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UNDP is hiring for a Regional Technical Specialist for Climate Change Mitigation (Home-Based in the Africa region): Apply Now

Ednah Carrick June 2, 2025

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Closing Date: 4 June 2025

UNDP is hiring for a Regional Technical Specialist for Climate Change Mitigation (Home-Based in the Africa region): Apply Now

Project Description

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, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the 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 the 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’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support Oversight and Compliance Unit, works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. 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.

The UNDP Climate Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to the “Climate Promise” that aims to support programming countries designing and implementing pledges under the Paris Agreement, including ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub builds on UNDP’s existing over USD 4 billion country-level climate portfolio on Climate Change Policies and Strategies, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation (CCM), Climate and Forests, covering over 142 countries, as well as on UNDP’s Nature portfolio, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP’s Digital offer and other relevant portfolios on youth, gender, health, climate security, among others.

Scope of Work

The Regional Technical Specialist (RTS) works under the overall leadership of the Principal Technical Advisor (PTA) for Climate Change Mitigation, the day to day supervision of the Environment Regional Team Leader for Africa based in UNDP’s Regional Hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and in close collaboration with other Technical Specialists and Advisors at both global and regional levels. RTS 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 Climate Change Mitigation (CTM) is expected to be home-based in the Africa region and will be required to travel. The Regional Technical Specialist will provide support to UNDP’s Principal Technical Advisor for CCM on various discrete tasks and deliverables related to the implementation of activities related to the Energy Strategic Plan Goals, as well as the climate change mitigation vertical fund portfolio with a focus in the African region. The Regional Technical Specialist will also work closely with the Environment Regional Team Leader based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Regional Technical Specialist for Climate Change Mitigation is responsible for providing specific technical support, including for the development of new GEF climate change mitigation projects and implementation support for ongoing projects with a focus in the Africa Region.

Provision of innovation, strategic leadership, policy dialogue, and advocacy.

Contributing to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
Participating in the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development within the BPPS, GN and beyond; engagement in policy and advocacy work with external partners where relevant;
Providing policy development support and guidance to countries and governments;
Facilitating the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
Facilitating policy analysis and the development of technical tools and guidance;
Maintain trusted relationships with country offices, government and non-governmental partners’ role within the region;
Keeping the NCE Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area and contribute actively to regional NCE programming and Business plans;
Keeping the Principal/Senior Technical Advisors and RTL informed of trends and issues in the region;
Work in coordination with other RTAs/RTSs in the region to develop projects requiring technical guidance from multiple areas, including collaborations with NCE regional team members and broader GPN and RBAS teams at the Regional Hub on delivery of integrated support to Country Offices.

Establish and maintain strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization efforts

Providing guidance in programme and project identification and development, including on integrated approaches and multifocal area projects;
Providing timely and quality information and technical advice on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities – including the Global Environment Facility funds, the Green Climate Fund, other multilateral donors, bilateral donors and foundations;
Identifying and suggesting to the PTA and regional RTL priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance and linkage with broader UNDP priorities;
Facilitating the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
Providing guidance and support in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports;
Facilitating liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions.

Institutional Arrangement

The Regional Technical Specialist will work from his/her home (Home-Based in the Africa region).
The Regional Technical Specialist will report to, and be directly supervised by the Principal Technical Advisor, CCM based in New York and the Environment Regional Team Leader based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Regional Technical Specialist will work closely with: (i) staff at UNDP’s BPPS Climate Hub; (ii) staff within the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub; (iii) UNDP Country Offices; (iv) UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, and (v) development partners and donors;
The Regional Technical Specialist will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
Given the regional work to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones where applicable.
The Regional Technical Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection.
Candidate must be located within the African region at the time of hire.

Min. Education requirements

Advanced University degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Energy, Climate Change, Engineering, Finance, development studies or other closely related field is required. Or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree;

Min. years of relevant work experience

Minimum of 7 years’ (with a Master’s degree) or 9 years’ (with a Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in developing countries in one or more of the following technical areas: renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy transition, energy access, energy and climate finance;
At least of 5 years’ experience providing policy advisory services in areas related to climate change mitigation and sustainable energy is required.
At least 5 years’ experience with the design and/or implementation of development projects/ programmes to promote sustainable energy investment, including climate finance and energy access is required.

Required skills

Experience working in multiple countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is required.
Demonstrated experience in the design and implementation of energy access projects/programmes is required.
Experience in designing financial instruments / mechanisms for sustainable energy programs is required.
Demonstrated experience in mobilizing partnerships and resources at scale is required.

Desired skills

Direct experience in the design and implementation of Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) Climate Change Mitigation (CCM) /sustainable energy projects is preferable
Experience in structuring blended finance solutions is an advantage
Experience in leading/coordinating team of experts is an advantage
Direct working experience with Development Finance Institutions is an advantage;
Direct working experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is direct experience working with UNDP.