Country Engagement Specialist (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Job Highlight
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to global climate action by facilitating the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing countries. The role offers a unique opportunity to work with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, international organizations, and private sector partners, and to make a tangible impact on sustainable development.
About The Project Office
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.
About The Group
About 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).
Role Purpose
Under the overall guidance of the NDC Partnership Support Unit’s Regional Manager for the Latin America and The Caribbean (LAC), the Country Engagement Specialist will be the strategic single face to the assigned countries in their portfolio to maximize the NDC Partnership Support Unit’s (SU) impact and effectiveness by: 1) identifying country needs to catalyze matchmaking to SU offerings, available support/funds and ideal partners, 2) continuously monitoring and optimizing the country engagement by collaborating with the Regional Manager to realize regional synergies and highlight opportunities and risks, 3) strengthening and building relationships with key stakeholders (country focal points, embassies, partners in country offices) for SU visibility and resource mobilization in coordination with Regional Manager, 4) sharing impact stories to showcase examples of positive outcomes of engaging in initiatives enabled by the SU, and 5) building and sharing in-depth knowledge of countries with the SU to jointly collaborate in shaping communications and knowledge products.
Functions / Key Results Expected
Education Requirements
Experience Requirements
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to global climate action by facilitating the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing countries. The role offers a unique opportunity to work with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, international organizations, and private sector partners, and to make a tangible impact on sustainable development.
About The Project Office
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.
About The Group
About 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).
Role Purpose
Under the overall guidance of the NDC Partnership Support Unit’s Regional Manager for the Latin America and The Caribbean (LAC), the Country Engagement Specialist will be the strategic single face to the assigned countries in their portfolio to maximize the NDC Partnership Support Unit’s (SU) impact and effectiveness by: 1) identifying country needs to catalyze matchmaking to SU offerings, available support/funds and ideal partners, 2) continuously monitoring and optimizing the country engagement by collaborating with the Regional Manager to realize regional synergies and highlight opportunities and risks, 3) strengthening and building relationships with key stakeholders (country focal points, embassies, partners in country offices) for SU visibility and resource mobilization in coordination with Regional Manager, 4) sharing impact stories to showcase examples of positive outcomes of engaging in initiatives enabled by the SU, and 5) building and sharing in-depth knowledge of countries with the SU to jointly collaborate in shaping communications and knowledge products.
Functions / Key Results Expected
- Lead country engagement and deliver matchmaking for country portfolio
- Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of the context of NDC implementation and international efforts to support it for all countries within their portfolio.
- Support the overall request for support processes by providing guidance to focal points in identifying support priorities, filling up and preparing request for support forms, and supporting the development, preparation and packaging of concept notes, terms of references and budget plans that will be included in the Request for Support Letter (RSL) and/or Partnership Action Fund (PAF) calls for proposals (CFP) circulation.
- Conduct Quality Assurance and Quality Control of requests for support forms prior to circulation to the membership. This activity may entail reviewing requests for support for countries outside the specialist’s own portfolio.
- Understand the offerings the Partnership has available to support NDC implementation planning and investment planning and help countries connect with those opportunities. This includes, facilitating capacity –, supporting countries in procuring partner support, and introducing countries to the Partnership’s Climate Finance Investment Framework and other relevant tools and materials.
- Match country needs to potential Partner members of the NDC Partnership services, making connections to the right form of support or fund (e.g. Partner’s own funds, TA Fund, and PAF, etc), with close guidance from the Regional Manager.
- Support/lead exchanges and sharing information on available funding opportunities based on partner responses, between NDC Partnership Support Unit, Government focal points, other government officials, as well as institutional and associate members of the Partnership
- Provide technical support to and, as required, act as end-to-end owner of country technical and high-level workshops to enhance country ownership and awareness on NDCs, liaising effectively with other SU teams and following applicable internal guidance and from government focal points and the Regional Manager.
- Evaluate proposals submitted under PAF Calls for Proposals, other procurement aimed at supporting countries in their portfolio, and job applications for embedded advisors and facilitators.
- Supervise embedded advisors including in-country facilitators and other experts deliver.
- Review and advise on embedded advisors’ /consultants’ deliverables and coordinating approval with the government, in line with the Support Unit’s processes.
- Build relationships with key stakeholders
- Build and strengthen relationships with country focal points, ensuring their understanding of NDC Partnership mechanisms and processes, arrangements for embedded advisory support and what is expected from member countries as members of the Partnership.
- Build and strengthen in-country partner relationships with impactful engagements to understand their climate related agenda and funding priorities.
- Lead in delivering timely comprehensive responses and preparing information resource materials on country-specific engagement progress and results, as requested by implementing partners of the NDC Partnership and across Support Unit teams
- Strategically plan and report on country missions to ensure an impactful experience, ensuring the creation of mission announcements to relevant stakeholders, communications materials and post-mission scoping analysis reports in a seamless process to build and maintain momentum
- Supporting/Representing the country engagement team in external meetings and events.
- Establish and sustain a strategically aligned relationship with the Regional Manager to anchor the regional strategy with country context and gain exposure to regional themes, synergies and opportunities
- Knowledge, collaboration and ownership
- Proactively collaborate with all Support Unit teams in agile ways to shape One SU solutions & maximize knowledge exchange either as day-to-day owners or contributors as agreed by the collaboration model and Service Catalogues
- Liaise with Knowledge and Learning counterparts, partners and other organizations, as appropriate, to provide guidance and inputs for the development of in-depth analyses to support scoping, engagement planning, results reporting and other knowledge products.
- Steer and guide NDC In-Country Facilitators to ensure proactive knowledge sharing of the dynamics of the government focal points and partners, effective coordination, communication and quality outputs, including advisory and guidance to new in-country facilitators.
- Regularly provide feedback – during check-ins, mandatory office hours, and team meetings - to the Regional Manager and Country Engagement Management on country engagement successful practices and processes, and on challenges.
- Upon request, participate in, or contribute to, internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences, and other dissemination activities (COPs, Peer-to-Peer exchanges, regional meetings).
- Information management
- Build, update and systematically capture country insights in dedicated systems to serve as input for impact stories and knowledge products
- Ensure information on contact details of focal points (FP) and day-to-day persons of countries and partner members are up to-date, and that new contact points receive proper on-boarding to the NDC Partnership, its core service offerings and processes.
- Ensuring SU tools are up to date in relation with the context of countries under their portfolio, including inputs and updates to Monday.com boards, and archiving and updating of SharePoint folders, NDC Partnership and affiliated websites.
- Developing and co-authoring blog posts, presentations deck, talking points, infographics, brochures, and other online and offline communications materials.
Education Requirements
- Master's degree, preferably in international relations, climate change and environment, international development, economics, finance, or a related field with 5 years of experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in related discipline with 7 years of relevant work experience.
- Project Management Certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2)
Experience Requirements
- At least 5 years of experience in the fields of climate change, environmental and natural resource management, and/or international/development cooperation.
- Demonstrated extensive expertise and strategic engagement within LAC countries in climate change, development cooperation, or related fields.
- Demonstrated skills in building effective relationships with government officials from both developed and developing countries and navigating the complexities of working across the whole of government, including in countries with limited institutional capacity.
- Experience with bilateral and multilateral donors, consulting, research institutions, private sector, think tanks and other civil society actors.
- Good knowledge of international climate policy and of national climate policy development.
- Experience in communication and management of complex projects involving multiple stakeholders
- Experience in the origination, design, management and/or implementation of climate/development programs and projects as a strong asset.