sector. Throughout, recognizing that change can be disruptive, UNDP strives to ensure that such transitions are just, and that their impact on vulnerable people is understood and duly mitigated.

UNDPs scaled-up activities on energy access and the energy transition are coordinated under the newly established Sustainable Energy Hub (SEH), representing UNDP’s systematic and programmatic approach to respond to the energy and climate change agendas. Through the SEH, UNDP harnesses networks, experience and innovation to scale-up energy programming efforts and shape policy, building on the existing portfolio of energy projects, covering over 100 countries to harness clean energy and support the energy access and transition as well as on UNDP’s Climate Promise, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub and UNDP’s Digital offer. UNDP also works with Governments in programme countries as they recover and build forward better from COVID-19 and with investors to unlock and harness public and private finance to power progress towards multiple SDGs.

The Regional Technical Specialist (RTS) works under the overall supervision and leadership of the Principal Technical Advisor (PTA) for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy, and the Regional Team Leader for NCE based in UNDP’s Regional Hub in Addis Ababa, and in close collaboration with other technical specialists and advisors at both global and regional levels.  RTSs have global responsibilities in their area of specialized technical expertise but are deployed from Regional Hubs, normally close to the countries to which they provide most support.

The Regional Technical Specialist for Energy and Climate Change will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will be required to travel. RTSs may be periodically redeployed, in accordance with capability, consent, and due process, to a different duty station as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Regional Technical Specialist for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy is primarily responsible for providing technical, policy, and programming implementation support and oversight, and knowledge and capacity development services pertaining to the work of sustainable energy to UNDP country offices, and works with other UN agencies, governments and inter-governmental organizations, NGO’s, donors, the private sector and many others.  Specific results are expected in the areas of:
Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Dialogue and Advocacy (10%) [1]
  • Provide support to establishing and maintaining a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact with and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
  • Contributing to identification, development and implementation of new strategic programming opportunities and partnerships in the area of sustainable energy, climate resilient infrastructure and low carbon transport;
  • Participating in global retreats, focal area retreats, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc.;
  • Participating in cross-substantive area technical dialogue, common strategic visioning, mainstreaming, programming, and other collaboration within the regional team;
  • Assisting in keeping the Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area

Programming and Management (20%)

  • Supporting the development of strategic policy and guidance for strengthening UNDP Country Offices with energy, infrastructure and transport project design and implementation including alignment with national priorities;
  • Assisting the development of and advocacy for specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance in support of programming and finance for energy, infrastructure and transport;
  • Supporting the establishment of a trusted leadership role for Environmental Finance Unit within the region;
  • Sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports;
  • Contributing to regional retreats, focal area retreats, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc.;
  • Promoting gender equity/empowerment in programming opportunities;
  • Helping to ensure that strategies and projects are aligned to country outcomes and UNDP corporate environment results in internal UNDP project tracking systems (e.g. ERBM);
  • Maintaining quality/accuracy in data and project management (UNDP EF systems like PIMS), management of ATLAS Risks logs, portfolio delivery rates;
  • Monitoring to ensure expected quality standards are maintained in project implementation reviews;
  • Supporting the RCU to internalize lessons from evaluations in programming in the region.

Programming and Resource Mobilization (25%)

  • Assisting the provision of timely quality information and technical advice on source of funds policies, priorities and activities;
  • Draft, revise, finalize and help editing concepts and project documents for submission to donors;
  • Supporting the coordination of design, preparation, submission and approval of project proposals and requests for project development financing;
  • Support the liaison with potential (co)financing agencies and institutions.

Development Impact (30%)

  • Assisting with inception, contracting and start-up of projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
  • Supporting UNDP country offices in the supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management of approved projects, including preparing and reviewing annual reports and work plans;
  • Maintaining project and portfolio information and corporate information systems;
  • Developing guidance and tools for country offices to utilize in operationalizing projects inception, contracting and startup of projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
  • Functioning as surge capacity to COs, supporting Environmental Focal Points with urgent, pressing, complex and /or specific tasks in the context of energy, infrastructure, and transport programming.

Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development (15%)

  • Evaluating, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of resource kits and other knowledge materials;
  • Peer reviewing, commenting on, and seeking to improve, the technical quality of projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
  • Assisting with preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
  • Preparing and delivering training courses, as needed;
  • Developing knowledge products of relevance to the Environmental Finance Unit’s support to countries on low emission climate resilient development in the area of energy, infrastructure and transport;
  • Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan (5%);

[1] Exact percentages are agreed annually with the supervisor.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:
  • Master’s Degree (or higher) in Engineering, Environmental Economics, Finance or Environmental Sciences or other closely related field.
Experience:
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience working with developing countries on one or more of the following: renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy transition, energy access;
  • Experience with donor-funded development projects. Direct experience in the design or implementation of donor-funded development projects is an asset;
  • Direct experience with the design of GEF and/or GCF energy projects is preferable;
  • Direct experience in energy finance is an asset;
  • Experience in developing countries. Experience working in Africa is an asset;
  • Direct working experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is direct knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices.

Language Requirement:

  • Excellent knowledge of the English language, with exceptional writing, presentation and communication skills;
  • Proficiency in French is required.
Competencies
Core
Achieve Results LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies
Thematic Area Name Definition
Planet Nature, Climate and Energy – Energy Energy access

 

Energy planning, derisking energy investment and financial appraisal

 

Market-based energy financing and practical application

Planet Nature, Climate and Energy – Climate Change Mitigation Sustainable infrastructure

 

Concepts and application

Business Direction & Strategy Strategic Thinking Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
Business Management Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
Business Management Communication Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

 

Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Business Management Portfolio Management Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
Business Management Partnerships Management

 

Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

 

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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