[Hiring] Climate Change Specialist @Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Role Description

The Climate Change Specialist provides technical, analytical, coordination, and advisory support to advance FAO’s work on climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, with particular emphasis on:

• Climate-smart agri-food systems
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and reporting under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement (PA) Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF)

The Specialist supports the integration of climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and investment planning, including:

• NDC implementation
• Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system development
• Adaptation planning
• Low-emission development
• Sustainable land and watershed management

The Specialist also contributes to strengthening national and regional capacities in climate-resilient agriculture, forestry, livestock, land use, and watershed management through:

• Technical analysis
• Knowledge generation
• Stakeholder engagement
• Capacity development
• Dissemination of good practices

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree (MSc) in Climate Change, Forestry, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Science, or related discipline. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural resources management, forestry, agriculture, land use, watershed management, environmental management, or other closely related fields.
• Working knowledge of English.

Requirements

• Strong technical knowledge and demonstrated experience in climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly in the AFOLU sector, climate-smart agri-food systems, forestry, sustainable land management, and watershed management.
• Good understanding of the Paris Agreement, UNFCCC reporting requirements, and the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).
• Demonstrated experience in AFOLU climate assessments, including analysis of GHG emissions and removals.
• Experience in GHG inventories, MRV systems.
• Experience in applying climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), sustainable ecosystem management, and watershed management.
• Demonstrated experience in climate project development, including technical inputs to climate finance proposals. Experience with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and/or other international climate funds is an asset.
• Familiarity with relevant FAO climate assessment tools including EX-ACT and NEXT is desirable.
• Strong coordination skills, including experience working with government agencies, research institutions, private-sector actors, producer organizations, and international organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity development and knowledge sharing, including the design and delivery of technical trainings, workshops, webinars, consultations, and other learning activities.
• Knowledge and experience in integrating climate change, biodiversity, land degradation/desertification, and ecosystem resilience considerations, including opportunities for synergies among the Rio Conventions, is an asset.
• Excellent communication, report writing, and training skills in English; knowledge of Russian is an asset.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• Work in a dynamic and diverse environment.