Advisor for NDC Act and Invest Project

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the international environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Established in 1972, UNEP has grown to encompass a diverse workforce of thousands of employees across various countries, working collaboratively to address pressing environmental challenges. UNEP operates in over 150 countries, focusing on areas such as climate change, sustainable development, and environmental governance. The NDC Act & Invest Initiative, a global program led by UNEP, is currently funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the NDC Partnership’s Partnership Action Fund (PAF) multi-donor trust fund, aiming to assist countries in raising their climate ambition and translating their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into actionable plans.

Job Overview:
The Advisor will work under the guidance of the project’s Global Coordinator and engage closely with government focal points, NDC Partnership teams, and national and international implementing partners. The primary function of this position is to lead the strategic and technical direction of the project’s regional portfolio in Africa and the Middle East. The Advisor will promote coherence, quality assurance, and results orientation across country workplans, deliverables, and advisory products. This role requires providing senior technical input, reviewing, validating, and making strategic recommendations to enhance countries’ readiness and delivery of NDC investment and implementation priorities. The Advisor will also serve as UNEP’s senior technical focal point for Africa and the Middle East within the NDC Act and Invest project, ensuring alignment among partners and counterparts while recommending necessary adjustments to keep interventions responsive to national priorities and emerging opportunities. The position is home-based and expected to last for 12 months, with a focus on supporting a regional portfolio that includes priority engagement countries such as Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Senegal, as well as additional advisory support to countries like Mali, Niger, Mauritania, The Gambia, Seychelles, Namibia, and Liberia.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Advisor will have a comprehensive set of responsibilities, including:

• Providing technical leadership for UNEP’s regional NDC support portfolio, coordinating with the NDC Partnership and other national, financial, and technical implementing partners.
• Supporting the strengthening of NDC ambition, enhancing policy coherence, improving private investment readiness, and supporting implementation capacity at various levels.
• Engaging in IKI earmarked support for specific countries, providing strategic and technical advisory support for climate investment frameworks, capacity building, and project proposal preparation.
• Leading senior technical advisory support for mainstreaming NDCs into national planning processes and ensuring alignment with national development strategies.
• Overseeing and implementing PAF-funded support, providing technical advisory support for NDC updates and investment planning across multiple countries.
• Identifying and mobilizing additional funding and partnerships, contributing to cross-country knowledge sharing, and representing UNEP in high-level meetings.
• Preparing and finalizing Terms of Reference for experts and studies, facilitating cross-country learning, and contributing to administrative follow-up of activities.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a university degree (Master’s degree) in environmental sciences, natural sciences, sustainable development, public policy, economics, public administration, engineering, or a related field. Additionally, candidates must demonstrate a minimum of ten (10) years of combined professional experience relevant to climate change policy, green economy, sustainable development, and environment/development projects. A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience specifically in climate change policy, energy transition, adaptation, climate finance, and/or environmental management is also required. Candidates should have experience preparing policy and strategy reports for national governments and conducting technical reviews of national reports and relevant international documents, as well as experience with public policy development and implementation processes related to NDCs in African countries.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as environmental sciences, natural sciences, sustainable development, public policy, economics, public administration, or engineering. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of climate change policies and sustainable development practices.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of ten (10) years of combined full-time and part-time professional experience relevant to climate change policy, green economy, sustainable development, and environment/development projects, with at least seven (7) years specifically in climate change policy, energy transition, adaptation, climate finance, and/or environmental management. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in preparing policy and strategy reports for national governments and conducting technical reviews of national reports and relevant international documents, as well as experience with development and/or implementation processes of public policies related to NDCs in African countries.

Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written English and French is required for this position, while fluency in spoken Arabic is considered desirable. Proficiency in these languages is crucial for effective communication and collaboration with diverse stakeholders across the region.

Additional Notes:
The position is home-based and expected to last for 12 months. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, or training. The organization does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.