Regional Energy Specialist

Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Job Purpose and Organizational Context:

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. 

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts. 

As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNDP aims to catalyze unprecedented action and partnerships to provide access to sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy to 500 more million people by 2025 and accelerate the transition to renewable energy through systemic changes that lead to inclusive green economies. UNDP’s Sustainable Energy Hub (SEH) is designed to respond to these challenges and harness networks, experience, and innovation. It focuses on three pillars of sustainable energy for development: 

• Close the gap in energy access so that marginalized people and communities gain access to sustainable, clean energy and the dignity and opportunities it brings.
• Accelerate the energy transition through systemwide changes that support a green economy by bringing together the best ideas from the worlds of government, business, finance, digital, and most importantly, from people, communities and civil societies.
• Scale up energy finance with the public and private sector, across global, regional and local ecosystems for finance, innovation and investment. 

The SEH brings together and catalyses UNDP’s work on energy for development. It is a network of partners who work alongside countries to transform energy systems through integrated policy, technology, and financing shifts. It supports this transformation as inherent to the broader goal of sustainable development, and helps countries build net-zero emissions societies that put people first and leave no one behind.

The Regional Energy Specialist for Europe and Central Asia (RBEC) will be based in UNDP’s Regional Hub in Istanbul, Turkey and report primarily to the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub and secondarily to the Environment Regional Team Lead for RBEC. S/he will work collaboratively with all the leads of the various teams in the Regional Hub and with the Sustainable Finance Hub.

Position Purpose:

The Regional Energy Specialist for Europe and Central Asia (RBEC) is responsible for leading the substantive policy advisory services to the Country Offices, supporting the provision of technical expertise in line with the regional energy transition strategies. S/he responds to requests from Country Offices under the guidance of the Director of the SEH and the Environment Regional Team Lead for RBEC and in collaboration with the Climate Hub, Finance Sector Hubs, Nature Hub, Waste Hub, and corporate support providers, such as the SDG Integration teams. Working to ensure quality and coherent policy advisory services within their region and across other regions, as well as alignment with the Strategic Plan, the Regional Energy Specialist advances the credibility and recognition of UNDP’s capabilities in this knowledge domain and associated communities of practice.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Substantive delivery of policy development.

• Develop and define strategic approaches for UNDP’s work on sustainable energy, drawing on UNDP’s existing work under the Sustainable Energy Hub as well as an analysis of the global/regional policy context.
• Execute policy and strategy to support key results, outcomes, and outputs of the Strategic Plan as well as the RBEC Regional Program 2022-2025.
• Provide sector specific and technical level policy advisory services primarily to COs and region-based teams within RBEC, that respond to needs identified by the RBEC environment team. 
• Provide guidance and strategic advice to the RBEC environment team and the regional GPN to support the roll-out of the RBEC strategy on energy for sustainable development. 
• Work with the Regional Bureau’s Country Advisors to ensure relevant, timely and multi-disciplinary response to country needs for policy services. 
• Coordinate closely with the Sustainable Finance Hub on any relevant initiatives at the interface of energy and finance. 
• Collaborate substantively with COs and Regional Programmes to achieve regional/CO strategic goals and plans by supporting relevant regional initiatives and promoting synergies with the regional programmes including the climate promise with an integrated portfolio approach. 
• Ensure risks are monitored and managed across the portfolio of advisory engagements. 
• Contribute to UNDP’s global and regional strategies on energy within the BPPS and beyond, engaging in policy and advocacy work with external partners where relevant.
• Lead policy analysis and development of policy position papers, technical notes, internal briefing notes, and knowledge products. 
• Contribute to developing the capacity of national counterparts in support of achieving the Strategic Plan and other internationally agreed development goals as it relates to the Energy knowledge domains.

Substantive development of tools and resources, from across UNDP’s network of expertise.

• Provide technical expertise in identifying tools, developing methodologies and producing knowledge management products linked to sustainable energy policies.
• Provide technical expertise on the content development for regional/CO knowledge products through the analysis of data, case evidence, and research findings in accordance with corporate standards. 
• Contribute to the identification and scoping of technical issues warranting collaboration with HQ and regional teams to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools, such as policy positions/practice notes/concept papers and other research-based products to influence/advance policy dialogue in the knowledge domain and present UNDP’s knowledge assets and capabilities at global and regional forums. 
• Work closely with policy teams in HQ to advance research, testing and roll-out of newly commissioned policy/business development initiatives, by providing the regional perspective/specificities as well as experience-based insights on what is of most practical value for national counterparts and regional leaders. 
• Design and deliver training on programming tools including by developing training packs for COs to facilitate innovation learning, foster and encourage policy innovation and continuous improvement to enhance programme delivery. 

Advocacy and partner engagement for effective policy positioning in the region.

• Advocate the application of ground-breaking sustainable energy approaches, especially as an integrated approach to achieving the SDGs, in various regional and country fora with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms. 
• Represent UNDP in the region on partner engagements and interagency coordination in sustainable energy policy areas. 
• Provide technical advice on relationship management of regional and global partners and resource mobilization in line with UNDP priorities in Europe and Central Asia (RBEC) and corporate guidelines. 
• Support the effort of the RBEC Environment team to develop portfolio approaches building on NDC priorities and scaling-up the potential for GPN integration in line with the RBEC strategy on energy for sustainable development.
• Provide technical advice on mobilizing and fostering external partnerships behind regional initiatives. 
• Manage the building of strategic alliances and partnerships, especially with key think tanks and non-governmental organizations. 
• Lead on the building of strategic alliances with International Finance Institutions, Multilateral Development Bank, Regional Development Banks, and National Development Banks to support innovative work models that can unlock finance at scale and roll-out the RBEC strategy on energy for sustainable development; Ensure UNDP/ Representation at technical inter-agency meetings, academic conferences, donor consultations and other events on climate change and energy. Advise on resource mobilization and coordinate approvals, as required.
• Lead the formulation of funding proposals, donor briefings and presentations in support of UNDP resource mobilization efforts for Europe and Central Asia (RBEC).
• Lead on the development of resource mobilization strategies to scale-up the work in the RBEC region on energy finance. This includes providing policy and technical advice to Regional Technical Advisors in the RBEC environment team and supporting portfolio development efforts across the team and across sources of funds.

Knowledge management and community of practice networking.

• Contribute to the continuous analysis, documentation, codification of regional results/lessons learned.
• Review regional data, case evidence and research findings to distill pivotal lessons for UNDP globally. 
• Advocate and enable South-South facilitation of exchanges and experiences sharing where valuable.
• Support the capacity development of UNDP staff in application of tools and practices. 
• Support the Environment Regional Team Lead for RBEC on regional and global communication exercises.
• Coordinate with the SEH Director and the Environment Regional Team Lead for RBEC on the provision of data and briefing notes for internal or external purposes.
• Support regional planning and reporting exercises.
• Development and strengthening of linkages with climate change and energy communities of practice, both inside and outside of the UN system

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies:

Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)

Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively:          

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
• Learn Continuously         
• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:           

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands. 

Act with Determination:                

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner        

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:   

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management: 

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical:

2030 Agenda: Planet - Nature, Climate, Energy 

• Energy planning, Derisking energy investment and financial appraisal.

2030 Agenda: Planet - Nature, Climate, Energy  

• Market-based energy financing and practical application.

2030 Agenda: Planet - Nature, Climate, Energy  

• Energy access in crisis settings. 

Business Management - Portfolio Management                

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organizations programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Direction and Strategy - System thinking            

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management - Results-based Management     

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Business Management - Communication              

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Required Skills and Experience: 

Education

• Advanced University degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Energy, Climate Change, International Development, Law, International Affairs, business administration, Development Economics, or other relevant field is required. OR
•  A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience in Energy, Energy transition or climate change in public (national or multilateral, including UN) or private (academia, non-governmental sector, corporate) sectors, with increasing level of responsibility.
• Technical/advisory experience in the UN System related to climate change and energy desirable.
• Demonstrated excellent negotiating skills and ability to mobilize support from a wide range of partners (public, private, academic, civil society, business community leaders) is desired.
• Proven experience with management and resource mobilization is an asset.
• Working experience in Europe and Central Asia is required.

Language

• Fluency in English required, with exceptional writing, presentation, and communication skills.
• Working Knowledge of Russian language is highly desirable. 

Note:
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
 

Disclaimer
 
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 
 
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 
 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
 
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Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
 
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UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse