In-Country Facilitator - Namibia, NDC Partnership (Homebased, 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

Namibia is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and has demonstrated its commitment to global climate action through the publication of its Second Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in April 2023. This NDC outlines Namibia’s ambition to remain a net greenhouse gas sink by 2030 under the Paris Agreement, through a combination of emission reductions and enhanced carbon removals.

The updated NDC, developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), identifies mitigation actions across key sectors such as energy, transport, industry, forestry, and land use, and outlines adaptation measures in agriculture, water, infrastructure, ecosystems, and livelihoods to address the unavoidable impacts of climate change. 

Namibia’s mitigation strategy targets a total reduction of 11.902 MtCO₂e, comprising 7.669 MtCO₂e in emission reductions and 4.213 MtCO₂e in enhanced removals, with an estimated implementation cost of USD 9.05 billion.

Currently, three major climate planning processes are underway: the development of NDC 3.0, the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). As part of the NDC 3.0 process, Namibia is also undertaking the revision of its NDC Implementation Plan and the development of an Investment Plan, with support from UNDP.

To ensure effective delivery, the Government is embedding climate action across all levels of planning and governance. This includes aligning NDC targets with Vision 2030 and integrating them into the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) under the Environmental Sustainability pillar. The country is also updating its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP II) and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets to ensure coherence across national environmental strategies.

The NDC Partnership In-Country Facilitator will play a key role in supporting coordination, stakeholder engagement, and alignment of these climate actions with national development priorities.

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 Namibia. 

The incumbent will support the Environment, Forestry and Tourism. The incumbent 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 will work in close collaboration with the 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 for three (3) years. The incumbent will work closely with the Climate Change Subdivision, and report to the Deputy Director, Multilateral Environmental Agreement /UNFCCC National Focal point of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

* 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, to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Namibia or have a valid residence permit in the Country.  

*** Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

• 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. 

• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.