Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Environment & Climate) (Panama City, P-5)

**This job is located in Panama City, Panama**

Organizational Setting

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Office of Technical Delivery is responsible for providing expert technical guidance to IFAD teams engaged in the design and implementation of projects and programmes to deliver the high technical quality investments that facilitate rural transformation, and which comply with IFAD's mandate and operational policies. The Office ensures IFAD applies and disseminates state-of-the-art knowledge in its investments and evidence on strategic themes and encourages the innovative application of global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments. This helps countries tackle complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation including mainstreaming areas. The Office of Technical Delivery (OTD) is led by a Managing Director and is comprised of two (2) divisions: the Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) and the Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI).

The Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) leads the mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes of environment and climate, gender, nutrition, youth, disability and indigenous peoples into IFAD's portfolio, and the implementation of social, environment and climate safeguards (SECAP), to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes. ECG takes the technical lead to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes ensuring that IFAD's operations are environmentally sustainable, climate change resilient, nutrition sensitive and inclusive of marginalized groups (particularly women, rural youth, Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities). In addition to strengthening the technical quality of operations, ECG provides its technical expertise in corporate strategies, policy engagement, resource mobilization, knowledge generation, and partnerships.

ECG is led by a Divisional Director and is comprised of four clusters: Environment and Climate (ECC), Climate and Environment External funds (CEF), Social Inclusion (SI) and Safeguards (SECAP).

Job Role

The Lead Regional Technical Specialist technically leads country/regional programs as well as the corporate agenda by providing state-of-the-art technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational). Within their areas of responsibility, the Lead Regional Technical Specialist exercises a high degree of independence in providing reliable programme delivery. The incumbent at this level performs the full complexity range of work independently, including the analysis and approval of complex and/or precedent setting cases with the aim to ensure cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support.

Position specifics:

The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Environment and Climate) is a leading professional in their field. The position provides authoritative technical leadership for the development of country/regional programs, as well as the corporate agenda, by providing state-of-the-art technical advice and guidance throughout the programming and project cycle (strategic and operational) notably on mainstreaming environment, climate, biodiversity and social inclusion objectives, including improved project design and implementation, mobilization of complementary environment and climate financing, and corporate and regional policy, strategy, and programme development. The Regional Technical Lead manages a large team of technical specialists and consultants advancing work at regional, country and project levels in the fields of environment, climate, biodiversity and social inclusion (including gender equality and women's empowerment, youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and nutrition).

The position works closely with the respective front office teams of ECG and the Regional Division, Country Directors (CD), Heads of Multi- Country Office (MCO), NOCs, ECG technical specialists, PMI technical specialists, and other staff to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical guidance, including relative to the Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP), and programme development support.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area.
• Areas - Agriculture, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment, Climate Change, Economics etc.

Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php.

Experience:

• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of specialization, particularly in the formulation of technical guidance and input to development programmes
• Three (3) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope.
• In-depth technical expertise, demonstrated by substantive work experience, and solid understanding of environment, natural resource management, climate change and social inclusion issues. Proven experience in leading complex project design and implementation. Experience in policy engagement and negotiation at the national and global level on environment, natural resource management and rural development is an asset.
• Experience in environmental impact assessments, social safeguards and/or climate vulnerability assessments is an advantage. Access to a network of technical and professional resources and expertise which can be brought to bear to improve portfolio programming is desirable. Project management and resource mobilization experience relevant to the Adaptation Fund, Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund or similar Trust Fund is an asset.

Languages:

• Required: English and Spanish (4 - Excellent)
• Desirable: French or Portuguese (3 - Good)

? How to Apply for this job at IFAD:

1️⃣ Visit our careers portal: https://job.ifad.org

2️⃣ Search by Vacancy ID (enter only the number: 35499) or Job Title ‘Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Environment & Climate)’

3️⃣ Click the arrow (➡️) to view full job details

4️⃣ Select "Apply" to begin your application

? Deadline to apply: Tuesday, 12 May 2026 23.59 CET