National Expert for Environmental and Social Safeguards

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS) under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The Division of Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA) under the supervision of the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA) assists Member States in the transition to low-carbon and climate resilient economies through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency solutions and breakthrough technologies in industry and other key sectors, diversifying supply chains for renewable energy manufacturing and stimulating innovation to address critical climate and energy related challenges. The Division assists governments in fulfilling national commitments under the Paris Agreement and progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, thereby facilitating a just transition towards sustainable industrialization. In transitioning to a low-carbon and climate resilient economies, the challenges of addressing energy poverty and climate change are an integral part of the Division's activities, as is the dissemination of policies, knowledge and technologies and pathways to plan, manage and finance the energy transitions and climate action for industrial transformation. It collaborates closely on converging issues with IET/CTP and TCS/CMP.

The position is located under the Sustainable and Just Energy Transitions Unit (TCS/ECA/JET) focuses on promoting energy for development and leveraging technology innovation and social inclusion to lead a just energy transition. It promotes the modernization of energy infrastructure to drive decoupling growth from emissions and deploys de-risking approaches to channel public and private investments to accelerate energy access and industrial development. It supports Members States in building and diversifying renewable energy supply chains and fostering manufacturing capabilities to achieve a just energy transition for all. The unit also supports the integration of energy system design into the wider development objectives and helps countries navigate the trade-offs for energy development while ensure compliance with social and environmental norms. Finally, the Unit coordinates the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres and related partnerships and uses regional policies and approaches to achieve economies of scale.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Project ID 220090: Enhancing and showcasing Egypt’s leadership in cleantech innovation for climate action and energy transition” is a UNIDO project developed and implemented in partnership with Ministry of Environment of Egypt and the Green Climate Fund.

The project aims to enhance the readiness of Egypt’s private sector to develop, commercialize, and invest in climate and clean energy (cleantech) solutions, as well as to maximize the economic growth opportunities, while supporting Egypt in reaching its NDC targets. To this end, this project will focus on the following areas of intervention:

• Policy and Regulatory Frameworks: Creating a conducive environment for private sector investment by developing and implementing supportive policies and regulatory frameworks that align with Egypt's NDC targets;
• Capacity Building and Support: Enhancing the private sector's ability to develop, commercialize, and invest in climate and cleantech solutions through training, technical assistance, and access to resources.
• Supporting creation of the strong pipeline of cleantech initiatives and enhance early-stage financing accessibility to expedite their deployment and expansion.

The project direct beneficiaries include the following:

• Private sector entities will benefit through support and resources for climate resilience and energy transition, including training, capacity building, financing access, and knowledge sharing;
• The government of Egypt (in particular the Ministry of Environment (MoE)) will benefit through enhanced partnerships with the private sector, receiving technical assistance and policy guidance to meet climate targets and advance energy transition initiatives;
• Local CSOs and NGOs will benefit from strengthened organizational capacity, supporting their advocacy, awareness, and community mobilization efforts for climate resilience and energy transition;
• Local communities will benefit through recognition of their traditional knowledge and practices, with inclusive, participatory approaches engaging them in decision-making for climate resilience and energy transition.

Institutional Arrangements

The Ministry of Environment (MoE) is the NDA to the GCF and the main beneficiary of the GCF readiness support.

UNIDO has been appointed as the Delivery Partner (DP). As the Delivery Partner, UNIDO is the lead implementing agency of the readiness support and will be responsible for its overall fiduciary and financial management, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation, as well as the procurement of all goods and services under this readiness support, all in compliance with UNIDO’s policies and procedures and with the Framework Agreement. UNIDO will conduct all readiness support activities under strategic guidance of the NDA as the main beneficiary.

MAIN DUTIES

Reporting to the UNIDO Project Manager and the National Technical Expert and Project Coordinator (NTEPC), the National expert for environmental and social safeguards is responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:

Technical Responsibilities

The consultant's non-component-specific duties entail:

• Provide technical support and expert advice on environmental matters to ensure ESS considerations are fully integrated into all project's documentation and processes.
• Draft and submit contributions for annual progress reports, adhering to GCF and UNIDO standards, and ensure timely submission.
• Ensure compliance with the 2015 UNIDO Environmental and Social Safeguards Policies and Procedures (ESSPP), as well as the 2021 GCF Environment and Social Policy.

The consultant’s component-specific duties include:

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in environmental science or any other discipline with focus on ESS, is required.

Experience, technical and functional expertise

• A minimum of three (3) years of work experience with ESS in the energy and/or cleantech sector in Egypt and/or the North African context, or in a developing country, is required.
• Knowledge and experience of ESS related issues in developing country contexts, is required.
• Experience in evaluating the needs, conditions and problems of the country or similar country in the regions is desirable.
• Excellent computer literacy (MS Office; Windows XP, Internet) is desirable.
• Excellent communications, report writing and analytical skills is desirable.

Additional preferred qualifications:

• Knowledge of the cleantech ecosystem in Egypt or the MENA region, is desirable.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language particularly Arabic is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core Values

WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key Competencies

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.