Climate Change Specialist

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations, and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination
• All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

Organizational Setting

The Investment Centre Division (CFI) promotes investment in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing in developing countries and countries in transition, assisting governments and country stakeholders, main development partners, in particular international financing institutions with the strategic planning and implementation of their investments to achieve food security and nutrition, make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more sustainable and productive, reduce rural poverty, make food value chains more efficient and inclusive and promote climate change adaptation and/or mitigation.

CFI is a multidisciplinary division composed of four regionally focused services, namely Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Service, Asia and the Pacific Service, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Service, and Near East, North Africa and West Africa Service.

The purpose of this call is to provide FAO’s Investment Centre (CFI) with qualified candidates in the field of climate change and climate-smart agriculture. The contract can be home based with required travel for field missions.

Reporting Lines

The Climate Change Specialist will work under the overall technical supervision of the Service Chief and the direct supervision of a CFI Officer, in close collaboration with the FAO Representation in the relevant country of assignment, and with the FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment.

Technical Focus

Provision of technical advice or expertise and capacity development for the identification and design of investment operations, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to mobilize resources for climate change adaptation and/or mitigation in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing in developing countries and countries in transition.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Lead, or participate in, multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the assessment and preparation of investment operations in the fields of climate change adaptation and/or mitigation, and participate in identification, pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Advise governments, or provide technical expertise, in the preparation of climate change adaptation and/or mitigation studies and strategies.
• Based on available and peer reviewed literature (including National Communications to the UNFCCC), remote sensing data and local data from national meteorological services, develop full climate change rationales including a sound and precise description of climate trends, projections, impacts, exposure, sensitivity and vulnerability of agriculture, fishery, forestry. This includes, (i) modelling climate dynamics; (ii) assessing the physical and biophysical impacts of climate change; and (iii) evaluating the vulnerability of livelihoods to climate change. The climate rationales will also include a detailed description of GHG emission, their reporting as well as their projections. The climate rationale will be part of the design of investment operations for climate change adaptation and/or mitigation funded by the Green Climate Fund and other potential donors.
• Provide advice on investment proposals (for various financiers, including Green Climate Fund, other donors, and/or other International Financial Institutions) as needed, specifically for climate change adaptation and mitigation options. Suggest transformational, low-carbon and climate resilient pathways, and support the project design team in the identification of relevant indicators to measure attributable results;
• Contribute, as part of CFI multidisciplinary teams, to written outputs such as the development of feasibility studies and technical annexes to funding proposals; and to the quality review and assurance processes of the respective partner international financial institutions
• Support project design teams (or team leaders) in screening and selecting investment options suitable to respond effectively to the climate scenario, in support of climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Provide reviews on proposals in the fields of climate change adaptation and/or mitigation developed by CFI for quality enhancement;
• Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in environmental sciences, earth science, and climatology or in a related field
• Ten years of relevant experience in Academia, International Organizations, Impact Funds or Non-Governmental Organisations, in conducting analytical studies related to the impacts of climate change on the agriculture sector;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of either French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in participating in, or leading, multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation climate change adaptation and/or mitigation investment operations;
• Extent and relevance of experience in climate change adaptation and/or mitigation analytical studies, projects and programmes design / evaluation;
• Extent and relevance of experience in investment design, implementation support and evaluation procedures of FAO’s main development partners, in particular the GCF, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank or the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD);
• Working experience with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with GIS/remote sensing tools and GIS analysis, especially in developing countries and/or countries in transition, would be an asset;
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with government officials, development partners and other country level stakeholders;
• Excellent drafting skills and capacity to synthesize;
• Relevance of experience in different geographical areas.
• Knowledge of Portuguese would be an asset.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency