Technical Advisor - Fiscal and Climate Policy

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

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 advancing the Paris Agreement by strengthening capacity and collaboration for country-owned climate and development action. 

With over 270 members, including over 140 countries and more than 120 institutions, the NDC Partnership aligns partner support behind country priorities, builds shared knowledge and generates evidence to inform effective NDC implementation, sustained investment and higher ambition that drives sustainable development. Working through a country-driven model, countries set the agenda by identifying their NDC priorities, and partners deliver coordinated, high-impact support that increases efficiency and reduces duplication. 

The NDC Partnership has unmatched insight into on-the-ground climate realities, drawn from diverse expertise and collaborative learning across its membership. Grounded in country action, these insights shape the global climate agenda.

The NDC Partnership Support Unit is jointly hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). 

The Technical Advisor on Fiscal and Climate Policy will provide specialized analytical, policy, and coordination support to the Ministry of Finance to strengthen the integration of climate considerations into fiscal and macroeconomic planning. The advisor will work closely with relevant directorates to develop practical tools, enhance institutional capacities, and provide technical analysis and inputs to support evidence-based fiscal and economic policymaking aligned with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments, EU Green Agenda requirements, and national development priorities.

The Advisor will work under the overall supervision of the NDC Partnership Support Unit (UNOPS/WEC) and work closely with the designated focal point within the Ministry of Finance on the day-to-day technical activities. The Ministry of Finance will review technical deliverables, while the NDC Partnership Support Unit will be responsible for technical validation, contract management, coordination, and quality assurance. The Advisor will work closely with designated focal points within the Ministry of Finance, as well as relevant institutions including the Ministry of Ecology and other stakeholders. The NDC Partnership Support Unit will provide coordination and oversight support.

The Technical Advisor will provide specialized technical support to strengthen the Ministry of Finance’s capacity to integrate climate change considerations into fiscal and macroeconomic planning. Embedded within the Ministry of Finance, the Advisor will support the identification of needs and the development of analytical tools and modelling frameworks to assess climate-related fiscal risks, evaluate the economic impacts of mitigation and adaptation measures, and inform evidence-based policy decisions aligned with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments and EU accession requirements. The role will provide technical support to enhance the Ministry’s capacity to incorporate climate considerations into public financial management and contribute to coordination with relevant institutions

The Ministry of Finance will review key deliverables, provide access to relevant data and stakeholders, and support coordination across institutions, while the NDC Partnership Support Unit will be responsible for technical validation of key deliverables. 

If the selected candidate is international, the assignment will be primarily home-based; however periodic missions to Montenegro may be required to ensure effective in-person engagement with key stakeholders, deliver capacity-building activities, and support the operationalization of technical outputs. 

• This is a retainer national vacancy/position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days, with possibility of an extension depending on satisfactory performance and on availability of funds. 

• This is a Home based 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. 

• The contract modality (Local ICA or International ICA) will be evaluated based on the nationality, residence permit and Duty Station of the preferred candidate.  

• For internationally based Advisor, up to two missions per year to Montenegro, with each mission lasting up to one week, are expected, subject to agreement with the Ministry of Finance and the NDC Partnership.

The purpose of this role is to strengthen the Ministry of Finance’s capacity to integrate climate change considerations into fiscal policy, macroeconomic planning, and public financial management. The Advisor will provide targeted technical, analytical, and coordination support to identify institutional needs and progressively develop tools, models, and evidence-based policy recommendations that enhance the government’s ability to assess climate-related fiscal risks, support the application of climate considerations in budgeting processes, and implement Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments. Working as an embedded expert within the Ministry, the Advisor will also facilitate effective collaboration between key national institutions and development partners, supporting alignment with EU Green Agenda requirements and advancing Montenegro’s transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy.

• Provide input to support alignment of fiscal policy, public financial management, and macroeconomic planning with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments, EU Green Agenda requirements, and national development priorities. 
• Conduct a diagnostic phase, including workshops and technical consultations with relevant Ministry of Finance directorates, to map existing macro and fiscal methodologies, institutional processes, data availability, and tools. Deliver a diagnostic report identifying gaps, institutional needs, and priority areas for integrating climate-related risks into macroeconomic and fiscal analysis.
• Identify institutional needs and priorities for macro-fiscal climate integration, and provide technical support for their progressive incorporation into planning processes, and identify and prioritize the core policy questions to answer through tools or models (e.g. macroeconomic impacts, fiscal risk exposure, revenue and expenditure implications), recognizing that different tools may be needed for different questions. 
• Develop a proposed phased approach for the development and application of decision-support tools, models, or frameworks, for review and validation by the Ministry of Finance
• Develop macroeconomic or fiscal assessment tool, either macroeconomic or fiscal in nature, such as a fiscal stress-testing instrument or a climate-related revenue/expenditure impact assessment tool, with supporting documentation. Facilitate its testing, calibration, and refinement through applied use cases, including hands-on support during in-country missions to pilot, train, and operationalize the tool within the Ministry of Finance.   
• Prepare a technical and operational manual, including data requirements, assumptions, and periodic update procedures. Prepare the documentation supports long-term applicability and institutionalization of the tool(s). 
• Strengthen institutional capacity within the Ministry of Finance by delivering targeted trainings, workshops, and guidance on climate fiscal policy, climate risk integration, and evidence-based macroeconomic analysis and usage of the macroeconomic or fiscal assessment tool – which at least one staff from the MoF should be able to operate without the consultant by end of the contract. 
• Support policy development through analytical papers, policy briefs, and guidance notes on climate-related fiscal risks, carbon pricing, climate-responsive public investment, and green public finance reforms where possible, co-authored by government staff. 
• Support coordination between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, and other institutions to ensure coherent implementation of fiscal and climate policies. 
• Participate in technical working groups and inter-ministerial platforms, presenting analyses and recommendations to senior government officials and relevant stakeholders. 
• Provide ongoing technical inputs to the Ministry of Finance and the NDC Partnership as required, provide alignment with broader public finance reform efforts and international climate commitments. 
• Undertake periodic in-country missions to Montenegro, if required depending on the location of the selected Advisor (up to two missions per year, with each mission lasting up to one week for internationally based Advisors), to support stakeholder consultations, deliver trainings and workshops, validate analytical outputs, and ensure effective coordination with government counterparts and development partners.

Key expected results  

The Technical Advisor on Fiscal and Climate Policy will provide specialized analytical, policy, and coordination support to the Ministry of Finance to strengthen the integration of climate considerations into fiscal and macroeconomic planning. Provide technical analysis and inputs to support evidence-based fiscal and economic policymaking aligned with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments, EU Green Agenda requirements, and national development priorities. 

Key functions include:

• Diagnostic of institutional needs, data systems, and priority policy questions to guide climate-fiscal integration.
• Development and piloting of an initial decision-support tool, calibrated for short-term use and institutional uptake.
• Demonstrated transfer to one or more staff members from the Ministry of Finance. 
• Strengthened methodologies, models, and processes for climate risk assessment in both macroeconomic and fiscal planning contexts.
• Improved integration of climate change into fiscal, budgetary, and economic policy formulation.
• Improved technical coordination and information exchange among relevant institutions in support of NDC 3.0 implementation. 
• Increased technical capacity within the Ministry of Finance to sustain climate-informed policymaking beyond the duration of the assignment.
• Effective delivery of technical support, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement through virtual collaboration and, where required, in-person engagement during missions to Montenegro.

Required

• Master's degree preferably in economics, Applied Economics, Development Economics, Public Finance, Fiscal Policy, Macroeconomics, Public Administration, or a closely related field.  
• Bachelor’s degree in related discipline with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience (7 total) may be accepted instead of an advanced university degree.

Desired

• PhD in a relevant field is an asset.
• Specialized training or certification in macroeconomic modelling, fiscal risk analysis, climate finance, or public financial management.
  
  

Required

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following areas: public financial management, fiscal policy (including design), macroeconomic analysis, modelling or planning, and/or climate-related economic analysis or modelling. This experience should preferably have been gained in ministries of finance, central banks, or multilateral institutions.
• Proven capacity to develop, apply, or guide the use of tools or models for decision-making, such as fiscal stress testing instruments, revenue/expenditure impact assessments, or macroeconomic scenario analysis related to climate risks.
• Demonstrated experience in providing technical and analytical support to government ministries (preferably Ministries of Finance, Economy, or Planning) in policy design, implementation, or capacity development related to climate-fiscal reforms or climate investment planning

Desired

• Experience working in Southeast Europe, Western Balkans, or EU candidate countries, with familiarity in EU Green Agenda requirements.
• Familiarity with analytical tools and frameworks used for climate-informed fiscal policy, such as stress-testing models, climate budget tagging, or long-term expenditure forecasting.
• Working knowledge of frameworks such as IMF’s Climate-PIMA, fiscal risk assessment tools, climate budget tagging, or macroeconomic projection platforms used by governments or IFIs.
• Familiarity with EU Green Agenda requirements and their implications for macroeconomic and fiscal planning
• Experience working with Ministries of Finance, international financial institutions, or in policy advisory roles at the intersection of climate and economic planning.
• Good communication skills.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

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