Job Description
Statement of Duties to be Performed:
Technical Leadership and Advisory Services (40%)
As an experienced and recognized professional in fields related to the impacts of climate change, the Climate and Natural Resource Management Advisor will be responsible for ensuring USG development assistance programming reflects best practices and state-of-the-art knowledge to support effective climate and natural resources projects and programs. S/he will:
- Serve as the Mission’s Climate Integration Lead (CIL), serving as an advisor across offices to ensure climate-smart approaches in programming.
- As CIL, will work closely with the interagency and the Embassy Green Team to advance climatesmart applications to the embassy compound and workforce operations.
- Maintain strong and supportive relations with other USG agencies involved in CNRM activities and industry development policy such as the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation; other donors and multilateral partners, and regional African institutions).
- Establish and maintain a working relationship with GoE officials at all levels, including within the Ministry of Water and Energy, Ministry of Irrigation and lowlands; Ministry of Agriculture; Ethiopian Energy Authority; the Ethiopian Investment Holdings company; the National Meteorological Institute; the Ministry of Planning and Development; relevant Universities; among others.
- Represent USAID/Ethiopia in high-level coordination groups including relevant CNRM multidonor working groups, plus key technical sub-committees supporting the CNRM sector.
- Create strategic partnerships among all stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, development, and other USG partners; GoE programs; World Bank; development and donor institutions to leverage complementary assistance and mobilize financing for climate adaptationand mitigation-related development in Ethiopia.
- Identify barriers to CNRM project finance and development in Ethiopia, and advise the formulation of policies, regulations, and programs to support private sector trade and investment.
- Track emerging trends facing the CNRM sector and influence GoE decision making and investment around such trends, leveraging other donor resources and lessons learned from other countries as they implement climate change and natural resource management solutions.
- Identify opportunities to crowd in private sector participation and investment in Ethiopia to increase access to and availability of renewable power, develop landscape-scale conservation initiatives, and promote climate-smart agriculture, among others. For example, sharing information on upcoming PPPs, GoE tenders, and CNRM trade and investment opportunities with the USAID’s continent-wide technical coordination offices, donor groups, and private sector stakeholders.
- Assess CNRM capacity building deficiencies and the technical needs of the GoE and guide USAID implementing partners and other related international donors to address critical gaps.
- Prepare reports related to Climate Change and track and maintain documentation regarding the CRM compliance status of the Mission portfolio, communicating any problems to Development Objective (DO) Team Leaders, Mission Management, and the Regional Environmental Advisor (REA).
- Provide guidance and assistance as requested on procedures, rules, regulations, and other questions/issues within the USAID/Ethiopia in areas of climate change and NRM. This work also includes, but is not limited to, reviews of action Memoranda, program statements, project implementation documents, annual assistance checklists, and other specific programming tasks and questions.
- Organize and provide training to mission staff and implementing partners in areas of climate change impact management, develop field guidelines.
- Facilitate or assist research and data collection, analyses, training and information dissemination on natural resource management, and climate change topics of regional concern.
- Serve as an advisor to activities to provide natural resource management and climate change input into the planning and implementation of projects and programs.
- Guide USAID/Ethiopia decision-making on CNRM programming strategies. Advise on the development and integration of USAID CNRM related strategies into all USG-supported programs across the USAID Mission.
- Prepare and disseminate information on CNRM issues, success stories, lessons learned, and worldwide best practices to Mission staff and implementing partners on a regular basis.
Program Management and Design (35%)
The CNRM Advisor will be responsible for managing the implementation of contracts and grants supporting the Ethiopian CNRM sector, and designing new activities as needed to achieve USAID/Ethiopia climate and natural resource objectives. S/he will:
- Serve as the Activity Manager or A/COR for key contracts and grants aimed at achieving planned CNRM results. Conduct day-to-day management of the CNRM portfolio, maintain relevant program and A/COR files, and provide input to annual work plans for implementing partners.
- Provide administration and oversight for climate and natural resource management activities in Ethiopia, including monitoring activities through site visits, frequent meetings with implementing partners, senior GoE and donor officials, and beneficiaries, and the review of progress reports.
- Ensure implementing partners are performing in accordance with expectations outlined in their work plans, contract/agreement, and host-government agreements.
- Resolve any implementation issues in an efficient and professional manner and make recommendations to leadership and other relevant contracting staff to increase activity impact and enhance sustainability.
- Track expenditures and accruals against obligations, and review and provide administrative approval of invoices for assigned activities.
- Ensure that program activities comply with USAID financial regulations and that implementing partners are in compliance with all relevant USAID regulations and procedures, including environmental compliance.
- Coordinate with other donors and partners in the CNRM sector in order to leverage resources to address identified gaps and ensure USAID’s capacity building and technical assistance complements GoE programs and other development partner efforts.
- Draft official USG documents required for reporting the status of activities, such as the Annual Operational Plans, Annual Performance Reports, Action Memos, Monthly Field Updates and procurement documents.
- Prepare technical and program documentation, such as briefing papers, fact sheets, letters, cables, and memos for information and action. Programmatic documentation may include program descriptions, terms of reference, and statements of work for acquisition and assistance actions, amendments, modifications, incremental funding requests, GLAAS actions, and illustrative budgets.
- Participate in the design of strategies, concept papers and procurement documents and advise on CNRM related activities in support of USAID/Ethiopia’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy.
Promote USG Interests (25%)
- Contribute to private sector engagement to understand barriers to investment and participating in CNRM sector conferences and forums, in Ethiopia and regionally, to promote foreign and local investment in the country.
- Prepare and deliver presentations to represent USAID/Ethiopia at meetings, workshops, and conferences organized by various organizations, including other donors and international organizations.
- Work closely with the EGR private sector team and other sections within the Embassy to create and expand public-private sector partnerships to achieve and sustain greater developmental impacts in the CNRM sector, while also providing opportunities for U.S. companies.
- Represent USAID to a number of different stakeholders including Ambassadors, Mission Directors, other senior USG Agency representatives, regional economic communities, national level counterparts, bilateral and multilateral donors, and private sector corporate executives.
- Respond flexibly and capably to a wide range of work-related requirements, including but not limited to congressional or other inquiries, maintaining and reporting on Power Africa indicators, supporting VIP visits, contributing to portfolio reviews, performance monitoring plans, accruals, and the Operational Plan, and responding to Washington policy and operational requests.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
Applications will be initially screened by the Mission Human Resources Office to determine whether they have met the minimum qualifications listed below. All candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements will be referred to the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for further consideration and screening.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as sustainability, natural resource management, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable finance, low carbon development, or other related field.
WORK EXPERIENCE: A minimum of seven (7) years of international development and/or international business work experience is required.
DEADLINE: AUGUST 6, 2024
