Regional Energy Advisor for Asia/Pacific - IPSA – 12

Senior

Contract

This is a IPSA-12 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 10 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-12 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

1. Office/Unit/Project Description

2. Organizational Context

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 HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

1. UNDP’s work on Energy and the Sustainable Energy Hub

UNDP has been a leading advocate and the largest UN implementing agency for the energy transition at global, regional and national levels for several decades. UNDP’s Energy Programme supports policy makers with high quality data to make informed decisions on selecting and designing cost-effective public instruments to promote private investment in clean energy, contributing to SDG 7 and in line with UNDP’s ‘signature solution’ on energy. UNDP has a successful track record in using policy instruments to de-risk and catalyze investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy access projects, including a series of sustainable energy initiatives specifically adapted to the needs (and resilient recovery) of fragile and crisis-impacted countries.

Under the new Strategic Plan (2022-2025), energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions – alongside poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality - to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience. Scaled-up programming efforts on energy access and the energy transition will be coordinated under the newly established Sustainable Energy Hub (SEH), which represents parts of the organization’s systematic and programmatic approach to respond to the energy and climate change agendas. As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the first objective of UNDP is increasing energy access for those furthest behind. By speeding up investment in distributed renewable energy solutions, especially for those hardest to reach and in crisis contexts, it aims to increase access to clean and affordable energy for 500 million people by the year 2025. The Africa Minigrids Programme, for example, is improving the financial viability of renewable energy mini-grids in 21 countries, encouraging private investment, lower tariffs and expanded service.

Second, UNDP will work to accelerate the clean energy transition and access through systems changes that support inclusive, green and resource-efficient economies. This work will capitalize on technological gains, clean energy innovations and new business models in the energy sector.

Through the Sustainable Energy Hub, UNDP will harness networks, experience and innovation to scale-up energy programming efforts and shape policy, building on the existing portfolio of energy projects, covering over 100 countries to harness clean energy and support the energy access and transition as well as on UNDP’s Climate Promise, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub and UNDP’s Digital offer. UNDP will also work with Governments in programme countries as they recover and build forward better from COVID-19 and with investors to unlock and harness public and private finance to power progress towards multiple SDGs.

Finally, recognizing that change will be disruptive, UNDP will strive to ensure that such transitions are just, and that their impact on vulnerable people is understood and duly mitigated.

1. Background on Regional Engagement

To provide country support and work with relevant teams for local action, the Sustainable Energy Hub is structured to work in close concert with UNDP’s Regional Hubs (i.e., Africa, Asia Pacific, Arab States/Middle East & North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia). Therefore, the Regional Energy Advisor will be located at the Bangkok Regional Hub for Asia and the Pacific region.

The Regional Energy Advisor will work closely with the Regional Team Leader for Nature, Climate and Energy and other Technical Specialists and Policy Advisors supporting the region to advance the sustainable energy agenda, while engaging with country offices in the region and enabling strategic partnerships with regional organizations and partner UN agencies. Therefore, working closely with other Specialists and Advisors, the Regional Energy Advisor will provide policy and programme support to:

(1) de-risk energy investments;

(2) scale up energy finance;

(3) promote innovation, technology, and data for sustainable energy,

(4) enable SDGs through an inclusive, just energy transition,

(5) advance energy access and transition policies and the enabling policy environment e.g. on carbon pricing, energy auditsand fossil fuel subsidy reform; and

(6) expand energy access for poor and displaced communities, among other activities.

The Regional Energy Advisor will be supervised by the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub in UNDP Headquarters (Primary Supervisor) and work directly with the Regional Team Leader for the NCE Team (primary supervisor).

1. Institutional Arrangements

• The Regional Energy Advisor will be located at the UNDP Regional Hub in Bangkok, Thailand.
• The Regional Energy Advisor will work in collaboration with the BPPS/SEH team and the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub.
• The Regional Energy Advisor will report to, and be directly supervised by, the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub (Primary supervisor) and the Regional Team Lead (Secondary supervisor)
• The Regional Energy Advisor will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment.
• The Regional Energy Advisor will be provided a working station (i.e., desk, laptop, docking station, monitor, internet, scanner/printer access, assignment specific software, etc.).
• Given the global scope of the work to be undertaken during this assignment, the Regional Energy Advisor is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability taking into consideration different time zones.

1. Travel:

• UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.
• International mission travel may be required (destinations to be identified) with expected total travel duration of approximately 4-8 days per mission. Expected mission travel would be discussed upon commencement of assignment and updated quarterly;
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and in advance by the supervisor;
• The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• The incumbent is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP and for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• S/he is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Scope of Work

The Sustainable Energy Hub requires the support of a Regional Energy Advisor to deliver on the activities described below.

Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Programme Support and Policy Advice

• Develop and define strategic approaches for UNDP’s work on sustainable energy and climate change mitigation, drawing on UNDP’s existing work under the Sustainable Energy Hub and Climate Promise, with strategic linkages with a Vertical Fund-financed portfolio of projects as well as analysis of the global/regional policy context.
• Lead the development of sustainable energy policies and tools, including for crisis contexts (where relevant and as requested, as these efforts may vary by region).
• Lead UNDP’s work in RBAP to assist countries at the regional level in designing strategies and policies to support energy access priorities, promote the energy transition and foster low carbon growth in the context of their sustainable development efforts, aligned with the service offer under the Sustainable Energy Hub.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new strategic programming and partnerships in areas of energy access and the energy transition to achieve results set within UNDP’s Strategic Plan, Energy Offer, SIDS Offer, and the work plans of Sustainable Energy Hub and the regional NCE team.
• Collaborate with global, regional, national and sub-national staff to promote UNDP’s de-risking approach and implementation of the corporate sustainable energy strategy.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across and beyond NCE and GPN colleagues to identify policy issues regarding the implementation of energy-related SDGs and the nationally determined contributions (as they relate to energy).

Policy Positioning and Representation

• Under the guidance of the Regional Team Leader, mobilize, foster, and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities, and other relevant bodies at the regional level, and provide inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives;
• Prepare briefing notes and speeches. Advocate the importance of the thematic area in various fora at the regional level, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms.
• Keeping the NCE Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area and contribute actively to regional NCE programming and Business plans;
• Support Regional Team Leader in engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by organizing and participating in regional meetings.

Research and Knowledge Management

• Coordinate and conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons from regional projects and programmes to inform policy formulation and guidance and other products.
• Develop relevant analysis on issues related to energy, including on emerging issues of significance to the region, and contribute to new research, technical paper or reports, as needed by the Regional Hub and/or the Sustainable Energy Hub.
• Collect and compile information on the energy profiles of countries in the region, including key indicators and policies, and identify areas of strategic significance for programming and policy work.
• Coordinate team contributions and support to corporate Knowledge Management activities, at region-specific level to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the thematic area in collaboration with policy teams at HQ and in Regional Hubs.
• Contribute regional energy insights and programming priorities to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Coordinate and perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area and verify that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.
• Contribute, and coordinate as requested, substantive inputs for energy programming outputs (e.g. work-plans, project documents, inception missions, workshops, technical working papers, methodologies).

Competencies

1. Competencies

Core

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Direction & Strategy

Strategic

Thinking

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 leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

Business

Development

Knowledge

Generation

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

Business

Development

Integration

within the UN

Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations.

2030 Agenda: Planet

Nature, Climate and Energy

Energy access

Energy planning, Derisking energy investment and financial appraisal

Renewable Energy

Business Management

Communication

Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Business Management

Partnerships Management

Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Required Skills and Experience

**. Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA**

Min. Education Requirements

• Master’s degree or higher in energy, engineering, environment, economics, business administration, social sciences or related discipline

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• 10 years of professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support in the general area of Energy Access, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy or Climate Change in different development contexts is required.

Required skills

• Experience in providing policy advisory services to governments related to sustainable energy and energy planning with authority and credibility;
• Experience working with developing country settings;
• Experience with the design and/or implementation of development projects to promote energy investment.

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Experience working in multiple countries in the Asia Pacific region is an asset;
• Experience working with multilateral organizations and/or the UN system is preferred;
• Experience in fragile and crisis contexts is an asset;
• Experience working with a wide set of energy stakeholders, such as the private and financial sector, government, and civil society is preferred;
• Field experience in energy related projects in developing countries contexts is preferred.
• Knowledge of other UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is highly desirable.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Excellent command of written and spoken English is required;

Professional Certificates

N/A

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org