Regional Energy Specialist- IPSA 11

Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.

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 18 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

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 contact 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 Specialist will be located at the Regional Centre to which he/she applies.The Regional Energy Specialist will work closely with the Regional Team Leaders for Nature, Climate and Energy and other regional specialists in the regional team 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 regional specialists, the Specialist 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 audits and fossil fuel subsidy reform; and 

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

Based in one of UNDP’s Regional Hubs, the Regional Energy Specialist will be supervised by the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub in UNDP Headquarters (primary supervisor). The person will also work closely with the Regional Team Leader for the NCE Team (secondary supervisor).

 Duties and Responsibilities

The Sustainable Energy Hub requires the support of a Regional Energy Specialist 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). 
• Support UNDP’s work in the Regional Bureau for the Arab region/Middle East & North

Africa 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 Nature, Climate, & Waste Hub teams. 
• 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&W Hubs 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 Environment 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. 
• Provide regional support to UNDP’s Sustainable Energy Hub, where needed. 
• Support the Environment Regional Team Leader in engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by organizing and participating in regional meetings.  

Research and Knowledge Management 

• Provide substantive inputs for HQ policy briefs/position papers prepared in collaboration with other practices that address links between energy and development. 
• Coordinate and conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distil 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). 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Institutional Arrangements

• The Regional Energy Specialist will be located at the UNDP Regional Hub in Amman, Jordan – RBAS; and will work from the Regional Hub or from home at the duty station (may vary depending on the Regional Hub policies due to the COVID‐19 pandemic).
• The incumbent will work in collaboration with the BPPS/SEH team and the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub; 
• The incumbent will report to, and be directly supervised by, the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub (Primary supervisor) and the Regional Team Lead for the Arab States/Middle East and North Africa (Secondary supervisor); 
• The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment; 
• The Regional Energy Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e.  laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection; 
• Given the scope of the work to be undertaken during this assignment, the Regional Energy Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability taking into consideration different time zones. 

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 

 Energy: 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. 

Business Direction & Strategy

System Thinking

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

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education Requirements 

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in energy, engineering, environment, economics, business administration, social sciences, or related discipline is required, or

A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.

Min. years of relevant Work experience 

Minimum 7 years (with Master´s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor´s degree) 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 is required;

Desired additional skills and competencies 

• Experience working with multilateral organizations and/or the UN system is preferred;