Technical Specialist (Environment & Climate)
Organizational Context
IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized UN agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger by investing in rural people. The Office of Technical Delivery provides expert technical guidance to IFAD teams for high-quality investments, ensuring state-of-the-art knowledge and innovative application of global evidence. The Environment, Climate, and Peoples Division leads the mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes (environment, climate, gender, youth, disability, indigenous peoples) and the implementation of social, environment, and climate safeguards (SECAP) to strengthen IFAD's operations and programmes.
Job Purpose
To support the development and implementation of IFAD and supplementary funded projects by providing technical input and coordination across the environment and climate portfolio, ensuring consistency with policies and operational procedures. The role focuses on operational delivery and project support, contributing to the technical quality of operations and alignment with IFAD and Climate and Environment Funds requirements.
Responsibilities
Provide specialized technical advice for project design, development, implementation, and monitoring; support country teams throughout the project cycle; participate in Project Delivery Teams; ensure SECAP compliance; capture and document operational lessons and good practices; support the development of project proposals for Climate and Environment Funds (AF, GCF, GEF); liaise with donors and country focal points; contribute to divisional knowledge management, analytical work, monitoring, and reporting; provide technical inputs to policy dialogue on climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and land/water management; contribute to country strategy processes and thematic policy notes; support the development of monitoring and evaluation criteria and performance monitoring systems.
Work Experience
Minimum of five years of post-qualification relevant professional experience in the formulation, monitoring, management, supervision, or evaluation of rural development, environmental, or agricultural projects and initiatives. Good knowledge of natural resource management, climate change, and its impact on rural development in the region is required. Three or more years of professional field experience in the region, previous experience with design, monitoring, and reporting instruments of international environment/climate funds (GEF, AF, GCF), experience in designing and implementing environmental safeguards and environmental impact assessments, and knowledge of IFAD operational modalities are assets.
Skills
Planner and organiser; ability to work independently and under pressure to meet strict deadlines; good judgment; ability to multi-task; commitment to personal performance and self-development; teamwork and ability to foster harmonious working relationships in a multicultural environment; negotiator and communicator; facilitator of change; strong analytical skills with superb accuracy and attention to detail; basic ICT and digital fluency relevant to the role.