Job Title : Regional Technical Specialist (Environment & Climate) - Co-Terminus
ID : 35141
Location : ISTANBUL
Date of issue : 04/07/2026
Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 04/27/2026
Organizational Unit : Envir. Climate Gender & Incl.
Full/Part Time : Full-Time
Regular/Temporary : Regular
Assignment Duration : 2 Years
Grade : P-3
Organizational Setting
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.
The Office of Technical Delivery is responsible for providing expert technical guidance to IFAD teams engaged in the design and implementation of projects and programmes to deliver the high technical quality investments that facilitate rural transformation, and which comply with IFAD's mandate and operational policies. The Office ensures IFAD applies and disseminates state-of-the-art knowledge in its investments and evidence on strategic themes and encourages the innovative application of global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments. This helps countries tackle complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation including mainstreaming areas. The Office of Technical Delivery (OTD) is led by a Managing Director and is comprised of two (2) divisions: the Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) and the Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI).
The Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) leads the mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes of environment and climate, gender, nutrition, youth, disability and indigenous peoples into IFAD's portfolio, and the implementation of social, environment and climate safeguards (SECAP), to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes. ECG takes the technical lead to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes ensuring that IFAD's operations are environmentally sustainable, climate change resilient, nutrition sensitive and inclusive of marginalized groups (particularly women, rural youth, Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities.) In addition to strengthening the technical quality of operations, ECG provides its technical expertise in corporate strategies, policy engagement, resource mobilization, knowledge generation, and partnerships.
ECG is led by a Divisional Director and is comprised of four clusters: Environment and Climate (ECC), Climate and Environment External funds (CEF), Social Inclusion (SI) and Safeguards (SECAP).
Job Role
The incumbent is a seasoned professional in a specialized thematic area, reporting either to a more senior Technical Specialist or to the divisional Director. At this level Technical Specialists independently analyse technical and policy problems of concern to IFAD, intergovernmental bodies, and national authorities and provide substantive technical input to the development of policies, technical strategies and proposals and project implementation. The incumbent may work collaboratively with the thematic Technical Specialists, Country Directors and other staff to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support.
Position specifics: The Regional Technical Specialist (Environment & Climate) is a seasoned professional in environment and climate domains. The position is located in IFAD Multi-country Office in Istanbul to provide an oversight function to countries in Central Asia and Europe and provides a technical advisory role to the NEN Region
- Near East, North Africa, Europe, and Central Asia as a whole. The Regional Technical Specialist (Environment and Climate) supports the development and implementation of IFAD and supplementary financed projects. The incumbent provides technical input and coordination support across the environment and climate portfolio and pipeline, ensuring consistency with relevant policies and operational procedures. The officer supports regional and country teams throughout the project cycle, contributing to technical design, implementation, and reporting. This role focuses on operational delivery and project support, while contributing to technical quality and alignment with IFAD and Environment and Climate Funds processes.
Key Functions and Results
1.TECHNICAL ADVICE: On the basis of seasoned technical knowledge and analysis of current thematic conditions, emerging development challenges and the state of rural poverty at the assigned country, regional and global levels, the incumbent provides sound technical advice to improve IFAD's s capacity to address rural poverty, to support national programmes and to enhance IFAD's reputation as a trusted and valued partner. Accountabilities may include:
- Providing relevant technical expertise in the identification, elaboration and assessment of technical opportunities, proposals and feasibility studies for development projects and programmes and monitoring their execution, in accordance with existing organization guidelines;
- Participating in Project Development Teams (PDTs) and providing technical, analytical inputs to IFAD country strategic opportunity papers (COSOPs), project designs as well as to other policy documents related to rural development and poverty reduction; and
- Participating in project missions as necessary and pilot methods of analysis for IFAD projects Review proposals for small and large grants as required.
2. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The incumbent enhances the development of viable and sustainable policy and project development at the country-level and supports regional thematic input through seasoned technical knowledge sharing for the area of specialization. The incumbent will ensure country-level access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthen national technical capacity and establish new knowledge and advisory partnerships. Accountabilities may include:
- Sharing knowledge and experiences generated through activities such as analytical studies and regional grants with colleagues in the country programme as well as the division;
- Conducting relevant knowledge development and dissemination with institutions outside of IFAD, within the region concerned and national Institutions, disseminating knowledge and lessons learned with peers, counterparts and stakeholders through drafting of Occasional Papers, journal articles, seminars and workshops, through electronic media (e.g. web resource platforms and social media) and the development of new knowledge products and operational tools that are informed by learning from the field; and
- Participating in IFAD-wide thematic discussions and developing appropriate technical and operation approaches of relevance to the country/divisional strategies and programmes.
3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION: The incumbent establishes and maintains a network of peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to keep up-to-date on activities at the country and regional levels, to support joint advocacy and for knowledge sharing to enhance the Fund's profile as a highly competent and viable partner in development. Accountabilities may include:
- Building partnerships with complementary technical organizations, NGOs, and specialized departments of other development agencies as potential operational and strategic partners at regional and country levels
- Strengthening IFAD's representation and communication in technical issues in the relevant thematic area (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences I); and
- Mobilizing new resources for IFAD, in collaboration with the RBMO, through partnerships and outreach activities.
4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING: The incumbent contributes to managing the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of technical activities and components of programs/projects in order to enhance country level programme and funding decisions based on accurate technical data. Accountabilities may include:
- Developing monitoring and evaluation criteria for technical components of programmes and projects;
- Implementing performance monitoring systems and new approaches to performance monitoring; and
- Preparing analytical findings and reports for divisional and country-level decision making on project viability and sustainability.
5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The incumbent is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes:
- People Management and evaluation of performance of consultants and staff under their purview.
- Resource Management by providing technical expertise for programme development, and Knowledge and Content Management by ensuring that:
- Knowledge content within specialty/thematic area is continuously updated and available through the intranet
- Best practices are continuously identified, documented and made available to clients and peers through the inter-/intra-net
- Ensuring appropriate and up-to-date information and learning tools are available.
Position specifics:
Specifically, the Regional technical Specialist (Environment & Climate)
- s main responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Providing technical expertise and advice on environment, natural resources management and climate aspects in operations, during design to ensure quality at entry assessment of technical opportunities, proposals and during implementation by actively participating in missions, feasibility studies for development projects and programmes related to environment and climate.
- Providing high quality technical expertise in undertaking social, environment and climate risk and impact assessments consistent with Social, Environment and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP) to Country Strategic Opportunity papers (COSOPs) and investments funded through IFAD's Programme of Loans and Grants (PoLG) and supplementary funds.
- Mobilising new green financing to co-finance or blend with Programme of Loans and Grants through partnership with partners such as the Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, and the Adaptation Fund.
Key Performance Indicators
Assignments require the provision of seasoned technical expertise and input for the full programme/project cycle as well as in knowledge sharing with peers and counterparts. The work goes beyond technical analysis and synthesis to include substantive inputs to project methodology and design of projects, knowledge sharing among peers and counterparts to enhance cooperation, complementarity and synergy and monitoring and evaluation to measure and report on lessons learned and best practices. The work is considered moderately complex requiring in-depth technical analysis and reporting. Typically operating as a technical specialist at the country or regional levels, the Technical Specialist's work may be reviewed for technical accuracy, but more typically is reviewed for achieving the established work plan.
Working Relationships
The work relationships of Officers are primarily for the exchange of information regarding development projects. Information-gathering and exchange in support of studies and thematic assignments may also include identifying reliable sources and establishing guidelines for obtaining information on national and regional levels; conditions and to convey methodological approaches and operational experience for implementation of activities undertaken on behalf of the Fund.
Position specifics: The incumbent works in close cooperation with Technical Specialist for Youth, Gender, Indigenous peoples, Nutrition as well as with other Technical Specialists and Country Directors to ensure consistency, cohesion, and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support facilitating knowledge flows and building of communities of practice.
Job Profile Requirements
Organizational Competencies: Level 1:
- Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
- Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and other
- Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
- Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
- Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
- Managing performance and developing staff
- Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
- Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
- Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
- Team working - Contributes effectively to the team
Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) from an accredited institution, in fields related to development, environment, natural resources management, economics, or chemical/bio/civil/industrial engineering
- Areas - development, environment, natural resources management, chemical/bio/civil/industrial engineering. or other job-related fields
- Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php
Experience:
- At least five (5) years progressively responsible experience in, and demonstrated understanding of, development initiatives in the field of specialization and experience in the formulation, monitoring, management, supervision or evaluation of development /environment projects and initiatives.
- Three (3) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope.
- Two years or more of professional field experience in the region is an asset.
- Previous experience with designing, monitoring and reporting instruments of international environment/climate funds such as GEF, AF and GCF an asset.
- Experience in designing and implementing environmental safeguards and environmental impact assessments an asset.
Languages:
- Required: English (4
- Excellent)
- Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 - Good)
Skills:
- Advocacy: Ability to leverage IFAD knowledge and/or communication materials to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD`s vision and strategic priorities to external actors
- IFAD governance & mandate: In depth knowledge of IFAD`s governance structure, mandate, strategic priorities and technical work
- Knowledge strategy & management: Extensive expertise in knowledge management & dissemination strategies
- Policy dialogue: Know-how in the representation of IFAD as a trusted and strategic partner; effective consultations with IFAD counterparts - like ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society
- Analytical skills: Outstanding ability to analyse and synthesize qualitative and/or quantitative information from a variety of sources and filter out key insights and recommendations
- Basic ICT & digital fluency: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. in-depth, computer information systems, including micro-computer operating systems software, hardware and applications software and other office technology equipment), end-user computing configuration management
- Collaboration: Successfully work toward a common goal with others by communicating clearly, actively listening to others, taking responsibility for mistakes, and respecting different perspectives of stakeholders.
- Political acumen: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
- Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management
- Social & Environmental Safeguards: Know-how in Social & Environmental compliance as specified in the IFAD's Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP)
- Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
- Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)
- Cross-cutting themes - Environment & climate change: Expertise specific to the environment and climate change cross-cutting theme (e.g. climate and environmental policy, biodiversity, agroecology)
Position specific:
- Good knowledge of environmental management, natural resource management, climate change and climate-related impact on rural development in the region required.
- Proven ability to write and edit clear and concise technical reports and to prepare summaries/information materials for different stakeholders and audiences (management, donors, policymakers, etc.) required.
Other Information
Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.
In accordance with IFAD
- s provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD
- s remuneration package, please visit IFAD
- s compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements. See here Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.
In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.
IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its IFAD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and IFAD policy to preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse
Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org