Climate Investment Advisor (Partnerships Specialist), Lesotho - Retainer. READVERTISED

Background Information - UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO)

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) is part of the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on:

• Infrastructure

• Procurement 

• Project Management (full service, back on track)

• HR and Transactional Services

• Grants Management 

• Technical and Advisory Services

• Project Information

WEC Background: 

UNOPS Water and Energy Cluster (WEC) supports the design and management of multi-stakeholder initiatives by providing services in financial and grant management, procurement, human resources, and project management. The cluster has supported projects in the areas of water resource management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and transparency, energy access and distribution, and environmental conservation under the Paris Agreement. The WEC has also supported operations and financial management services, in Vienna, the rest of the ECR region, and beyond. The main partners include UN agencies, bilateral agreements (with the Nordics, Germany, and Italy), the Green Climate Fund, and several NGOs (such as CIFF and CWF). 

The NDC Partnership: 

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each country’s strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnership’s work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnership’s work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).  

Country Context

Lesotho submitted its first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (UNFCCC) in 2017. The country has now embarked on the process of updating and revising its NDC as per the requirements of the Paris Agreement with support from UNDP and UNOPS ICAT. The Government is keen on developing frameworks and implementing climate action in response to the increased need for climate change action, both for mitigation and adaptation purposes. This requires the Government to secure an NDC implementation plan together with an investment portfolio that considers their national context and aspirations to ensure that climate projects are sustainably financed and implemented. 

Lesotho needs considerable financial and technical support from the international community to implement its climate targets as put in the NDC. 

To enable the government to increase the understanding of the climate actions that need to be implemented together with their costing per sector, we seek the services of a climate investment advisor to elaborate a costed NDC implementation plan and an NDC investment plan. The embedded climate investment advisor will support the coordination of government efforts of mobilising climate finance for the implementation of Lesotho's NDC. The guiding tools for this work are the NDC Partnership’s NDC investment planning guide and the online NDC partnership plan tool.

Institutional Arrangement

The embedded climate investment advisor will work and report directly under the supervision of the NDC Partnership Regional Manager. S/He will work in close cooperation with the focal points in the Lesotho Meteorological Services in the Ministry of Defense, National Security and Environment, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the NDC Partnership Support Unit. 

S/He will support the Government of Lesotho in developing a costed NDC implementation plan together with its investment plan. The advisor will build the capacity of staff in the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Lesotho Meteorological Services to assess the current climate investment status, the barriers, opportunities and make policy recommendations that will strengthen the climate investment environment in Lesotho.

The role requires full time engagement to support the Government of Lesotho in their NDC update and implementation efforts. It is estimated that the advisor will work for approximately 220 days per year.

The roles and responsibilities will include: 

• Advanced degree and experience in climate change, economics, finance, natural resources, livelihoods, environment or related fields.  

• Bachelor degree in related discipline in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

• Five years professional experience in public and private sectors, ideally related to project finance or blended financing in development institutions, equity and impact funds, other financial institutions, and advisory firms.  

• Two years of substantial experience in business development, capital raising, and/or developing public-private partnerships with a successful record of accomplishment in climate finance related activities across multiple contexts in a multi-cultural environment.  

• Excellent writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills across a range of stakeholders, including senior financial institution or governmental leadership.  

• Ability to develop project proposals, including financial strategies for capital improvement projects. 

• Strong understanding of global environment and development issues that influence resource allocation by governments and development organizations.  

Asset

• Experience in the design and implementation of climate change related project 

• Experience across multiple global contexts, and an understanding of international policy debates and challenges in climate finance and economics 

• Experience working with government stakeholders in national and/or regional policy development and implementation in climate change activities.

• Proven ability to network and develop partnerships across a range of stakeholders and record of accomplishment of managing complex multi-stakeholder strategies and plans.

• Demonstrated experience in relationship management with senior leaders and high-level audiences.

• Proficiency in written and spoken English is required.

Contract type: ICA

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.