NDC Partnership In-Country Facilitator – Yemen (Partnerships Specialist)- Home-based -Retainer

WEC Background

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. 

WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

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

Yemen, classified as a Least Developed Country (LDC), is among the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world. The country faces severe and growing impacts from climate change, including rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, water scarcity, sea-level rise, and more frequent extreme weather events. These challenges are putting immense strain on already fragile systems and institutions, while critically affecting key sectors such as agriculture, water, health, and coastal livelihoods. The resulting food insecurity, rising poverty levels, and large-scale displacement are compounded by economic disruption, damaged infrastructure, and overstretched public services. Although Yemen contributes only a tiny fraction to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it bears a disproportionate burden of climate impacts.

Despite these significant challenges, Yemen has strong potential for a green transition. The country is endowed with substantial renewable energy resources—particularly solar and wind—that can be harnessed to expand energy access and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. In parallel, scaling up climate-resilient agriculture, ecosystem-based adaptation, and nature-based solutions can help strengthen community resilience and support sustainable livelihoods. Investing in these areas not only addresses urgent climate risks but also contributes to long-term economic recovery, inclusive development, and increased stability.

In November 2015, Yemen prepared and submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), which outlined a target to reduce GHG emissions by 1% unconditionally and an additional 14% conditional upon international support, below the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario by 2030. However, due to the ongoing conflict and associated institutional and technical constraints, the INDC has not yet been updated to a formal Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Updating and implementing the NDC is not only a strategic climate priority but also a vital tool to support Yemen’s path toward economic recovery, sustainable growth, and enhanced access to international climate finance and cooperation.

With support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the NDC Partnership, the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) is currently leading efforts to develop and submit Yemen’s first official NDC under the NDC 3.0 framework. The deployment of an In-Country Facilitator will play a key role in advancing this process by strengthening cross-sectoral coordination, building institutional capacity, and ensuring inclusive stakeholder engagement—so that the updated NDC reflects Yemen’s national development priorities, climate vulnerabilities, just transition and green transition potential.

The incumbent will serve as the NDC Partnership’s interface in the country and operate as a liaison between the country and other NDC Partnership members. The role is one of coordination and supportive facilitation. They play a key role in ensuring the smooth implementation of the Country Engagement Process, by supporting ongoing coordination efforts between the Support Unit of the NDC Partnership, the various partners of the Partnership, and the government of Yemen. 

The incumbent will support the Ministry of Water and Environment.  He\She will be responsible for strengthening national coordination in terms of resource mobilization and monitoring the implementation of the NDC. The Facilitator will support the focal point of the Partnership in their daily tasks of implementing the NDC and other forms of support for the NDC implementation.  

The embedded facilitator will implement all tasks under the direct supervision of the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist and work closely with the country’s NDC Focal Point, the Climate Change Unit, and will also collaborate with different ministerial offices. This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days, with the possibility of an extension as agreed with MWE.

* This is a Homebased position, meaning that the incumbent will not work from a UNOPS office but from the government facilities. Therefore, the incumbent will need to use his/her own laptop and software.

** As this is a Local Position, in order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Yemen or have a valid residence permit in the Country.  

*** Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

• A master’s degree preferably in public policy, development, climate change, natural resource management, environmental management, and any other relevant field of study. 
• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience (7 total) may be accepted instead of an advanced university degree.

• Proficiency in English and Arabic is required

• 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.