NDC Enhancement Knowledge Specialist, NDC Partnership

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World Resources Institute

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Washington, DC, United States

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This role is based in the Washington DC office and will work in the DC office 8 days a month. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

The NDC Partnership brings together 124 countries, developed and developing, and 95 institutional members to create and deliver on ambitious NDCs that help achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Governments identify their NDC implementation priorities and the type of support that is needed to translate them into actionable policies and programs. Based on these requests, the membership offers a tailored package of expertise, technical assistance, and funding. This collaborative response provides developing countries with efficient access to a wide range of resources to adapt to, mitigate climate change, and foster more equitable and sustainable development. The NDC Partnership is built on the premise of collective action: by acting together, we achieve more.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Knowledge and Learning Director, you will play a vital role in supporting the Partnership’s NDC enhancement efforts. You will work closely with the Knowledge and Learning team and the Support Unit’s Thematic Call on LT-LEDS and NDC Alignment, update, and enhancement. You will have the room for innovative ideas and the opportunity to engage with climate stakeholders from the NDC Partnership member countries and expert organizations. This is a role for a creative, entrepreneurial individual.

To meet the Paris agreement goals, countries must continuously raise the ambition of their mitigation and adaptation targets, while simultaneously strengthening their policy, strategy, and legislative work; budgeting and investment; monitoring and evaluation to implement climate actions. For this reason, the NDC Partnership has identified NDC enhancement as one of its key action areas for country engagement and knowledge sharing. The Partnership’s Work Program envisages convening countries around NDC enhancement issues, publishing guidance and insights, mobilizing technical assistance, and proactively engaging with member institutions with expertise in this field.

What will you do:

Research and Analysis (60%):

  • Identify, summarize, and communicate lessons learned from the Partnership’s NDC enhancement efforts
  • Collect periodic feedback from implementing partners and countries on NDC enhancement needs and opportunities to shape future support
  • Lead development of, in collaboration with partners, knowledge products to share trends, best practices, and lessons learned around NDC enhancement, this would include, for instance, guidance for raising mitigation and adaptation ambition
  • Support kNook lead to ensure all data from the Partnership’s Thematic Call are accurately reflected and tagged in the kNook knowledge management system in a timely manner, that kNook and Thematic Call team data management processes are aligned, and that the Thematic Call data structure and taxonomy in kNook is strengthened to facilitate compelling analysis
  • Maintain the NDC Partnership’s NDC enhancement microsite
  • Maintain an overview of partner’s work in the NDC enhancement space, including resources and guidance offered to support partner matchmaking around NDC updates and help guide the management team’s strategic decisions
  • Update the Partnership’s Knowledge Portal to reflect recently published tools, guidance, platforms, case studies and funding opportunities related to NDC enhancement
  • Collect the required data to report on the Partnership’s NDC enhancement indicators as part of its Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
  • Draft RFPs, lead procurement processes, and manage consultants as needed to support the various efforts

Peer Learning Planning and Implementation (25%):

  • Guide and track implementation of the Knowledge and Learning Strategy as it relates to convening’s and peer learning, including support to Knowledge and Learning staff to shape events, tracking of M&E indicators, and development of recommendations to improve performance
  • Support the K&L team in the delivery of Thematic Partner Discussions and Partnership Briefings, including structuring a quarterly schedule for events and strategic thinking to ensure event impact
  • Strategically engage members, to uplift and provide visibility to the enhancement work they are carrying out through the NDC Partnership’s Thematic call via events, info sessions and webinars
  • Lead the planning and implementation of the Partnership’s monthly Raising Ambition through Partnership webinar series in collaboration with partners, including agenda development, speaker invitation, event promotion, event management, and post-event follow-up
  • Surface ideas and lead peer learning opportunities (virtual and in-person) as they relate to NDC and LT-LEDS enhancement and alignment, including sharing of learning from the Partnership’s Thematic Call

Ad-Hoc Responsibilities (15%):

  • Support development of knowledge products core to the NDC Partnership’s engagement in-country, including Scoping reports, Partnership Plan Narratives, and Support Gap Summaries
  • Produce analysis, in response to partner asks, on trends in country requests for support, drawing from the kNook knowledge management system
  • Develop presentations and talking points, support organizing meetings and workshops, and other activities relevant to the Knowledge and Learning team’s optimal performance
  • Given the evolving nature of the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit, other duties may be assigned as needs emerge and the Partnership’s work evolves

What will you need:

  • Education: You have a Bachelor’s degree(Master’s preferred) in international development, environmental science or relevant field
  • Experience: You have a minimum of 5 years of relevant, full-time work experience in international development or climate change
  • Experience around the Paris Agreement, NDCs and opportunities and challenges in raising NDC ambition
  • Experience in developing regional and global knowledge products, including analytical work, reports, learning platforms, and related products
  • Experience in organizing virtual and in-person information sessions and opportunities for knowledge exchange
  • Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work and communicate with teams from different countries
  • Experience working with NDC Partnership members is a plus
  • Experience working with developing countries is a plus
  • Capacity to work well under pressure and successfully manage multiple deadlines and competing demands
  • Commitment to NDC Partnership’s mission, values, and approach to climate and development
  • Languages: Full fluency in English required. Spanish and/or French is a plus.
  • Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary:Salary range is between 84,000 and 92,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:Please submit a resume with cover letterby the dateof 15 December2023.You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

  • Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
  • The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
  • A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
  • The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
  • Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
  • Generous leave days that increase with tenure

About Us:


Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.