Climate Resilient Specialist, Irrigation and Lowlands Development (Home based Retainer) - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

WEC Background

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support.  

 WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The NDC Partnership

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition advancing the Paris Agreement by strengthening capacity and collaboration for country-owned climate and development action. 

With over 270 members, including over 140 countries and more than 120 institutions, the NDC Partnership aligns partner support behind country priorities, builds shared knowledge and generates evidence to inform effective NDC implementation, sustained investment and higher ambition that drives sustainable development. 

Working through a country-driven model, countries set the agenda by identifying their NDC priorities, and partners deliver coordinated, high-impact support that increases efficiency and reduces duplication. 

The NDC Partnership has unmatched insight into on-the-ground climate realities, drawn from diverse expertise and collaborative learning across its membership. Grounded in country action, these insights shape the global climate agenda.

The NDC Partnership Support Unit is jointly hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). 

Ethiopia’s lowland regions and irrigation-dependent production systems are highly exposed to drought, rainfall variability, water scarcity, land degradation, and declining rangeland productivity. The Ministry of Lowlands and Irrigation Development (MoLID) leads national efforts to advance climate-resilient irrigation, improve water-use efficiency, strengthen participatory natural resource management, restore rangelands, and diversify pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods. The Ministry is implementing and coordinating major irrigation and lowland-resilience initiatives, including the Climate Resilient Irrigation for Sustainable Production (CRISP) project, while also engaging with initiatives supported by the Government of the Netherlands and other development partners. These programs create opportunities to strengthen complementarity, knowledge exchange, technology uptake, private-sector participation, and resource mobilization.

The Specialist will work under the supervision of the NDC Country Engagement Specialist and day-to-day technical guidance by the department or directorate in which the Specialist is embedded, under the oversight of the designated State Minister or other Senior official delegated by the State Minister. The Specialist will coordinate closely with the Ministry of National Strategy, the NDC Partnership In-Country Facilitator, relevant climate-finance and climate-policy advisors, the NDC Partnership Country Support Unit, CRISP implementation structures, regional bureaus, development partners, and relevant Netherlands Embassy teams and implementing partners.

The assignment will balance central-level support for NDC implementation, policy, investment planning, and climate-finance mobilization with practical engagement at regional, woreda, irrigation-scheme, and community levels. In particular, the Specialist will help ensure that project design and financing approaches reflect the priorities, constraints, and participation of climate-vulnerable and marginalized groups, including pastoral and agro-pastoral communities, women, youth, and other groups disproportionately affected by climate change. The annual work plan, determined by the relevant senior MoLID official in consultation with the Specialist, will define the balance of central and subnational support and the required field engagement.

• This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days, with possibility of an extension depending on satisfactory performance and on availability of funds. 

• This is a Home based position, meaning that the incumbent will not work from a UNOPS office but from the government facilities. Therefore, the incumbent will need to use his/her own laptop and software. 

• As this is a Local Position, in order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Ethiopia or have a valid residence permit in Ethiopia.  

• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

To support MoLID officials in the practical implementation of NDC 3.0 mitigation and adaptation priorities through resource mobilization, project preparation, capacity building, technical backstopping, and coordination. The Specialist will facilitate Ministry-led processes that strengthen climate-resilient irrigation, water-use efficiency, lowland ecosystem and rangeland management, livelihood resilience, and the participation of vulnerable and marginalized communities in climate-resilient development.

1. Climate Finance Mobilization and Investment Pipeline Development

Support and coach responsible MoLID officials to identify, screen, and prioritize climate-resilient irrigation, lowland development, rangeland restoration, and livelihood-diversification investments aligned with Ministry-led NDC 3.0 implementation and investment priorities.

Provide hands-on technical support to Ministry teams to prepare, review, and improve concept notes, full project proposals, investment cases, and financing packages for multilateral climate funds, development banks, bilateral partners, philanthropic organizations, and private investors.

Support Ministry teams to prepare finance-ready project documentation, including problem analysis, theory of change, results and monitoring frameworks, budgets, financing plans, implementation arrangements, environmental and social safeguards, gender and social-inclusion measures, and risk-management plans.

Maintain, together with designated Ministry staff, a climate-finance opportunity tracker, donor and investor engagement plan, and resource-mobilization pipeline for priority interventions, while transferring the related methods and tools to Ministry staff.

Facilitate exploration of blended-finance, public-private partnership, results-based finance, and technology-transfer options where relevant, including engagement with irrigation equipment suppliers, contractors, operators, financial institutions, agribusinesses, and other private-sector actors.

Promote project preparation and financing approaches that consider access to finance and benefits at the lowest appropriate administrative and community levels, especially for climate-vulnerable and marginalized groups.

2. CRISP and Climate-Resilient Irrigation Program Support

Provide direct technical support to MoLID teams responsible for CRISP implementation follow-up, coordination, learning, and problem solving.

Support Ministry officials to assess and strengthen alignment of CRISP investments with NDC 3.0 adaptation and mitigation priorities, climate-risk screening, water-use efficiency, resilient infrastructure standards, sustainable operation and maintenance, and inclusive livelihood outcomes.

Facilitate technical linkages and complementarity between CRISP and other climate-resilient irrigation, watershed, rangeland, and lowland-development programs financed by development partners, including relevant Netherlands-supported initiatives.

Support field-level learning from regional bureaus, Woreda institutions, irrigation schemes, communities, and water-user organizations, and help translate these lessons into Ministry planning, project design, and scale-up.

Document and share practical lessons from irrigation rehabilitation, modernization, expansion, climate-proofing, and inclusive implementation for future investment planning.

3. Alignment with Netherlands-Supported Initiatives and Partnerships

Support MoLID to map relevant Netherlands-supported initiatives, implementing partners, research and academic institutions, private contractors and operators, and Dutch-based non-governmental organizations working on irrigation, water management, climate-smart agriculture, food security, and lowland resilience.

Facilitate Ministry-led identification of practical areas of complementarity, including technical cooperation, technology testing, research collaboration, private-sector participation, capacity development, knowledge exchange, and co-financing.

Support Ministry teams to draw on relevant Dutch expertise in integrated water management, climate-resilient agriculture, precision and drip irrigation, sustainable landscape management, food systems, and private-sector development where this responds to Ministry priorities.

Prepare concise technical and progress briefs, under Ministry guidance, for relevant Netherlands Embassy teams on implementation progress, emerging priorities, complementarities, bottlenecks, and financing opportunities.

4. Institutional Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer

Support MoLID to assess institutional capacity gaps in climate finance, investment planning, project preparation, donor engagement, irrigation programme management, water-use efficiency, rangeland management, NDC implementation, and inclusive local-level delivery.

Design and deliver practical training, coaching, and on-the-job mentoring for Ministry staff, regional bureaus, irrigation institutions, and other implementing partners, with emphasis on learning-by-doing through actual project preparation and resource-mobilization processes.

Support responsible officials to develop and institutionalize project-development templates, investment-planning tools, guidance notes, standard operating procedures, and knowledge products so that capacities remain within the Ministry after the assignment.

Strengthen knowledge exchange between central and subnational institutions and encourage the systematic incorporation of community experience and the perspectives of marginalized groups into programme design and implementation.

5. Technical Support for NDC 3.0 Implementation

Provide technical inputs, as requested by MoLID, on participatory climate-resilient irrigation design, efficient water conveyance and application, drip and sprinkler systems, soil-moisture management, climate-smart water allocation, and sustainable operation and maintenance.

Support Ministry and subnational teams on participatory natural resource and rangeland management, including rehabilitation planning, rotational grazing, invasive-species control, reseeding, watershed restoration, and community governance mechanisms.

Support development and refinement of climate-resilient livelihood and production models for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities, including diversified agriculture, livestock value chains, drought-tolerant production, and natural resource-based enterprises.

Support integration of climate data, risk information, NDC indicators, implementation tracking, monitoring, reporting, verification, and learning into Ministry systems, while ensuring that distributional and inclusion considerations are reflected where feasible.

6. Coordination, Partnerships, and Advisory Support

Facilitate collaboration, under Ministry leadership, among relevant MoLID departments, regional institutions, the Ministry of Planning and Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Water and Energy, research institutions, development partners, civil-society organizations, private-sector actors, and community-level stakeholders.

Work closely with the NDC Partnership In-Country Facilitator and relevant climate-finance and climate-policy advisors to ensure coordination and follow-up on support provided to MoLID.

Support technical working groups, investment consultations, project-design workshops, and partner dialogues convened or endorsed by the Ministry.

Undertake field missions and consultations at regional, woreda, irrigation-scheme, and community levels to identify implementation barriers, including barriers that limit local decision-making, access to finance, and participation by marginalized groups, and provide practical recommendations to responsible Ministry officials.

Participate in a short quarterly review with the State Minister responsible for irrigation, or another designated senior official, to present progress, constraints, financing opportunities, and actions requiring management attention.

Prepare decision briefs, presentations, progress notes, and other technical products requested by the Ministry and carry out other related tasks consistent with the assignment.

Required

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in Irrigation Engineering, Water Resources Management, Agricultural Engineering, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Rangeland Ecology, Agricultural Economics, Development Finance, Project Planning, Public Policy, or another closely related field is required OR
• A first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with two additional years of qualifying professional experience (7 total)  may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Desired

• A doctoral degree preferably in a relevant field, or specialized postgraduate training in climate finance, irrigation modernization, integrated water management, or programme management, is desirable.
• Professional certification or advanced training in project management, climate finance, safeguards, monitoring and evaluation, or water and irrigation systems is an asset.

Required

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in climate-resilient irrigation, water resources management, lowland development, climate adaptation, project preparation, investment planning, climate finance, or closely related areas is required.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing high-quality concept notes, full proposals, investment cases, or financing packages for climate, agriculture, irrigation, water, infrastructure, or rural-resilience financiers, supported by strong analytical and drafting skills, is required.
• Proven experience in institutional capacity building, including training, mentoring, development of practical tools and guidance materials, and hands-on support to public institutions in fundraising, investment planning, and project development is required.
• Strong knowledge of climate-resilient irrigation systems, water-use efficiency, operation and maintenance, participatory natural resource and rangeland management, lowland livelihoods, and implementation challenges in developing-country contexts is required.

Desired

• Experience supporting large-scale donor-financed irrigation or agricultural transformation programmes, including World Bank-financed programmes or initiatives supported by the Government of the Netherlands, is desirable.
• Experience developing blended-finance, public-private partnership, results-based finance, technology-transfer, or private-sector engagement arrangements is desirable.
• Experience working with research and academic institutions, private contractors or operators, civil-society organizations, community-based organizations, and international development partners is desirable.
• Prior professional experience in Ethiopia, knowledge of Ethiopia’s NDC and climate-development architecture, familiarity with lowland pastoral and agro-pastoral contexts, and experience engaging vulnerable or marginalized communities are desirable.
• Strong coordination, negotiation, facilitation, and stakeholder-engagement capabilities, including engagement across central, subnational, community, development-partner, and private-sector stakeholders, are desirable.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.