Job Highlight
The Finance Senior Advisor will support UNOPS to identify, develop and advance climate finance opportunities through technical advice, partnerships, project development and institutional capacity building.
Role Purpose
The Climate Finance Senior Advisor will provide strategic and technical support to the Technical Services Unit and its partners in responding to opportunities in the climate and climate finance space. These may comprise project managers of existing or forthcoming projects, donor and government partners, as well as the TSU personnel themselves.
Functions / Key Results Expected
Reporting to the Technical Services Unit Manager, the Advisor will be responsible for the following key functions and deliverables:
Climate Finance Positioning
Identify thematic and geographic entry points for UNOPS engagement in climate finance, including climate adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, clean energy transition, fragile and conflict-affected contexts, drought- and desertification-prone areas, rapidly urbanising cities, coastal regions and transboundary ecosystems. Review ongoing climate-related projects and programmes across UNOPS country, regional and global portfolios to identify synergies, gaps and opportunities for stronger climate finance engagement. Analyse current climate-related portfolios approved by major donors and funding instruments that are lagging in implementation, and identify strategic entry points for UNOPS to support and facilitate effective delivery. Advise on positioning UNOPS with key global and regional climate financing mechanisms, including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Global Environment Facility, Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, Climate Investment Funds, multilateral development banks, bilateral donors and philanthropic organisations. Assess opportunities arising from UNOPS Global Portfolio-managed initiatives, including the NDC Partnership, the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency, and the Santiago Network. Review the priorities of climate funds and financing institutions against UNOPS capabilities and define a menu of potential engagement opportunities. Identify donor priorities, funding trends and emerging financing mechanisms and align them with UNOPS capabilities and strategic priorities.
Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement
Conduct a stakeholder and donor landscape analysis, including climate finance readiness needs of governments, key regional institutions, UN entities, and development partners. Support the development of partner engagement approaches and identify potential collaboration pathways with climate finance providers, regional institutions and other strategic partners. Provide strategic advice for engagement with Ministries of Finance, Environment, Climate Change, Energy, Planning and other relevant government institutions globally.
Technical Advisory and Capacity Building
Advise on institutional readiness and internal capacity requirements for UNOPS to access, manage and deliver climate finance. Develop tools, templates, and training materials for UNOPS teams to enhance their understanding of climate financing mechanisms and proposal development. Review and provide quality assurance for climate-related concept notes, expressions of interest, funding proposals and other technical submissions Deliver capacity-building sessions, technical briefings and mentoring to relevant UNOPS teams.
Pipeline Development Support
Identify, screen and prioritise climate finance opportunities across UNOPS sectors and portfolios. Support identification and conceptualization of project opportunities aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other relevant national strategies and plans; donor priorities and regional climate goals. Provide recommendations on structuring consortia or partnerships for co-financing opportunities. Support the integration of climate finance components into existing or pipeline UNOPS programmes in infrastructure, health, water, energy, livelihoods, and peace & security. Support the preparation of concept notes, expressions of interest, funding proposals and investment cases.
Expected Deliverables
Climate finance opportunity and portfolio assessments, including priority sectors, geographies, financing windows and areas for UNOPS engagement. Stakeholder and donor landscape analysis. Partner engagement materials, including pitch decks, briefing notes and engagement pathways. A pipeline of screened and prioritised climate finance opportunities. Technical input into concept notes, expressions of interest, funding proposals or investment cases. Quality assurance reviews of climate-related proposals and technical submissions. Institutional readiness and capacity gap assessment. Tools and templates for opportunity screening, project design, proposal development and quality assurance. Capacity-building sessions, technical briefings and mentoring for relevant UNOPS teams.
Education Requirements
Required
A Master’s degree or equivalent in climate change, environmental economics, finance, international development, public policy or a related field, with 10 years of relevant experience, is required A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 12 years of relevant experience is required
Required
Experience Requirements
A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in climate finance, development finance or related sectors. Demonstrated experience working with international climate finance mechanisms and multilateral funds, such as the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, Adaptation Fund or Climate Investment Funds.
Desired
Experience engaging with governments, regional institutions, development banks, donors or climate finance institutions is highly desirable. Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, project development and technical advisory work. Familiarity with UN or international development institutions is an asset.