Senior Advisor - Loss and Damage

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

The UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) was established in March 2022 to ensure the preservation and continuation of the experience and capacity established through a 30-year working relationship between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Danish Technical University, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, known as the UNEP-DTU Partnership. UNEP-CCC is programmatically guided by UNEP and operationally supported by UNOPS. 

UNEP-CCC is a leading international advisory organization on energy, climate, and sustainable development. Its work focuses on assisting developing countries and emerging economies in transitioning towards low-carbon, climate resilient development pathways and supports the integration of climate action into national development. UNEP-CCC is actively engaged in implementing UNEP’s Climate Change Strategy and Energy Programme by delivering technical assistance and policy advice to developing countries and emerging markets in the context of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Impact Assessment and Adaptation Analysis (IAAA) section is one of five sections at UNEP-CCC. IAAA provides evidence-based assessments of the economic, social, and environmental implications of climate policies and actions. The main focus in the area of impact assessment is on the social, environmental, and economic outcomes of policies and measures at local to global scales, including their contributions to the SDGs and sustainable transitions. In the area of adaptation analysis, the main focus is on the assessment of climate risks and adaptation responses, including on their contribution to achieving adaptation and resilience goals at local to national and global scales, as well as on the analysis of and support for solutions to climate-related losses and damages. 

Loss and Damage (L&D) has become one of the most dynamic topics under the UNFCCC negotiations, leading to the agreement at COP27 to set up a L&D fund in addition to the Santiago Network and Glasgow Dialogue. L&D is also central to the Bridgetown Initiative to reform the Bretton Woods institutions in support of climate action. For a number of years UNEP-CCC has worked on L&D, e.g., to support a stocktake of science, policy, and practice, and to identify priority areas for policy development, country support, and capacity building. Supported by Danida and building on this work, UNEP-CCC is implementing a new initiative to increase awareness, capacity, and policy responses related to the limits of adaptation to climate-related impacts, the drivers and costs of loss and damage, and possible options to manage losses and damages. In 2023 this work will result in a methodological approach that will subsequently be tested in the city case studies.The envisaged overall outcome is increased ability to manage loss and damage at local to national levels.

Reporting to the head of the impact assessment and adaptation analysis section, the main responsibility of the successful candidate will be to provide science-based advice in the context of loss and damage and adaptation, including impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation, policy support, and capacity building at local to national and global levels. The successful candidate is expected to work on a varied portfolio of activities, including project management and coordination, partnership development, data generation, quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as contributing to fundraising, and proposal development in collaboration with other staff as well as other relevant colleagues across UNEP.

Specific areas of work for the Senior Advisor – Loss and Damage will include:

a) strategic inputs regarding the direction and scope of activities;

b) leadership, management, and implementation of projects and other initiatives related to loss and damage; and 

c) fundraising and partnership building and maintenance in the context of loss and damage, climate risks and impacts, vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation.

• Lead the development and implementation of UNEP-CCC’s and UNEP’s strategies, in particular in the area of climate impacts, loss and damage, and adaptation.
• Coordinate the overall strategic discussion of the IAAA section in the context of loss and damage, adaptation, vulnerability, resilience, transparency, climate risks and impacts, etc.
• Lead and develop the  knowledge and capacity building products for loss and damage, adaptation, vulnerability, resilience, transparency, climate risks and impacts, etc.

a. Education 

Candidates should possess a master's degree preferably in Environmental Sciences, Economics, Political Sciences, or other areas with strong relevance to climate change and loss and damage. A Ph.D. with a thesis in a related topic would be an asset. A bachelor’s degree with an additional two (2) years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the master's degree.

b. Experience

• Candidates should have at least seven (7) years of experience in the climate change area, with proven experience in loss and damage and adaptation, as well as M&E. Experience with the UNFCCC and climate policies at national and international levels is a strong  asset.
• Experience in nature-based solutions and mitigation are strong assets.
• Experience working with developing countries and emerging economies is required.     
• Evidence of fundraising and partnership building are strong assets.
• Experience working in an international agency or organization is desirable.

c. Languages

• The working language at UNEP-CCC is English. Fluency in English is required for this position. Fluency in either Spanish and/or French is highly desired. Knowledge of any other UN language is an asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement 
Contract level: IICA 3 / ICS 11
Contract duration: One year (12 months) initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds

• 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.

• Copenhagen, Denmark is a family duty station. 

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.

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.