Senior Climate Resilient Water Resources Management Advisor (Home based Retainer)

Job Description

General Information

Position Title: Senior Climate Resilient Water Resources Management Advisor (Home based Retainer) – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Job Category – Partnerships

Duty Station(s) – Home based

Seniority Level – Mid-Level

The Senior Climate Resilient Water Resources Management Advisor will provide strategic and technical support to help the Ministry of Agriculture mobilize climate finance, develop high-quality investment pipelines and project concept notes, strengthen institutional capacity, and support implementation of agriculture-related climate priorities under Ethiopia’s Nationally Determined Contribution and related plans.

The sector continues to face major constraints in turning plans into funded action. Priority interventions are often not developed to the level required by climate funds and development partners; climate finance opportunities are not systematically tracked and pursued; institutional capacity for fundraising, investment planning, and proposal preparation remains uneven; and implementation is constrained by gaps in coordination, data, monitoring, reporting, and knowledge management.

In addition, the Ministry is leading and supporting major basin development and integrated water resources management programs, including the Climate Resilient Integrated Water Resources Management initiative and other strategic basin development programs. These initiatives require strong technical backstopping, better coordination, and sustained engagement with financing and implementation partners.

To address these needs, the Ministry requires a senior advisor whose role is explicitly focused on climate finance mobilization and project preparation, while also strengthening institutional capacity and providing strategic and technical support for implementation of sector Nationally Determined Contribution interventions and the Climate Resilient Integrated Water Resources Management agenda.

The Advisor will work closely with senior government leadership, regional bureaus, and key partners to translate Ethiopia’s NDC and climate resilient water resource management priorities into finance-ready projects, while providing technical backstopping for implementation across water resource management, water supply, irrigation, and water resource and quality monitoring. A strong emphasis is placed on capacity building, system strengthening, and improving coordination, monitoring, and learning within the water sector.

The Senior Advisor will report directly to the NDCP Country Engagement Specialist and maintain a close working relationship with the State Minister of Water and Energy, or another designated senior official within the Ministry, and relevant Ministry departments and units responsible for climate action, planning, extension, project development, and implementation. Collaboration will also extend to the Ministry of Planning and Development, specifically the Climate Policy, Analysis and Mainstreaming CEO and their team, as well as the NDCP In-Country Facilitator, Climate finance and Climate policy advisors team, with participation in joint planning and review sessions.

• This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days, with possibility of an extension depending on satisfactory performance and on availability of funds.
• This is a Home-based position, meaning that the incumbent will not work from a UNOPS office but from the government facilities. Therefore, the incumbent will need to use his/her own laptop and software.
• As this is a Local Position, in order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Ethiopia or have a valid residence permit in the country.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Skills

Capacity Building, Climate, Finance, Project Planning, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Planning, Technical Writing, Water Resource Management

Education Requirements

Required

• Master’s degree in water resources management, Hydrology, Hydraulic or Water Engineering, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Development Finance, Project Planning, Public Policy, or another closely related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in related discipline with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience (total 7 years) may be accepted instead of an advanced university degree

Desired

• PhD in a relevant field.

Required

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in climate-resilient water resources management, integrated water resources management, project preparation, investment planning, or related fields
• Strong technical knowledge of climate-resilient water management, including water supply, watershed restoration, drought and flood resilience, hydrological information systems, water governance, and water infrastructure challenges in developing-country contexts.
• Proven ability to strengthen public institutions through training, mentoring, development of practical tools and guidance materials, and support for fundraising, investment planning, and project development.
• Demonstrated skills in analysis, report writing, coordination, negotiation, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement, including experience providing strategic or technical support to donor-supported water and climate programs.

Desired

• Demonstrated experience in mobilizing finance and preparing high-quality concept notes, project proposals, investment cases, or financing packages for climate, water, development, or infrastructure finance institutions.
• Previous experience supporting government ministries or national institutions in Ethiopia or similar contexts.
• Strong understanding of climate finance architecture and donor requirements, including practical experience engaging multilateral climate funds, development banks, bilateral partners, and philanthropic financing mechanisms.
• Knowledge of Ethiopia’s water-sector climate priorities and institutional landscape.

Language Proficiency 

• English – Fluent Required
• Amharic – Fluent Required

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.