Programme Specialist / Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster Lead - 20078

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Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is the United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. 

In Moldova, UNDP is the leading development partner in the area of environment and climate change. UNDP activities in the areas of climate change, environment and energy range from provision of support for development of environment-friendly and climate-sensitive national and local policies and legal frameworks to the piloting of on-the-ground solutions enabling modernization of respective sectors, as well as technology transfer and alignment with the commitments assumed under the 32 multilateral environmental conventions, protocols and agreements to which Moldova is party, as well as EU accession agenda. 

While the main beneficiaries of policy and legal frameworks are the central and local public authorities, through the piloted demonstration projects UNDP is reaching out to NGOs, urban and rural communities and the private sector to increase their capacities for climate change adaptation and mitigation, through: capacity building of climate resilience, through women empowerment in rural areas, climate education in schools across Moldova, access to affordable renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, disaster risk reduction and climate-smart cities through innovative solutions and new technologies.

The Programme Specialist analyses political, social and economic trends and leads planning, formulation, management, monitoring and evaluation of country programme activities within his/her portfolio, as well as provides strategic policy advice support in the thematic sub-areas of Climate Change and Energy Cluster, while maintaining consistency with the UNDP Country Program Document 2023-2027 priorities.

The Programme Specialist pursues active collaboration and coordination with other thematic and operational teams in UNDP Country Office to ensure integrated programmatic and policy response and inter-team coherence. With an increased tendency of UNDP moving to providing integrated programmatic responses to emerging challenges, the Program Specialist is expected to effectively work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

The Programme Specialist is responsible for mobilizing joint advocacy, expertise and resources across UNDP global and regional initiatives in the fields of his/her responsibility, engaging with global and regional networks, and connecting with cooperating partners, academia, NGOs and private sector in involving them to successfully implement UNDP interventions. 

Postion Purpose

Under the guidance of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, the Program Specialist serves as an advisor to Senior Management and manages the UNDP programme portfolio in the area of Climate Change, Environment and Energy. 

Programme management responsibilities include heading and supervising the programme team in strategic planning, identifying new programme areas and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, monitoring and guiding programme implementation to ensure consistency with UNDP Country Program Document 2023-2027 priorities.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Provides UNDP leadership in policy development and provision of high-quality technical and policy advisory services relevant to Climate Change, Environment and Energy focus areas to the Government, UN system and other key stakeholders, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Serves as the UNDP focal point for the provision of overall technical and policy advisory support to the government on thematic matters and strategies for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to climate change, environment, and energy areas. 
• As appropriate, connects governance initiatives with climate change, environment, economic or social inclusion efforts in the country, with an aim to promote and advance inclusion of and human rights of vulnerable groups of population.
• Provides top quality technical and policy advisory support to relevant Government institutions and counterparts with focus on strengthening institutional capacity for policy, strategies and programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting. 
• Ensures mainstreaming of governance, human rights-based approach and gender equality considerations into all aspects of the CO’s programmatic interventions. 
• Develops tools for thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to UNDP Country Program Document, UN Common Country Assessment and other analytical and research studies as relevant. 
• Identification of strategic programme areas of cooperation to address development challenges and opportunities through formulating portfolios of projects.
• Operationalization of the UNDP Country Program Document in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies. Identification of possibilities for joint programming. 
• Analysis and presentation of UNDP Climate Change, Environment and Energy policies and their implementation in the UNDP Country Office. 
• CO business processes mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management, control of the workflows in the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster. 

Ensures effective management and implementation of Climate Change, Environment and Energy country programme portfolio and management of the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster team, focusing on the following results: 

• Design and formulation of country programme within thematic areas of responsibility, translating UNDP corporate priorities into local interventions. Coordination of country programme implementation with the executing agencies. Introduction of the programmatic performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets and milestones
• Effective monitoring of results and impact of the country programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the country programme environment, timely re-adjustment of programme. 
• Mainstreaming of a gender perspective across all functional units in UNDP Country Office. 
• Lead and provide management oversight of the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster team, including Project Managers and project staff, as well as substantive backstopping to senior management as required with a view to achieve high performing team.
• Engage in collaborative policy discussions and initiatives with the entire Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster team to ascertain emerging needs and opportunities in the thematic area and sub-areas, to capitalize on new or innovative programme strategies and approaches and to ensure coherence of UNDP country programme.
• Review of individual and teams’ performance and provision of required coaching, guidance, mentoring and empowerment.
• Clearance of donor reports prepared by Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster team members. 
• Organization of cost-recovery system for the services provided by UNDP CO to projects in close collaboration with the Operations Manager. 
• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results. 
• Management of initiation of a project, presentation to PAC, Quantum finalization of contribution agreement; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review. Programme Specialist performs the functions of Manager Level 2 in UNDP ERP system for development projects transactions approval, participates as Hiring Manager in the recruitment processes for Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster projects. 
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions. Participation in audit of nationally implemented projects and follow up on audit and evaluation recommendations. Tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. 

Ensures strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Actively develop strong partnerships with national and international partners (government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, IFIs, private sector, civil society), thus contributing to raising the profile and credibility of UNDP in the area of Climate Change, Environment and Energy.
• Creation and coordination of collaboration with Government, public institutions, UN Agencies, IFI’s, DFIs, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society, etc. 
• Development of close interaction and substantive dialogue with donors, identification of partnership and resource mobilization opportunities, including government cost sharing, and lead for the materialization of those opportunities.
• Ensuring UN and UNDP active role among the development partner community by leading and/or actively engaging in thematic coordination groups in the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Area, and leading relevant thematic UN coordination groups. 
• Preparation and analyses of donor intelligence, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing. Active representation of UNDP and substantive participation in Climate Change, Energy and Environment including just transition, fora and thematic groups involving Government, civil society and development partners. 

Provides top-quality policy advice to the Government and facilitates knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identify and document risks, issues, challenges, lessons learned, and good practices linked to governance and social transformation, draft analysis, report, and policy papers.
• Coordination of development of policies and institutions that will address the country development challenges and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners. Provision of policy advice to senior national stakeholders and institutions. 
• Develop communication products such as op-eds, press releases, case studies, and blogs.
• Establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to international networks. Relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns are implemented with key partners. 
• Strengthen UNDP’s visibility with potential stakeholders through conventional media as well as digital and social media channels and provide efficient communication to all partners in relation to governance and social transformation interventions.
• Contribution to trainings for the operations and projects staff on programmatic issues. 
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervision and performance management of the Country Office Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster Team

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater r
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management Competencies
 

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional and Technical Competencies

• System Thinking:
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
• Strategic Engagement:
  • Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives 
• Knowledge Facilitation:
  • Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
• Client Satisfaction/Management:
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
• Results-Based Management:
  • Ability to manage programme and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
• Project Management:
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Portfolio Management:
  • Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as programme and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental Sciences, Economics, Public Administration, Law, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) In the areas stated above  in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree 

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience, including with leading the teams, at the national and/or international level is required. 
• An international exposure desirable in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects and establishing inter-relationships among an international organization and national governments desired. 
• Proven experience in developing and leading programmatic portfolios in the areas of environment management, energy efficiency, climate change, disaster risk reduction and other relevant field is desired.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies, development partners and donors is required. 
• People management experience is required. 
• Experience with international and UN Organizations will be considered as an asset.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP is required.

Languages: 

• Fluency in English and Romanian is required.
• Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language would be an asset. 

Keywords:

• Development programme
• UN agencies
• Government partnerships
• Results based management
• Project and portfolio management

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
 

Disclaimer
 

Applicant information about UNDP rosters
 

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
 

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  
 

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
 

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