Project Officer/ Energy

Background

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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.

During August 2024 – July 2028, UNDP will implement the Project “Resilient Communities through Women Empowerment, Phase 2”, funded by Sweden and Norway. 

The Project aims to enhance gender-responsive climate resilience in Moldova by integrating gender considerations into climate policies, empowering women leaders, and promoting climate-smart solutions. It aligns with national priorities and the Moldova 2030 National Strategy, addressing climate change adaptation and environmental protection. The project also supports the Government Programme on Gender Equality (2023-2027) and contributes to energy-related objectives, enhancing domestic energy production and affordability.

As a continuation of the Resilient Communities Project, phase I, UNDP Moldova intends: i) to enhance the understanding on climate change and gender empowerment matters, via synergetic engagement of public authorities from both national and local level; ii) to expand the pool of experts on gender&climate nexus through fellowship progammes, knowledge management portal etc and with participation of the NGOs<and, iii) to foster cooperation among the main local stakeholders – LPAs, community members and women-led businesses which all contribute to addressing the same priority issues identified in the Sustainable Energy and Climate Actions Plans (SECAPS);

Expected Results:

The project envisions a transformed landscape where climate action and gender equality converge, resulting in stronger communities and enhanced climate resilience. This transformation is driven by a set of expected results:

Outcome 1: Capacities of national and local authorities to advance gender transformative climate change actions are enhanced. This result is achieved through mainstreaming climate and gender into policy frameworks and enabling multi-stakeholder engagement. It ensures that climate and gender considerations are integrated from national to local levels, fostering a comprehensive response to the challenge.

Outcome 2: National and local women’s leadership in climate actions is expanded and advanced. The project achieves this by enabling education, capacity-building, and a gender-specific leadership fellowship program. Empowering women as leaders and change-makers in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts is key to fostering inclusive and sustainable development.

Outcome 3: Women led climate-smart solutions are identified, supported and replicated among women groups and target communities. The project supports the implementation of climate-smart activities in households and women-led agri-businesses, fostering sustainable practices and generating economic opportunities. These solutions are grounded in gender-sensitive approaches, enhancing women’s resilience and community well-being.

Outcome 4: Women-led climate-smart solutions are disseminated, and societal awareness is raised. The project conducts information campaigns, contributes to development of the gender-sensitive climate change knowledge management portal, and ensures project visibility. By showcasing success stories and engaging multiple stakeholders, the project promotes a culture of climate awareness and gender-sensitive actions.

These expected results collectively address the challenge by integrating gender considerations into policies, empowering women leaders, promoting sustainable practices, and raising climate awareness. Through these outcomes, the project catalyzes positive change, contributing to Moldova’s journey towards climate resilience, gender equality, and sustainable development.

Duties and Responsibilities

Project Officer/Energy’s primary responsibility is for implementation of the activities under the Outcome 1 and Outcome 3 and maintain close coordination with project partners, ensure synergies, avoid overlaps in project implementation, provide information relevant to the project, support with M&E.

More specifically, the Project Officer/Energy will be involved in coordinating the Sustainable Energy and Climate Plans (SECAPs) elaboration and implementation of training activities at both the national and local levels to advance gender transformative climate change actions. Furthermore, the incumbent will contribute to stakeholder engagement and awareness for piloting Energy communities in the target areas. 

Also, the Project Officer/Energy will co-design and co-coordinate Grants programs to implement SECAPs-related actions for Local Public Authorities (LPAs), women agri-producers and other relevant stakeholders to enhance gender-responsive climate resilience in Moldova. In terms of the current project, this specifically applies to integrating gender considerations into policies, empowering women leaders, promoting and piloting sustainable practices, and raising climate awareness, and others related to advancement of gender-sensitive climate agenda. 

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the ResCom 2 Project Manager, in cooperation with Project Officer/Environment and Project Officer/Capacity building and outreach and overall guidance of the UNDP Climate Change, Environment and Energy (EECC) Cluster Analyst, the incumbent provides effective and efficient support to the initiative through a range of actions contributing to the management and monitoring of initiative activities. The selected Project Officer/Energy applies and promotes the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. He/she is responsible and accountable to the Project Board for the project results.

The selected Project Officer/Energy is expected to collaborate also with the Programme, Operations, Communications and other project teams in the Country Office (CO) for effective achievement of results, anticipating and contributing to resolving complex programme/project-related issues and information delivery. The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems. 

The Project Officer/Energy, in close cooperation with the UNDP Country Office and all relevant stakeholders, incl. Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ministry of Energy, LPAs, youth, academia, private sector and other relevant stakeholders, will ensure the provision of development services and products (commensurate with the scope of the initiative) of the highest quality and standards to national counterparts and clients through applying human rights-based (HRBA) and gender equality (GE) approaches, specifically: 

• Ensuring effective content and coordination of the activities related to capacity building, awareness and outreach;
• Coordinate training activities at the national and local levels; Facilitate community engagement where relevant;
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and promote awareness for the gender-sensitive climate resilience;
• Oversee day-to-day operations and implementation of project activities under the Component 1 and 3;
• Exercise close monitoring of project activities and produce monitoring reports;
• Ensure the timely and efficient delivery of Project outputs and products, as per the Project Document, leading to the achievement of expected results;
• Develop Work Plan, periodic narrative progress and final reports and expenditures status reports and submit to the supervisor;
• Ensure the implementation of the activities under the Project work plan according to indicators for achieving planned results, as well as the overall management of the Project in line with UNDP rules, regulations and procedures;
• Support UNDP CO in effectively managing human resources pertaining to the Project, consultants and short-term experts; conduct periodic performance appraisals; build, lead and motivate a solid team of professionals;
• Support the efficient management of the Project financial resources, including budgeting and budget revisions, as well as expenditure tracking and reporting;
• Continuously record and maintain Project issues and risks and suggest mitigation measures.
• Coordinate the organization of meetings, workshops, conferences, trainings, study visits and related activities relevant to the implementation of the Project;
• Maintain a continuous effective dialogue with the key stakeholders, central and local government authorities, other UN agencies and actors active in the sector, CSOs, partner organizations, international and national experts in the areas of the Project intervention in view of identifying synergies and avoiding overlapping of assistance;
• Maintain a close collaboration with other related UNDP projects to ensure synergies and complementarities;
• Ensure high quality information and visibility of the project activities to the mass media and stakeholders and support mechanisms for exchange of information, experience and lessons learned at the local, national, and as required at international levels;
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Key Results:

The key results have a direct impact on the overall successful achievement of the Resilient Communities through Women Empowerment, Phase 2 (ResCom 2). Accurate analysis and presentation of information enhances UNDP’s position as a strong development partner. The information provided facilitates decision-making of the Project Board, the Beneficiary and UNDP management. 

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Officer/Energy will work under the supervision of the Project Manager and the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Analyst and will ensure the provision of development services and products commensurate with the scope of the Programme and assigned area of responsibility of the highest quality and standards to national and local counterparts and clients through applying HRBA and GE approaches. S/he will coordinate the part time consultants, as envisaged in programme’s organizational chart.

The Project Officer/Energy will work in close cooperation with the team in the Country Office (CO) for effective achievement of results, anticipating and contributing to resolving complex project/project-related issues and information delivery. The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results:
• LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively:
• LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously:
• LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility:
• LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible .
• Act with Determination:
• LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner:
• LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
• LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

• Results-based Management:
• Ability to manage projects and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Project Management:
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• 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.
• Monitoring:
• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and project performance and results.
• Agile’ methodologies and practices:
• Ability to manage projects and processes through continuous iteration, learning and improvement. Ability to manage a self-organizing cross-functional teams, foster a team culture of curiosity and learning. Being nimble and being able to improvise and quickly adjust to unforeseen events or changes in conditions or context.
• Futures & foresight:
• Ability to look at information from the past and present, identify patterns and trends and use them to inform decision making with a long-term view.
• Being sensitive and able to scan horizons and pick up weak signals of change, explore their potential implications and assess their impact and urgency.
• Using creativity and imagination to communicate insights in compelling and engaging ways to challenge current mental models; ability to develop scenarios, speculative designs to present future visions or by making it experiential.
• Being able to facilitate debate and discussion about possible futures; help people to feel comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty.
• CSO Engagement:
• Knowledge and understanding of CSOs and the ability to engage with CSOs.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Energy and Engineering or other closely related fields is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master`s degree

Experience:

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in project design and implementation, and grants programmes development and management, preferably in the energy sector and climate change fields.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Desired Skills:

• Relevant professional experience of engagement with a large variety of stakeholders (public, private, LPAs, central public authorities, mass-media etc) is an asset;
• Previous experience in development assistance or related work for NGOs, academia, a donor organization, development partners, UN Agencies is an asset;
• Prior experience with UNDP consultancy and/or project implementation is an asset;
• Familiarity and prior experience with the donors requirements and procedures is considered an asset;
• Demonstrated ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy is desired;
• Demonstrated ability to achieve results and deadlines in a timely manner, maintaining a high standard throughout is desired.

Languages:

• Fluency in English, Romanian and Russian is required.
• Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset.

Professional Certificates

• Additional training and certification in project management and/or business administration would be an advantage.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters 

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements. 

Non-discrimination 

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

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