Carbon Market Specialist

Under the direct supervision of the Carbon Markets Coordinator / Head of Section, Institutional Development, the Carbon Market Specialist will have the following functional responsibilities: 

• Provide science-based advice in the areas of: GHG, SDG, and transformational impact assessment, institutional and regulatory governance of carbon markets, transparency of NDC implementation, accounting and reporting on the use of Internationally Traded Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) to enable ambition raising. 

• In collaboration with the Head of Section independently work on a varied portfolio of activities, including project management support, collaboration with partners, quantitative and qualitative analysis, presentation of analytical results using digital tools and web-based platforms

• Collaborate with relevant colleagues across the UNEP-CCC sections.

• Work on the analysis, database development and capacity building support for implementation of Article 6 cooperative approaches in emerging markets and developing countries.

• Collaborate with his/her supervisor in the work of the ID section, including the development and management of institutional frameworks, financing of mitigation activities, integrated assessment of mitigation policies and actions with long-term mitigation strategies for net zero emissions to achieve the global goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

• Ensure the development and/or application of GHG and SDG impact assessment methodologies to enable trading in ITMOs using digital tools and approaches for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV).

• Ensure project management and coordination, allocation of budget resources within the assigned projects.

• Regularly monitor and assess performance against KPIs and project milestones.

• Contribute to the visibility and communication of UNEP-CCC’s activities and outcomes publicly.

• Contribute to analytical work, resulting in both peer-reviewed publications and reports, perspectives, and policy briefings.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The process will be based on performance evaluation including the following:

• Successful completion of project management tasks that will be assigned to the staff, including timely submission of corresponding deliverables

• Successful and timely maintenance of the project website and online knowledge-sharing platform

• Level of contribution to the strategic discussions and common tasks as part of the ID section

a. Education 

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), preferably in Natural or Computer Science / Engineering / Business / Policy / Economics / Social science is required. 
• A first level university degree (Bachelor degree or equivalent) in the related fields with two (2) years of additional professional experience will be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree.
• A PhD degree with a thesis and/or research related to carbon markets is a strong asset.

b. Experience

• The candidate should have a minimum of 5 years of work experience in the carbon market area
• Project management, coordination and Fund-raising experience is an asset
• Experience in emerging markets and developing countries is a strong asset.  
• Data analysis and programming skills (e.g. Excel, Tableau, digital tools, phyton AI) is a strong asset
• Experience in impact assessment for sustainable development and/or transformational change is an asset  
• Experience in carbon pricing and international climate governance, related to the Paris Agreement Articles 6 is desirable 
• Experience and knowledge of CDM and VCM methodologies is an asset

c. Languages

• Fluency in English (written and oral) is required. Fluency in one or more other UN languages, in particular French and Spanish is an asset.