Climate Finance Advisor (Home base Retainer) - Freetown, Sierra Leone

Organizational Context

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) supports sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding globally. The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio within GPO manages significant funds for environmental and climate initiatives. The NDC Partnership, jointly hosted by WRI, UNOPS, and UNFCCC, connects countries and institutions to deliver climate action and achieve the Paris Agreement goals.

Job Purpose

This role provides crucial technical advisory and coordination support to Sierra Leone's Ministry of Finance, specifically its Climate Finance Unit. The primary objective is to strengthen the systems for managing and tracking climate finance, thereby enabling the effective implementation of the nation's climate ambitions outlined in NDC 3.0, the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and future Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategies (LT-LEDS). By enhancing institutional capacity, improving inter-ministerial coordination, and advancing tools like climate budget tagging within the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the position directly contributes to aligning national planning and budgeting with climate objectives and facilitating engagement with government bodies and development partners.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include conducting a comprehensive assessment of the climate finance landscape to identify sources, instruments, gaps, and constraints, leading to prioritized investment recommendations. The role involves developing a climate finance mobilization roadmap with a stakeholder engagement plan and technical briefs on financing pathways. A significant component is creating a coordination pack for the transition to an automated climate budget tagging (CBT) system within IFMIS, including functional requirements and governance procedures. The advisor will also design and deliver targeted capacity-building programs for government entities on climate finance tracking and reporting, develop a coordination matrix to align partner support, and provide ongoing technical assistance for NDC-aligned planning. Finally, the role entails issuing advisory notes on climate finance instruments and processes to support decision-making.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience is required in climate finance and/or public financial management, including advisory roles with Ministries of Finance or Planning. Experience with climate budget tagging, climate finance tracking systems, and green public financial management reforms, including collaboration with IFMIS teams, is essential. Familiarity with the broader climate finance landscape and various funding streams is also necessary.

Skills

Climate, Climate Change, Finance, Policy Analysis, Project Management, Public Finance, Resource Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Effective Communication

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