Environment and Climate Change Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports Governments and regional institutions in achieving food security and nutrition, reducing poverty, promoting sustainable agricultural transformation, strengthening resilience to climate change, and ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems.

To efficiently implement the project FAO is seeking to recruit Environment and Climate Change Specialist to provide technical support to implement the project. The Specialist will also provide technical support at country office in the formulation and implementing of various projects in area of Environmental and Climate Change.

Reporting Lines

The Environment and Climate Change Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Tanzania, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), and in close collaboration with FAO technical officers at the country, subregional, regional, and headquarters levels.

Technical Focus

The objective of the assignment is to support the effective design, formulation, implementation, monitoring, and coordination of these and other climate- and environment-related initiatives. The incumbent will provide technical and analytical support for the preparation and implementation of GEF/LDCF projects and contribute to the broader climate change, environment, biodiversity, natural resource management, and resilience portfolio of the FAO Representation in Tanzania.
 

Tasks and responsibilities

The Environment and Climate Change Specialist will undertake the following tasks:

• Lead the formulation and development of climate and environmental projects by providing technical inputs to concept notes, project documents, funding proposals, and investment plans in line with national priorities, FAO strategic frameworks, and donor requirements.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and consultations with government ministries, local authorities, development partners, research institutions, civil society organizations, community groups, and private sector actors to ensure inclusive and evidence-based project design and implementation.
• Conduct climate, environmental, and resilience analyses, including climate risk and vulnerability assessments, ecosystem assessments, and climate rationale development to support project formulation and decision-making.
• Provide technical advisory support on climate change adaptation and mitigation, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable livestock and fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, nature-based solutions, and sustainable natural resource management.
• Facilitate coordination and collaboration between FAO technical units, relevant government institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to ensure coherent development and implementation of climate, environment, and resilience interventions.
• Support the integration of environmental, climate change, gender, youth, and social inclusion considerations into FAO programmes and projects to strengthen sustainability, resilience, and equitable benefits for target populations.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, policy briefs, knowledge products, presentations, and programme documentation, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality outputs and dissemination of lessons learned and best practices.
• Support environmental and social safeguards compliance through environmental and social screening, risk assessment, mitigation planning, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring of safeguard requirements in accordance with FAO and donor standards.
• Contribute to programme monitoring, evaluation, and reporting by developing progress reports, and by documenting project achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Identify and support resource mobilization opportunities by contributing to the development of project pipelines, investment concepts, funding proposals, and partnership engagement materials targeting climate, environment, biodiversity, and resilience financing windows.
• Represent FAO in technical meetings, working groups, coordination forums, and policy dialogues, including participation in the Coordination Unit for Forestry and Natural Resources (CUFONA) and other relevant national platforms, while providing regular updates on project progress and emerging opportunities related to climate change and environmental sustainability.
• Support engagement and communicate regularly with stakeholders at National, Regional and District level and these include Government Ministries/institutions, CSOs NGOs and private entities to obtain their inputs to inform design and delivery of projects.
• Participate in UN Outcome groups and prepare reports in UN Info as required
• Perform any other duties as specified by the supervisor in support and furtherance of the FAO mission goals and strategic framework.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

• Advanced university degree in climate change, environmental science, environmental management, natural resource management, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, livestock, environmental economics, sustainable development, climate finance, or another related field.
• At least seven years of relevant professional experience in climate change adaptation or mitigation, environmental management, natural resource management, climate finance, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, or related areas.
• Working knowledge of English.
• National of the United Republic of Tanzania

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement