Environment and Climate Action Senior Advisor

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 31,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

Provide Technical and Strategic leadership on Environment sustainability and Climate Change Action to FO’s as to enhance environmental stewardship, lead necessary climate action initiatives within the East Africa region and collaborate with key stakeholders. The senior advisor will provide technical support in the design and implementation of Environment, climate action program and associated projects in development work, emergency response and advocacy programs. Conduct quality assurance of implementation on sampling basis, assess capacity gaps in FO’s and carries out ToFs on core project models and approaches on environmental stewardship and climate action. Promote and support learning initiatives and manage the CoP, Lead and contribute to continuous innovative improvement integrated program/project interventions. Coordinate with the Global partnership environment and climate change teams. Represent the Region in the various working groups and eternal engagements platforms on Environmental stewardship and climate action.

The role will significantly strengthen World Vision’s capacity to pre-position for large-scale climate financing (especially GCF), support Field Offices (FOs) to integrate climate resilience across programming and elevate WV’s profile as a partner of choice for climate funding and implementation. The advisor will lead technical support, donor engagement, innovative financing efforts, and thought leadership, while ensuring high-quality ESCA program design, implementation, and resource mobilization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

40%:

• Support the roll out and application of the Environmental Stewardship Policy across EARO offices.
• Support Field offices to set up and improve integrated programming in ESCA projects and build their capacity to do so.
• Develop compelling materials to strengthen WV EARO FO’s commitment and passion for work on ESCA (e.g., capability statements, case studies of success, research publications, business cases, Return on Investment etc.)
• Nurture a community of practice at field level to implement environmental programming with practical steps to that reduce WV’s environmental footprint
• Promote RO, and FO’s Carbon footprint and subsequent measures to reduce impact through initiatives with both internal and external stakeholders
• Monitor and track FO implementation of ESCA initiatives and report against relevant Regional and Global KPIs
• Advise FO’s on ESCA related policy statements as requested.

30%:

• Lead regional efforts to pre-position for Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other large-scale climate funding.
• Support FOs to engage with National and regional accredited entities, Build FO capacity on GCF processes, concept development, and compliance requirements.
• Work with WV Australia and GAM teams to develop bankable climate proposals and pipelines.
• Identify and position for emerging funds (Adaptation Fund, Great Green Wall, AfDB, among others).
• Contribute to Grant Acquisition Management (GAM) plans integrating climate finance priorities in the Field Offices.
• Support in the development of ESCA capability statements for the Field Offices.
• Support development of innovative financing solutions, including Blended finance mechanisms, Climate investment opportunities, Private sector partnerships
• Identify and support opportunities in carbon markets and nature-based financing.
• Collaborate with WV Australia and partners to develop investment-ready climate initiatives.

30% Donor Engagement, Partnerships & External Positioning:

• Lead strategic engagement with Nairobi-based donors and regional climate financing partners.

• Build partnerships with: Multilateral and bilateral donors, Climate finance institutions, Research institutions and think tanks
• Represent WV in regional and global climate platforms and forums.
• Strengthen WV’s thought leadership and visibility in ESCA and climate finance.
• Position WV as a preferred partner for large-scale climate programs.

15% External and Internal Engagement:

• Strategically engage with Donors, their respective Funding Offices and other partners in a response, development or nexus context, to ensure that WV is positioned as a viable partner for ESCA programmes.
• Work with WV EAR Field Offices to broker external partnerships that can forward ESCA work at field level.
• Represent the region effectively in key organisational discussions, platforms and fora to ensure that WV EARO Field Offices can get what they need from the WV Partnership and funding offices (E,g Technical Expertise, tools and approaches are field friendly etc)
• Maintain partnerships with organizations, think tanks and agencies in the implementation of ESCA or integrated programs.

5% Capacity Building:

• Work with Field Offices’ to identify gaps and opportunities for capacity building to strengthen ESCA programming.
• Upon request contribute to WV EARO Field Office strategies and plans on ESCA.
• Provide Regional Level expertise to help Field Offices contextualise and apply key World Vision project models such as Regreening Communities/Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, Citizens Voice and Action (CVA) Environment Social Accountability approach and World Visions Disaster Risk Reduction Model. (Based on COVACA).
• Plan, design and provide tailed capacity building approaches to offices in the region on ESCA topics and project models.

Nexus Approach:

• Support joint analysis, strategic planning and programming between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors
• Focus on working in collaboration and complementarity between humanitarian and development actors and knowing that Field Offices will become increasingly affected by the climate change, food insecurity, extreme poverty might lead to more conflicts over the scarce resources and the presence

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master Degree in Environmental Sciences, Climate Change Degree in Program Management/International Development is an added advantage. Experience in advocacy, policy formation, guidance and implementation on ESCA project model

• Detailed knowledge of NGO Environmental Stewardship and Climate Action programming and how to apply it. –

• Proven track record of growing communities of practice and influencing senior field stakeholders (Eg. Operations Directors, Head of Mission etc) is vital.

• Able to think and plan strategically and do practical field assessments, visits, proposal writing etc.

• Knowledge of Livelihoods, international development, humanitarian response, project management or other relevant field is an added advantage.

• Experience with Bilateral and UN Donors is required.

• Experience in development of projects, training materials, conducting training (face to face and online) and providing technical assistance.

• Understanding of the sector, donor and UN landscape for ESCA. Technical skills: Knowledge of ESCA Project models and approaches is desirable

• A minimum of 5 working experience in climate change and environmental stewardship, program development, implementation, resource mobilization in both emergency, development and advocacy context.

• Highly developed external engagement and networking skills

• Strong project management skills, including experience with research and development of programming models

• Excellent writing skills as shown through technical documents, thought pieces, and proposals

• Demonstrated willingness to be flexible and versatile in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency

• Ability to motivate and develop staff

• Experience leading a task force or community of practice or learning

• Understanding of climate change risks and challenges

• Strong understanding of global strategies and frameworks on environmental stewardship and climate change.

• Knowledge on legal international conventions related to climate change.

• Strong negotiation, collaboration, networking, liaison, and donor engagement skills.

• Demonstrated proficiency using Excel, Microsoft Suite of products, databases and statistical packages.

• Consistently demonstrates high-level influence and strategic engagement skills and tactical savvy in delivery of technical assistance.

• Ability to think broadly and look at the macro, strategic issues to inform strategy choices and management pro

• Critical thinking skills to relate to work performed to broader business context

• Clear communication skills, written and spoken high influencer, engager and an innovator, techno survey, trainer/coach, research.

• Strong relationship building/network capacity, spiritual maturity in Christian faith, ability to influence, innovative, and proactive personality.

GOOD-TO-HAVE:

• Excellent English skills, basic French is an added advantage

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations:

The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 45% of the time, with possible extended periods of 4 to 6 weeks of field work. Preferred candidates should be committed to travel to Field Offices for days/weeks and spend time with Field Office technical teams in the field. Hands on support is a critical part of this role.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only