Senior Climate Change Officer - ONEC3 at African Development Bank - AfDB

The mission of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change (ONEC) is to spearhead the Bank’s lending and non-lending operations in the areas of energy, environment and climate change. It will support mainstreaming of environment and climate change into Bank’s operations as well as lead on advocacy, advice and evaluation of lessons learned for incorporation into policy and programmes development. 

Through its Environment and Climate Change Division (ONEC.3), the Department will identify, design and implement environment and climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes and projects.  These will either be stand alone or as components of other Bank Group support operations. ONEC.3 also serves as the primary climate finance platform for the Bank Group.

ONEC.3 is also responsible for implementing the Bank’s environmental/social policies procedures, and guidelines, including review/monitoring of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), Strategic Environmental and Social Assessments (SESA), Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) documents,  and requesting validation of project’s environmental and social categorization and submission of ESIA, ESMP, ESMF and RAP summaries for clearance by the Bank’s Environmental and Social Safeguards unit (ORQR.3); and ensuring compliance with Bank policy on disclosure.

Duties and responsibilities

The Senior Climate Change Specialist (ONEC.3) will work under the general supervision and guidance of the Manager, Environment and Climate Change (ONEC.3). His/her core duties/responsibilities will include the following:

Policies, strategy, and frameworks:

• Contribute to the development of Bank policies and strategies in close collaboration with other Bank experts.
• Review and contribute to the mainstreaming climate change and green growth into projects and/or initiatives developed by Bank experts in departments within and outside of the Vice Presidency for Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration (OIVP).

Project management:

• Support Department’s staff in identifying, preparing and implementing programs, projects and project’s components to address climate change issues and climate change readiness.
• Operationalize the Green Climate Fund (GCF) within the Bank by identifying sound activities and investments and developing the Bank’s portfolio of programmes and projects in sectors that enable climate change mitigation and/or adaptation.
• Support Department’s staff in supervising programs, projects and project’s components to address climate change, including responding to monitoring and reporting project cycle requirements.

Resource Mobilization:

• Contribute to the coordination of existing Climate Funds within the Bank and develop the Bank-GCF partnership.
• Support the mobilization of resources for the implementation of climate change interventions by developing partnerships with existing sources of finance, international conventions, and donors.
• Help RMCs and Sponsors access Climate Finance tools, and help develop and implement Bank’s in-house financial tools.

Knowledge Development:

• Keep on top of climate change issues by being well informed of evolving steps with respect to the climate change international agenda; and,
• Undertake any other task as the Director ONEC and/or the Manager ONEC.3 may assign.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• At least a Master’s degree in disciplines related to climate change, international finance, development economics. 
•  A minimum of five (5) years relevant and practical professional experience related to climate change / climate finance, energy sector, project and portfolio management (business development, co-financing, project cycle), resources mobilization, strategy formulation.
• Good knowledge of Multilateral Development Bank’s rules and procedures related to project management and good understanding of MDBs type of interventions.
• Good knowledge of and experience on the African continent.
• Proven writing and analytical skills in designing relevant operations; ability to initiate innovative approaches and originality at work; sound analytic, conceptual and strategic thinking.
• Updated knowledge of the critical environment and climate change issues.
• Proven ability for team-working and multi-tasking; great facilitation, communication and computational skills; resourcefulness, attention to details and client orientation.
• Flexibility to undertake field missions to Regional Member Countries; and,
•  Written and verbal communications skills in both English and French are desirable.