Team Leader-Nature, Climate and Energy

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at Head Quarter (HQ), Regional and Country Office levels forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. UNDP is on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP's Country Programme in Algeria is aimed at facilitating transformative change and development impact at scale under three thematic pillars: (i) Nature, Climate and Energy; (ii) Inclusive growth; and (iii) Democratic Governance. UNDP support to the national authorities is defined to contribute to public policy design, practice development and national capacity strengthening supporting government to accelerate the achievements of the SDGs. 

In this context, the Nature, Climate and Energy portfolio provides thought leadership on cross-cutting environment and sustainable development issues in Algeria, to ensure that UNDP's mandate of convening development partners in support of the national development agenda is amplified by internal knowledge, research, and stand-out policy advice and programme implementation, informed by a commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR), the Team Leader of the Nature, Climate and Energy cluster/programme unit serves as an 'anchor' of this thematic area, ensuring implementation of programme strategies focusing on quality control throughout the programme life cycle (from conceptualization to implementation). S/he supports in establishing strategic partnerships and resource mobilization and synergizes with other programmes within the portfolio (Governance and Inclusive Growth). S/he collaborates with other functional areas of the Country Office such as: Operations, Partnerships, Accelerator Labs, Communications, UNDP HQ & Amman Regional Hub to deliver a collaborative and harmonized joint UNDP programme. S/he also liaises with other UN agencies, government officials, technical experts, multi- and bi-lateral donors, private sector and civil society to implement the integrated UNDP country programme. S/he provides technical and strategic advice to the government and other partners and contributes to identification of new programme opportunities within her/his area.

The main role is to manage the Climate, Nature and Energy programme including continued development of portfolio and monitoring of its implementation. The incumbent leads the NCE programme team in strategic planning and identifies new programme areas while ensuring consistency with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) priorities and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities.

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

1. As a member of the CO management team, ensures the strategic direction of UNDP NCE programme

• Consistently scanning the landscape of issues and identifying entry points for integrated programming across social, political, economic, and environmental dimensions, and translating these into substantive inputs to UNDP programmatic instruments.

• Identification of strategic programme and new areas of cooperation.

• Operationalization of UNSDCF/ CPD in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies. Identification of possibilities for joint programming.

• Analysis and presentation of UNDP NCE policies and their implementation in the CO.

• CO business Procedures mapping and establishment of internal standard Operating Procedures in Results Management, control of the workflows in the NCE Programme.

1. Ensures effective management of the NCE programme and supervision of the Programme team focusing on quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation

• Further Design and formulation of UNDP NCE programme issues in Algeria, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions. 

• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results.

• Design and formulation of NCE programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions. Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies.

• Strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of Financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. 

• Effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the NCE programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the NCE programme environment, timely readjustment of programme.

• Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported.

• Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes.

• Preparation of donor reports.

1. Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and supports the resource mobilization in cooperation with the Management

• Leading the thematic area effort in resource mobilization by researching and analyzing information on potential donors; preparing substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation as well as inputs to the office-wide resource mobilization strategy; identifying concrete entry points for the initiation of new projects; preparing concept notes and pitching these to potential donors; 

• Develop and sustain partnerships with national institutions and national partners at highest level

• Contributing on due diligence processes for private sector and civil society partners in line with UNDP policy

• Creation and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI', government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society etc.

• Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors' priorities.

• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing

• Representing UNDP at external meetings within her/his issue area

1. Ensures provision of top-quality advisory services facilitation of knowledge building and management

• Supporting the establishment of advocacy networks at national level and helping to link them to international networks;

• Identifying and synthesizing good practices and lessons learnt that are directly linked to programme country policy goals, and sharing these through knowledge networks, communities of practice and learning events for UNDP staff and partners;

• Identifying possible South-South or triangular cooperation, leveraging lessons learned in the area of NCE;

• Leveraging different communication channels, platforms and methods, with particular emphasis on social media, to reach all relevant audiences with effective, continuous and constructive messaging that promotes UNDPs position and engagement around the SDGs and Algeria’s development agenda;

• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on NCE programme.

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:

The incumbent heads and supervises NCE Programme team and works in close collaboration with the Management, Operations team in the CO, Programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs, Regional Hub staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP NCE programme.

· Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in environmental science, energy economist, or related field is required, or

· A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying

experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in the fields of environment (biodiversity, water/oceans, energy, climate change mitigation/adaptation, and/or climate finance). 
• Energy experience/background is compulsory;
• Experience in the policy development processes associated with integrated environment and sustainable development issues is required;
• Extensive experience with programme and project development, integrated planning and analysis, implementation, and management is required;
• Experience in business systems, human resources management and budgeting is required;
• Proven track record of resource mobilization experience is desirable.
• Experience programming with the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund at the global level or similar bilateral and multilateral funding sources is highly desirable;
• Excellent understanding of the challenges in the area of environment, energy and resilience in Algeria including challenges related to implementation of national commitments under the major global international framework (e.g. Nationally Determined Contributions; Sendai Framework is required.
• Working experience in an international organization and knowledge of UN/UNDP policies, procedures and practices is desirable.
• Proven ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams is desirable.
• Strong interpersonal and written and oral communication skills is required.
• Excellent knowledge of office software packages is desirable.
•  Fluency of French and Arabic is required.
• Advanced working knowledge of English.

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

Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions

Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations

V. Keywords

• Biodiversity protection and climate change adaptation: Public and private finance for adaptation solutions
• Derisking and financial appraisal of Natural Disasters
• Renewable Energy Solutions 
• Green growth and sustainable solutions