View Vacancy - UK PACT Senior Climate Change Officer (09/22ABJ)

Main purpose of job:

The UK is committed to tackling climate change and supporting Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon economy. As part of this commitment, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has launched a programme called Nigeria-UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions). We are now seeking a new member of staff to help deliver  the programme and explore new ways in which it can support climate action in Nigeria.

As part of the UK PACT global team and based at the British High Commission (BHC) in Abuja, this new position will be integral to the successful implementation of Nigeria-UK PACT and delivery of its projects. It is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of this evolving area of UK – Nigeria collaboration. The post holder will contribute to the development of a vision for how to continue to grow the UK-Nigeria climate relationship, building on the existing UK PACT portfolio and identifying new areas for support, drawing links with existing UK International Climate Finance programmes and those of other donors to maximise impact and value for money.

The post holder will combine climate programme management experience, relationship development skills and thematic expertise (specifically nature-based solutions and/or renewable energy and the energy transition) to ensure that Nigeria-UK PACT is well represented across BHC and the Nigerian government, and that the portfolio of projects is delivering high impact results. They will provide direct oversight of the programme in Nigeria, working closely with the FCDO team in London and delivery partners in London and Nigeria. This role will be expected to develop strong links with other colleagues across the BHC, particularly the Nigeria Sustainable Economic Transformation team, but also colleagues working on government, stability and human development issues.

UK PACT is a global programme that supports partner countries to improve the capacity and capability of key institutions to reduce emissions and foster inclusive economic growth, in line with their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The programme is delivered through three components: the Country Programme, Skill-Shares & Secondments and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund. It is active in countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and launched in Nigeria in 2021.

Nigeria-UK PACT will fund projects that will accelerate energy efficiency or promote nature-based solutions to climate change – two areas that Nigeria highlighted as priorities in its recent NDC. UK PACT also supports additional FCDO nature-based solutions (NBS) projects. Beyond these projects, the programme funds skill-shares that share expertise on topics like: climate legislation (supporting the drafting of Nigeria’s Climate Change Bill); greening central banking with the Central Bank of Nigeria; and renewable energy regulation with NERC. Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion – or GESI – is an important strand of all projects and the post holder would be expected to seek opportunities to embed and improve GESI throughout the portfolio.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

1. UK PACT Programme Implementation (40%)

• Work with the UK PACT delivery partners to provide administrative input to and oversight of Energy Efficiency and Nature-Based Solutions projects in Nigeria, including managing Terms of Reference, project deliverables and Duty of Care documents;
• Uphold delivery best practice as set out in Programme Operating Framework;
• Contribute to regular update meetings between FCDO, BHC and the Delivery Partner, supporting project performance reviews and completion reports;
• Develop strong relationships with project implementers and maintain awareness of project progress, being the first to flag emerging risks to FCDO and the delivery partner;
• Use learning from projects to inform and update future strategy and portfolio development; and
• Ensure coherence and complementarity with other UK Aid and ICF programmes in Nigeria.

Nigeria – Climate Change UK PACT Strategic Oversight (20%)

• Maintain a strong understanding of the climate change landscape in Nigeria, including activities by the UK and other donors, political economy and country demands;
• Use this and an understanding of programme portfolios (UK and other donor) country to maximise links between programmes and demonstrate how these respond to priorities in Nigeria;
• Identify, analyse and flag policy, technological and commercial developments and risks that could influence the delivery of UK-Nigeria climate collaboration;
• Drive co-development of the Nigeria-UK PACT strategy with FCDO, BHC leads and relevant counterparts to identify key areas of Nigerian demand and areas of opportunity for future support; and
• Provide evidence-based recommendations on collaboration opportunities through UK PACT (skill-shares and the country programme) to senior management at the High Commission and in London, and in support of other parallel programmes, leading on scoping and delivery as necessary

 UK PACT Stakeholder management (30%)

• Proactively develop, manage and strengthen the BHC’s network of UK – Nigeria climate contacts at all levels of seniority and in all sectors, to identify capacity building and policy influencing opportunities for UK PACT including co-designing or co-creating projects with relevant counterparts for UK PACT funding.
• Ensure coordination between UK climate programmes and initiatives supported by other development partners, identifying opportunities for multilateral cooperation where possible.
• Publicly represent the High Commission and UK Government as a credible interlocutor in climate related engagements, as necessary.
• Proactively seek cross-section collaboration opportunities amongst High Commission teams to continue supporting a mainstreamed approach to climate change in bilateral programmes and mutual interests of UK AID programmes.
• Share outputs of UK PACT projects with Government and other stakeholders to ensure sharing and uptake of recommendations.

 Corporate and Administration (10%)

• Play an active part in the corporate life of the High Commission (including, if necessary, as a member of any High Commission Committees) to maximise the overall well-being of staff.
• The job holder will be expected to manage his or her own administrative tasks and support the wider team on administrative tasks as and when required.

Resources:  No direct management but will be expected to ensure value-for-money and best practice compliance and financial management implementation of PACT budget in Nigeria. 

We are looking for a proactive self-starter, able to work well and have a flexible approach to work whilst under pressure and excellent interpersonal and communications skills to build strong relations within the High Commission and with a wide range of stakeholders in Nigeria with the following skills and experience:

•  University degree, preferably in Climate/Public Policy, International Development, Development Economics or a related course; Candidates with a background in Forests, Land Use, Sustainable Agriculture, Nature Based Solutions or Energy Transition are particularly encouraged to apply;
• Minimum 5years of work experience, ideally with ODA/international development project/programme management experience;
• Demonstrable interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills;
• Be a flexible and creative problem-solver, able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems, and coordinate coherent and compelling programmes and projects;
• Fluency in written and spoken English; and
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Microsoft Office literate
• Language:  English but Hausa, Yoruba and/or Igbo also desirable.