Job Description
This is a unique opportunity to contribute directly to Montenegro’s climate and economic transition by providing high-level fiscal and macroeconomic expertise to the Government. The position offers hands-on engagement with the Ministry of Finance to strengthen the integration of climate change into fiscal policy, macroeconomic planning, and public financial management in line with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments and EU Green Agenda requirements. The role provides significant exposure to national and international climate policy processes, close collaboration with key government institutions and development partners, and the opportunity to develop practical analytical tools that will inform evidence-based decision-making and long-term climate-resilient development.
The Technical Advisor on Fiscal and Climate Policy will play a central role in strengthening Montenegro’s ability to integrate climate change into fiscal and macroeconomic planning. Embedded within the Ministry of Finance, the Advisor will support the identification of needs and the development of analytical tools and modelling frameworks to assess climate-related fiscal risks, evaluate the economic impacts of mitigation and adaptation measures, and inform evidence-based policy decisions aligned with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments and EU accession requirements. The role will directly contribute to enhancing the Ministry’s capacity to incorporate climate objectives into public finance management, advance cross-institutional coordination, and support the country’s transition toward a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
The embedded advisor will be under the direct supervision of the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist and will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
*This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days, with the possibility of an extension depending on satisfactory performance and on availability of funds.
**This is a Homebased position, meaning that the incumbent will not work from a UNOPS office but from the government facilities. Therefore, the incumbent will need to use his/her own laptop and software.
***As this is a Local Position, in order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Montenegroor have a valid residence permit in Montenegro.
****Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
The purpose of this role is to strengthen the Ministry of Finance’s capacity to integrate climate change considerations into fiscal policy, macroeconomic planning, and public financial management. The Advisor will provide targeted technical, analytical, and coordination support to identify institutional needs and progressively develop tools, models, and evidence-based policy recommendations that enhance the government’s ability to assess climate-related fiscal risks, guide climate-responsive budgeting, and implement Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments. Working as an embedded expert within the Ministry, the Advisor will also facilitate effective collaboration between key national institutions and development partners, ensuring alignment with EU Green Agenda requirements and advancing Montenegro’s transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy.
The Technical Advisor on Fiscal and Climate Policy will provide specialized analytical, policy, and coordination support to the Ministry of Finance to strengthen the integration of climate considerations into fiscal and macroeconomic planning. The advisor will work closely with relevant directorates to develop practical tools, enhance institutional capacities, and guide the formulation of evidence-based fiscal and economic policies aligned with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments, EU Green Agenda requirements, and national development priorities. Key functions include:
- Provide expert advice on aligning fiscal policy, public financial management, and macroeconomic planning with Montenegro’s NDC 3.0 commitments, EU Green Agenda requirements, and national development priorities.
- Conduct a diagnostic phase, including workshops and technical consultations with relevant Ministry of Finance directorates, to map existing macro and fiscal methodologies, institutional processes, data availability, and tools. Deliver a diagnostic report identifying gaps, institutional needs, and priority areas for integrating climate-related risks into macroeconomic and fiscal analysis
- Identify institutional needs and priorities for macro-fiscal climate integration, and provide guidance for their progressive incorporation into planning processes, and identify and prioritize the core policy questions to answer through tools or models (e.g. macroeconomic impacts, fiscal risk exposure, revenue and expenditure implications), recognizing that different tools may be needed for different questions.
- Design a phased approach for the development of decision-support tools, models, or frameworks. Define short-, medium-, and long-term priorities, with clear sequencing for progressive adoption based on institutional capacities and data availability.
- Develop macroeconomic or fiscal assessment tool, either macroeconomic or fiscal in nature, such as a fiscal stress-testing instrument or a climate-related revenue/expenditure impact assessment tool, with supporting documentation. Facilitate its testing, calibration, and refinement through applied use cases.
- Prepare a technical and operational manual, including data requirements, assumptions, and periodic update procedures. Ensure the documentation supports long-term applicability and institutionalization of the tool(s).
- Strengthen institutional capacity within the Ministry of Finance by delivering targeted training, workshops, and guidance on climate fiscal policy, climate risk integration, and evidence-based macroeconomic analysis.
- Support policy development through analytical papers, policy briefs, and guidance notes on climate-related fiscal risks, carbon pricing, climate-responsive public investment, and green public finance reforms.
- Facilitate coordination between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, and other institutions to ensure coherent implementation of fiscal and climate policies.
- Participate in technical working groups and inter-ministerial platforms, presenting analyses and recommendations to senior government officials and relevant stakeholders.
- Provide ongoing technical inputs to the Ministry of Finance and the NDC Partnership as required, ensuring alignment with broader public finance reform efforts and international climate commitments.
Key expected results include:
- Diagnostic of institutional needs, data systems, and priority policy questions to guide climate-fiscal integration.
- Development and piloting of an initial decision-support tool, calibrated for short-term use and institutional uptake.
- Strengthened methodologies, models, and processes for climate risk assessment in both macroeconomic and fiscal planning contexts.
- Improved integration of climate change into fiscal, budgetary, and economic policy formulation
- Enhanced cross-institutional coordination on NDC 3.0 implementation.
- Increased technical capacity within the Ministry of Finance to sustain climate-informed policymaking beyond the duration of the assignment.
