NDC Partnership Climate Finance Expert (Technical Specialist Environmental) at UNOPS

The Climate Finance Expert will report to the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist for Nigeria working closely with Director at the International Economic Relations Department in the Federal Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning and with the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change. The Expert will be compiling monthly and quarterly progress updates for the three institutions and as required by each focal point. The experts will also share the monthly and quarterly reports with the NDC Partnership, following the approval from the relevant focal points.

The following responsibilities are part of the embedded incumbent role:

Scope of Work:
 

• Draft an inception report with a clear work plan approved by the government to strengthen resource mobilization for climate change and technical capacity on climate finance;
• Develop and operationalize a National Climate Finance and Investment Strategy based on the existing draft Climate Finance Strategy.
• Lead the identification and mapping of barriers (technical capacity, human resource, enabling policy environment) to investments related to climate change
• Review the prioritized and costed NDC Implementation Framework and map potential local and international donors to support the interventions.
• Develop a private sector engagement strategy component for climate action.
• Develop and operationalize appropriate financing instruments building on existing financing mechanisms to mobilize climate finance.
• Facilitate and strengthen coordination and collaboration among government and non-state stakeholders to enable effective mobilization of climate finance.
• Provide technical advice to the national framework/policy for Article 6 and related financing instruments.
• Develop and deliver a capacity and national training program on climate finance with an appropriate training manual.
• Lead the process of capacity building in NDC mainstreaming into national development plans, budget, and other strategies, leading to the NDC being mainstreamed into national planning and budgeting processes.
• Lead and support in the alignment of ETP/NDC and related financing opportunities.
• Identify and support alignment of Nigeria’s Net-Zero Investment Plan, Energy Transition Plan, Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy, and related opportunities.
• Convene annual (private sector, NGOs, bilateral and multi-lateral donors) round table meetings on climate financing needs of Nigeria.
• Organize strong private sector engagement and participation in climate action with Nigerian private sector leveraging climate finance opportunities and providing climate finance support.
• Compile monthly and quarterly country updates on climate financing that feed into the NDC IF.

Education/Experience/Language requirements:

Education

• A master’s degree preferably in public finance, resource mobilization, economics, natural resource management or other relevant field of study.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline in combination with an additional 2 years (7 years of experience total) of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

Required

• With a Master’s degree, at least five years’ experience in public finance, private sector and/or NGO sector with a focus on resource mobilization, economics, donor engagement and program development.
• Strong technical experience in resource mobilization for climate-change related projects from different sources and through different mechanisms such as loans, grants, equity, etc.
• Good understanding of Nigeria’s climate change finance policy environment, sectoral coordination, budgeting process and the expert must have a strong understanding of the global climate finance landscape.

Asset

• Experience in the development of proposals and domestic/regional resource mobilization along with the ability to mobilize and strengthen local cooperation for fundraising between agencies, including Government, private sector participants, NGOs and other stakeholders.
• Strong networks with local and/or international donors