Climate Finance and Partnership Consultant
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them reach their full potential. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, viewing the promotion of children's rights not just as a job, but as a calling. We offer diverse opportunities for professional and personal development.
Job Purpose
The consultant will deliver project cycle management, technical support, partnership coordination, and institutional review outputs for UNICEF’s climate finance portfolio. This includes coordinating the Senegal GCF proposal through finalization, resubmission, fund review, and Board consideration, with transition planning post-approval. The role also involves engagement with the Adaptation Fund, providing proposal support, and offering technical assistance and practical guidance to country offices on locally led adaptation and child/youth-led action. The aim is to strengthen UNICEF's capacity in climate finance and adaptation programming, ensuring effective implementation and alignment with global climate goals while prioritizing child and youth participation.
Responsibilities
Deliver defined project cycle management, technical support, partnership coordination and institutional review outputs for UNICEF’s climate finance portfolio. Coordinate the Senegal GCF proposal through finalization, resubmission, fund review and Board consideration, with transition planning following approval. Provide Adaptation Fund engagement and proposal support. Offer technical assistance and practical guidance for country offices on locally led adaptation and meaningful, inclusive and safe child and youth-led action. Support institutional reviews of climate finance agreements, consolidating technical, financial and programme inputs. Prepare issues papers and negotiation briefing materials. Integrate locally led adaptation and meaningful, inclusive and safe child and youth participation into climate programming, proposal development or practical guidance. Prepare partnership updates, advocacy materials and senior management briefings on climate finance or development programmes. Ensure workplans, quality assurance, consultant deliverables, risk monitoring and institutional clearances are managed effectively throughout complex proposal development and review processes. Coordinate across country offices, regional offices and headquarters divisions, engaging government counterparts, UN agencies and technical partners.
Work Experience
Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in programme development, management or coordination across UNICEF sectors and programmes, including climate resilience, youth engagement and climate advocacy. Demonstrated hands-on experience developing and reviewing GCF funding proposals and supporting annexes, coordinating technical inputs and preparing responses to fund review comments.
Skills
Strong knowledge of GCF funding modalities, investment criteria and project cycle requirements, Strong technical drafting and analytical skills, Understanding of UNICEF sectors and programmes, Familiarity with legal due diligence, Term Sheets and climate finance agreements, Knowledge of locally led adaptation, child-centred climate resilience and approaches to child and youth-led action, Strong project management and coordination skills, Ability to translate technical and institutional issues into practical guidance, advocacy messages and briefing materials, Experience developing and reviewing GCF funding proposals, Experience managing complex proposal development and review processes, Experience coordinating across UNICEF offices and with external partners, Experience integrating child and youth participation into climate programming, Experience preparing partnership updates and senior management briefings