Programme Specialist, Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Management of Natural Ecosystems

Background

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

UNDP has been a long-term development partner of Mongolia for over 30 years, supporting the country’s aspirations for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development. In its Upper Middle-Income Country context, UNDP Mongolia provides technical assistance, policy and advisory services to the Government of Mongolia in partnership with development partners, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The current Country Programme Document (2023–2027) is aligned with the national Vision-2050 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). It aims to catalyze transformative change by empowering people to make sustainable and equitable decisions, especially for marginalized and vulnerable communities. The programme is built around three interlinked pillars: (i) diversified, inclusive and green economic transition; (ii) risk-informed climate adaptation and sustainable management of natural ecosystems; and (iii) women’s empowerment, inclusive and accountable governance, and progress towards SDGs attainment.

To deliver the programme and ensure sustainability of results, UNDP partners with government entities, civil society, development actors and the private sector.

Within the Country Office (CO) in Mongolia, the Programme team plays a central role in designing and implementing programmes that support the country's sustainable development priorities and deliver on UNDP’s strategic objectives as set out in the CPD. The team is structured around the key thematic priorities of the Country Programme Document.
Programme staff are responsible for the full programme cycle—from design and resource mobilization to implementation oversight and results reporting. The team provides high-level advisory support, develops and oversees quality assurance mechanisms, and ensures alignment of programming with national priorities and UNDP corporate policies and standards. In close collaboration with government counterparts, development partners, civil society organizations, UN agencies, international financial institutions, and the private sector, the team promotes knowledge exchange, innovation, and integration of cross-cutting priorities such as gender equality, digitalization, and resilience-building.
In delivering integrated and future-smart solutions, the Programme team plays a key role in fostering strategic partnerships, mobilizing resources, and identifying new and emerging areas for joint programming. It is also actively engaged in shaping the strategic direction of the Country Office by contributing to planning, target setting, and results-based management, in coordination with the Programme Support team and Operations team in the CO.
The Programme Support team provides essential support through corporate alignment, programme finance management, and quality assurance functions. It works closely with the Programme team to ensure strong performance, accountability, and effective monitoring and reporting of results.
The Operations Team provides programme with backbone support and services related to finance, procurement, human resources, digital services, travel, and logistics, as well as common services and CO transactions support. It provides demand-driven Common services to UN agencies (per agreed procedures). In addition, it provides administrative support to UNDP Staff including project personnel on areas such as protocol, visa facilitation, travel, and others.
Programme staff also work closely with the Communications Analyst, who supports all programme areas by promoting results, capturing lessons learned, and enhancing the visibility and impact of UNDP’s work in Mongolia.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the Programme Specialist serves as a senior advisor to the Country Office management on all aspects of the portfolio on Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Management of Natural Ecosystems, encompassing climate change, biodiversity and ecosystems, natural resources, sustainable energy, and resilience. S/he plays a strategic role in shaping and implementing the CPD priorities, advancing transformative and integrated development solutions in support of Mongolia’s national commitments, including Vision-2050, the SDGs, and international environmental conventions.

The Programme Specialist leads the development of high-impact policy and programme strategies, ensures effective programme delivery, and supports innovation and knowledge exchange. S/he provides technical leadership on environmental governance, climate change mitigation and adaptation, nature-based solutions, and green transition initiatives, while actively promoting inclusive and gender-responsive approaches. S/he also contributes to strategic planning, pipeline development, and risk-informed programming to address emerging challenges in the areas of climate and nature.

Working closely with government counterparts, development partners, IFIs, civil society, and the private sector, the Programme Specialist fosters strategic partnerships, drives resource mobilization efforts, and leverages financing from vertical funds (e.g., GEF, GCF, Adaptation Fund), bilateral and multilateral partners, and private capital. The incumbent ensures compliance with UNDP rules and standards and provides technical oversight of the portfolio’s financial and operational performance.

The Programme Specialist leads and supervises the Climate and Nature programme team, ensuring effective portfolio management, timely delivery, and accountability for results. S/he promotes horizontal collaboration with other CO portfolios and works closely with cross-cutting functions including Communications, Gender, and Monitoring and Evaluation to maximize impact.

S/he also maintains strong coordination with the Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP HQ, and other UN agencies to align with regional and global priorities, ensure policy coherence, and access cutting-edge knowledge and technical expertise.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to respond to evolving development needs and optimize synergies across thematic areas. Therefore, the Programme Specialist is expected to work across teams, functions, and projects, and contribute to multidisciplinary collaboration to deliver integrated solutions and strengthen the overall strategic positioning of the Country Office.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
 

Provides strategic direction and effective management of the country office programme, focusing on the area of environment, climate, and nature:

• Leads programme / project design with development partners, UN Agencies and implementing partners for the portfolio, ensuring robust articulation of Theory of Change and results framework linking inputs and activities to programme outputs and outcomes, supported with evidence to report on the Strategic Plan and CPD indicators.
• Contributes to the analysis of the political, social, and economic situation in the country and ensures collaborative and coordinated preparation/revision of CCA, UNSCDF, CPD, annual business planning, Integrated Work Plan and results reporting, project documents, policy briefs, briefing notes and other programmatic documents.
• Identifies and analyze strategic programmatic areas of cooperation based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities and operationalization of CPD with the Government and other partners of UNDP.
• Promotes and facilitates innovation as well as identification of innovative development solutions to the delivery of results.
• Leverages innovative approaches, resources, and collaborative efforts to enhance programme and project impact.
• Leads the design of the climate and nature finance strategy, as well as a comprehensive landscape and key stakeholder analysis to determine implementation activities existing in climate and nature financing, and the key stakeholders involved.
• Leads and facilitates sector mapping to inform financing priorities and strategies for nature, climate, water and energy programming. Ensures the development of green project pipeline generation for development/climate/nature financing.
• Ensures regular monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely adjustment of programme, measuring of the impact of the projects, and that results, and lessons learned to inform analysis, policy and programme, and project work.
• Ensures that women empowerment and gender mainstreaming aspects are integrated and applied in all programmes/projects from the design to implementation, including planning and budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as supporting the Country Office in the Gender Equality Seal Certification and reporting in line with and using the corporate gender equality commitments, tools and strategies.
• Ensures effective application of results-based management tools and high-quality reporting of results for internal and external audiences.
• Participates and contributes to the CO and Inter-Agency (if applicable) thematic focal teams actively making sure that the responsible activities under the respective plans are delivered successfully.
• Facilitates robust monitoring of key performance indicators and risks of the portfolio and leads the direction and implementation of corrective strategies and management measures based on risk-informed analysis and trends.
• Ensures effective monitoring of pipeline management system, programme delivery and applies appropriate actions for delivery acceleration measures.
• Applies UNDP’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework in the assigned portfolio, including the application of the Social and Environmental Standards in each project and ensures adequate safeguards measures.
• Manages team(s) and ensures that the team-specific enabling actions are included in the annual plans and implemented to meet the set targets contributing to the CO’s performance in corporate and regional KPIs.
• Coordinates UNDP’s support to development institutions working towards addressing national development priorities in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
• Contributes to portfolio development and ensures cross-cutting collaboration between projects under the entrusted portfolio, stimulates synergies and aggregates data for portfolio reporting

Ensures accountability, quality control and effective oversight of the projects:

• Provides strategic planning and oversight of the assigned portfolio of programmes/projects and ensures their compliance with programme and operations policies and procedures (POPP) and quality assurance standards.
• Ensures annual work planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of assigned portfolio in line with requirements (e.g., budget revisions, approval of CDRs, etc.).
• Ensures robust oversight and quality assurance of key performance indicators of the portfolio and leads implementation of corrective strategies and measures based on risk-informed analysis and trends.
• Facilitates and quality assures the project documentation prior to final approval by the Senior Management and ensures proper document management and update in the corporate systems and regional platforms (CPS, Quantum, Vital Signs, etc.)
• Exercises transaction approval for development projects as delegated in line with the established internal control framework and ensures appropriate separation of duties is in place and maintained throughout the project cycle.
• Implements Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) framework covering micro assessments, assurance plans and assurance activities, carries out programme/monitoring visits, ensuring appropriate remedial actions are implemented; and ensures the establishment of the tracking mechanism for cash transfers to Implementing Partners/Responsible Parties in accordance with UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations and HACT policies.
• Performs clearance measures (incl. tracking of NIM advances/reimbursements, liquidation of NIM advances, clearance of FACE forms, escalating and advising the CO Management on timely remedial actions required).
• Facilitates assessment of barriers and opportunities to enable private sector engagement and participation and quality assures all required capacity and risk assessments, including private sector due diligence.
• Provides strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Ensures compliance with a cost-recovery system for the services provided in close collaboration with the operations colleagues.
• Facilitates and quality assures the completion of the Vertical Funds project development stage and ensures appropriate separation of duties is in place and maintained throughout the project cycle.
• Ensures adherence to the UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) as well as established CO business processes and internal controls, contributes to design of the Standard Operating Procedures on programme and project management.

Ensures establishment and maintenance of strategic partnerships and leads resources mobilization efforts in the area of climate change and resilience:

• Identifies strategic opportunities and leads engagement on potential joint programming with other UN Agencies and entities.
• Ensures development and implementation of CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategies to achieve country programme outcomes related to climate change. Contributes to effective pipeline development in the Office. Ensures effective and timely pipeline management through timely and accurate update of the pipeline management module in UNITY (corporate ERP system).
• Supports deployment of partnership strategies and related actions with a focus on programme portfolio development and the identification of sustainable and predictable funding mechanisms for the implementation of the country programme, including but not limited to Environmental Vertical Funds (GCF, GEF and others).
• Leads and maintains strong partnerships with relevant development partners and government, UN Agencies, IFIs, government institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector, and civil society in the designated support areas.
• As part of the overall CO partnerships and communications strategy and action plans, develops new project concepts to ensure project documents and financing agreements are developed with high quality and in line with UNDP corporate rules and procedures.
• Ensures the preparation of analysis and research of information on partners, donor profiles, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing and initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall CO efforts in resource mobilization.
• Leads engagement, networking and mobilization of experts of the international development community, government partners, UN Agencies, and prominent think tanks.
• Leads development of strategies for government cost-sharing in the climate change and resilience area.
• Ensures quality and timely donor reporting and adherence to the conditions and requirements of partnership agreements by programme teams and projects.

Leads provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitates knowledge building and management:

• Integrates evaluation findings, real-time monitoring data, and applied learning to adaptive programme and project management and policy advisory work.
• Ensures capacity building of national counterparts for effective management and compliance with funding partner’s requirements within UNDP projects.
• Maintains effective network with development partners and Government at the national level and sub- national level and where necessary links up with the corporate Global Policy Network of UNDP and other international development actors.
• Leads the implementation of awareness building and advocacy around UN/UNDP events and supports strategic communications work and knowledge management initiatives.
• Provides sound and proactive contributions to corporate, regional and CO events, knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Writes and communicates on best practices and lessons learned linked to programme and policy goals.
• Facilitates knowledge building and management especially between the programme and projects and facilitates training for the UNDP staff and personnel and national counterparts on relevant programme issues.
• Contributes to development of training materials and organizes workshops, as required by the supervisor.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervision and performance management of programme and project teams in environment, climate and nature areas. 
 

Competencies

Core competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy    

• System Thinking. Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Partnership Management    

• Strategic Engagement. Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives

Business Development    

• Knowledge Facilitation. Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

Business Management    

• Portfolio Management. Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity. Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
• Results-Based Management. Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

2030 Agenda: Planet    

• Nature, Climate and Energy. Climate Change Adaptation: concepts and advancing resilient development
• Nature, Climate and Energy. Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Natural Resource Management
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or  
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. 

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national and/or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development portfolios and projects in relevant thematic areas; and establishing inter-relationships among international organizations and national governments. 
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.
• Prior experience in partnership building and resource mobilization in the development sector is desired. 
• An academic degree or relevant certification in climate or environmental fields is an asset.
• Prior experience with the UN or UNDP is considered an advantage.
• Proven experience in leading a multidisciplinary team is highly preferred.

Required languages:

• Fluency in English and Mongolian is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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