Decarbonisation Desk Officer

Organization
The Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings
Location
Home based, applicants from Nigeria or other Sahel Countries encouraged to apply
Job Type
Full-time
Deadline for Applications
03/26/2025
How to Apply
Countries encouraged to apply Interested candidates should submit an up-to-date CV and a one-page (maximum) motivation letter to energy@unitar.org with the following email subject line "Decarbonisation Desk Officer" by 17:00 CET 26 March 2025.
Where to Apply
https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/assets/resources/Decarbonisation_Desk_Officer_Postion.pdf
Tags
Full-time

Division/Programme Unit: Division for Peace/PTPU Project title: Global Platform for Action for Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) Title (Individual Contractor): Decarbonisation Desk Officer Area of Specialization/Thematic Areas: Decarbonisation of Humanitarian Facilities and Operations Subject to Funding Overview: The Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) is the global initiative to promote actions that enable sustainable energy access and use in displacement settings.

The Coordination Unit (CU) for the GPA is hosted at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva. The GPA strives to remove barriers to energy access in humanitarian settings by providing a collaborative agenda for energy, development, and humanitarian partners to deliver concrete actions of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) for displacement contexts. In 2021 the GPA CU conducted a survey to estimate the number of diesel and petrol generators that are used to produce electricity in humanitarian operations within six UN agencies and the ICRC. Conservative estimates showed that 11,365 diesel and petrol generators are operated in displacement settings, collectively spending around $110 million per year on fuel and emitting almost 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

The Decarbonising Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund (DHE MPTF) was formed in early 2023 to address needs and challenges identified by the GPA. The DHE programming is delivered by UNITAR/GPA, UNDP and NORCAP’s Green Shift Programme, referred to as the DHE Programme Partners (PPs). The programme aims to: decarbonise and create energy access; support a simplified involvement of the private sector to increase its investment capacity; coordinate the grouping of multiple projects together (“bundling”) to achieve economies of scale and unlock innovative financing mechanisms; open opportunities to improve energy access to the displaced and local host communities; and produce a suite of evidence-based communications materials that promote lower carbon operations.

The Terms of Reference of the DHE MPTF Programme identified six Work Packages (WP) in order to achieve its goals, where each PP has the responsibility to carry out activities included in the WPs assigned to them. UNITAR GPA Coordination Unit is leading on three WPs (WP1: Global and Strategic Coordination, WP5: Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Sharing, WP6: Enabling Community Access, and supports UNDP in WP4: Leveraging Finance).

The incumbent of this position will undertake the responsibly of delivering the outcomes of these work packages supported by the GPA CU Team. General objectives of the contract: The Decarbonisation desk officer is expected to fulfil this position’s tasks and duties as outlined in these terms of refence, ensuring high quality and timely delivery of their functions, including any additional tasks under the GPA CU decarbonisation workstream.

Duties and Responsibilities: 1 Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Assist in the day-to-day operations of the DHE MPTF, tracking milestones, ensuring that planned activities are on track;

• Represent the GPA CU in the DHE MPTF coordination and technical meetings, provide updates, and share insights or feedback as required;

• Liaise with the DHE Secretariat, and Programme Partners, on behalf of UNITAR’s GPA CU, ensuring alignment of the programme’s priorities and activities;

• Coordinate the onboarding process of Energy Transition Partners (ETPs), prepare presentations, facilitate online or in-person meetings and track information coming from ETPs at HQ level regarding their facilities and diesel generators they wish to decarbonise;

• Draft reports based on meeting discussions, action points and programme progress;

• Support in the GPA CU’s efforts on facilitating strategic alignment of energy transition programmes across the UN system, international NGOs, and humanitarian contexts to minimize duplication and maximize collaborative impact;

• Promote coordination and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, including the GPA Steering Group and the wider GPA community to enhance the DHE programme delivery;

• Support efforts to integrate sustainable energy practices into humanitarian contexts, policies, and programs, in partnership with local governments and agencies; Programme Implementation and Support

• Support mission preparation to countries of operation and participate in missions as required;

• Contribute to finalizing and rolling out key programme deliverables, including business cases, the monitoring of leakages strategy as identified in the DHE ToRs, the DHE Dashboard and energy monitoring devices;

• Conduct spatial analysis of facilities in countries of operation to assist in decision-making regarding project bundling based on the highest concentration of facilities in specific areas, optimizing for cost-effectiveness and efficiency;

• Assist in the development of Energy Access Framework and Calls for Proposals documentation; Monitoring and Evaluation • Contribute to improving the business case development and energy efficiency services for the Centralized Clean Energy Service.

• Provide inputs to new country rollout plans, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and stakeholder needs. • Identify ways to optimize the ETP engagement process to ensure efficient collaboration with in-country teams. Additional Responsibilities:

• Attend and contribute to ad-hoc meetings, provide insights to effective solutions and connecting with potential partners; • Offer support to certain DHE Secretariat functions as required and agreed upon;

• Draft reports on key achievements of the DHE to be used at particular forums and action groups, such as the UN-wide Decarbonisation Task Team and the Humanitarian Energy Exchange Network (HEEN);

• Take on any additional tasks and duties as required. 2 Qualification and Experience Required:

• Education: degree in electrical engineering, energy management, sustainable development, or a related field.

• Experience: 4-5 years of relevant experience in renewable energy, decarbonisation, or sustainable development projects, ideally within the humanitarian or development sector;

• Skills: Proficiency in tools such as Microsoft Power BI, project management systems and Solar design tools, knowledge in ArcGIS is a plus;

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required, Proficiency in one or more UN official languages is highly desirable to support global coordination and communication efforts. Measurable outputs/deliverables/schedule of deliverables:

• Assigned tasks on preparing reports, briefing papers, and other documents are completed;

• Administrative functions are prepared and supported on time; Performance Indicators for evaluation of results:

• Quality submission of deliverables;

• Activities implemented with a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency, demonstrating a high degree of professionalism, and contributing to an increase in the professional image of the Institute;

• Capacity to work in multi-cultural environments; Initial contract period: 1 May 2025 – 30 Sept 2025 extension anticipated Location: Home based, applicants from Nigeria or other Sahel

Countries encouraged to apply Interested candidates should submit an up-to-date CV and a one-page (maximum) motivation letter to energy@unitar.org with the following email subject line “Decarbonisation Desk Officer” by 17:00 CET 26 March 2025.

Due to the high number of expected applications, UNITAR will only contact the shortlisted applicants. UNITAR shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs (Charter of the United Nations – Chapter 3, article 8). Priority will be given to the applicants from the underrepresented regions at UNITAR.