Principal Climate Change and Green Growth Officer at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Climate Change and Green Growth Officer

Reference: ADB/18/023
Location: Africa
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50093788

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Years Strategy, High 5s priority of “Light up and Power Africa”.
• The complex’s objectives are:
  • To develop policy and strategy;
  • To provide deep sector technical expertise to the Regions by gathering a pool of experienced individuals who can be consulted for their expertise on complicated transactions;
  • To develop new financing instruments;
  • To act as spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on all aspects of “Light Up and Power Africa”.
• The Complex will focus on areas of Power systems, policy and regulation, renewable energy; and, Climate and Green Growth.

The Hiring Department
The Climate Change and Green Growth Department has broad objectives of:

• Mainstreaming climate change and green growth into Bank’s High 5s’ operations;
• Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Bank’s climate change interventions through the Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan and the Bank’s Green Growth Framework;
• Managing access to the growing number of sources of Green and Climate Finance for all Operational Vice Presidencies within the Bank;
• Assisting African countries to develop and implement their NDCs as well as to increase their access to global climate finance; and
• Leading all efforts within the Bank focused on minimizing and reversing the effects of Climate Change on the continent.
• The Department consists of two divisions, Climate and Green Growth Division, and Climate Finance Division.

The Hiring Division

• The Climate and Green Growth Division is responsible for ensuring that all efforts within the Bank are focused on minimizing and reversing the effects of Climate Change on the continent, including advising Regional Member Countries on climate and green growth policies and strategies (including the Nationally Determined Contributions), mainstreaming climate change and green growth in Bank-wide implementation activities and providing support to the High 5s to meet their objectives.

The Position

• The position holder will work under the functional supervision and guidance of the Manager, Green Growth and Climate Adaptation and in close collaboration with regional climate change and green growth officers based in the Regional Hubs, and the climate finance officers in the Climate Finance Division at the HQ.
• The incumbent will be responsible for supporting the implementation of the Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan and Green Growth Framework and related policies, procedures, and guidelines into the Bank’s operations both for private and public sectors.
• The job serves all of the Operational Vice Presidencies and regions in order to ensure that climate change and green growth considerations are mainstreamed in all operations (strategies, policies, plans, programmes and projects).
• The holder of the position will also assist in ensuring that the Bank’s commitments as captured in the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP2) including the allocation 40% of project approvals by 2020 as climate finance are met.
• Specifically, she/he will work with Task Managers and Investment Officers to ensure that all projects are based on climate-informed design and that climate change opportunities are identified and tracked in each project.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision and general guidance of the Division Manager, the incumbent will perform the following:
Climate change and green growth policy:

• Support the mainstreaming of climate change into Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) and Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISPs) in collaboration with Country/Regional Economists;
• Support the preparation of climate change/green growth action plans, documents, reports, operational guidelines, tools as requested by senior management, taking into account RMCs and Bank’s commitments including the implementation of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• Assist and advise RMCs on preparation and implementation of climate change and green growth strategies, policies and measures taking into account commitments to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Support the monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) and the Green Growth Framework and related policies and strategies;
• Support the tracking and reporting on climate finance;

Mainstreaming climate change and green growth in projects and programmes:

• Support the mainstreaming, implementation and monitoring of climate change and green growth considerations/elements in Bank’s operations during the identification, preparation, appraisal, supervision and project completion stages as appropriate;
• Support preparation of the climate change technical sections required in the Project Concept Notes (PCNs) and the Project Appraisal Reports (PAR) and any other project related reports as appropriate in close collaboration with project teams;
• Support the implementation of the climate risk screening and Adaptation Review and Evaluation Procedures (AREP) functions of the Climate Safeguards System (CSS), and the Bank’s Green House Gas Accounting tool for projects, as well as the joint MDB climate finance tracking methodology;
• Support Bank’s task managers and investment officers to access climate finance from both internal and external trust funds for the implementation of eligible project components and activities in close collaboration with Climate Finance Officers, including participation in Trust Fund cluster meetings;
• Contribute to other climate change and green growth initiatives and activities carried out by the Department such as the Africa NDC Hub, and
• Liaise with other lenders to ensure consistency in the mainstreaming of climate change and green growth concerns throughout all aspects of the documentation for projects;

Capacity Building and Knowledge Management:

• Identify, assess, and monitor capacity building needs on climate change and green growth in the regional hub, including relevant RMCs;
• Support the design and organisation of training sessions for Bank staff and their counterparts in RMCs in the assessment and analysis of climate change and green growth issues in projects and programs (including the understanding of stakeholder needs; institutional and organization issues; and impact monitoring and evaluation of outcomes);
• Participate in and contribute to internal and external trainings and conferences on climate change and green growth as well as in other activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building;
• Develop and/or contribute to the development of innovative knowledge products on sustainability, climate change and green growth; and
• Develop Economic and Sector Works (ESWs) on climate change and green growth;
• Undertake any other tasks as assigned by the Division Manager, Green Growth and Climate Adaptation.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• At least a Master's Degree in Climate Change, Environment and Development, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Development, Engineering, Energy Economics and Policy, Environmental Policy or related discipline;
• A minimum of Six (6) Years’ experience in a combination of climate change related areas, including: national and international climate policy; project development and management; environment and climate safeguard policy and enforcement; renewable energy policy and project implementation; climate change; climate risk management - adaptation/mitigation; green growth; trust fund management;
• An excellent knowledge and practice of mainstreaming climate change and green growth considerations in projects and programmes and good understanding of project operations of multilateral development banks or equivalent institutions;
• Experience in mobilizing climate finance for project implementation, climate risk management, and project management;
• Field operational experience in the area of implementing environmental policies, climate change adaptation and mitigation and green growth;
• Well-rounded understanding of critical issues in sustainable development, emerging climate change issues, green growth and sustainability concerns;
• Experience in Climate policies and measures, green and inclusive growth, greenhouse gas and climate risk assessment and management,
• Excellent technical and analytical skills and established track record in operational and policy work on climate change, green growth and climate finance matters;
• Strong knowledge in supporting the mainstreaming of climate change and green growth into major development investments within the continent;
• Knowledge of climate change, green growth and climate finance issues facing regional member countries (RMCs);
• Strong practical experience in applying tools and instruments for mainstreaming climate change, green growth and climate finance into development concerns in Bank operations.
• Experience in the private sector will be an added advantage
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing effectively in French, with a working knowledge of English.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint). Knowledge of SAP and Bank-Wide Program Processing Schedule (BPPS) is desirable.

Application Closing Date
15th March, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: This position is classified international status and attracts international terms and conditions of employment.