Climate Resilience Specialist, Kigali, Rwanda

General

Description of assignment title: Climate Resilience Specialist

Assignment country: Rwanda

Duty stations: Kigali

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 09/12/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility of extension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 13. Climate action

Host entity: UNDP

Modality: Onsite

Type: International

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• The United Nations Development Programme supports Rwanda's development agenda in alignment with Vision 2050, NST2, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, focusing on sustainable and inclusive growth. Its work integrates economic, environmental, and governance solutions to address complex challenges. Key priorities include promoting green and inclusive economic transformation, strengthening transparent and accountable governance, and fostering social cohesion through civic engagement, gender equality, and equitable access to services. Across all interventions, UNDP emphasizes inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, while leveraging innovation and digitalization to enhance impact and sustainability.

Context:

• Positioned within the Sustainable Energy, Environment and Climate Change (SEEDCC) Unit, strengthening resilience in the agricultural sector is central to achieving Rwanda's updated national climate commitments. As a key pillar of the economy and a primary source of livelihoods, agriculture remains highly vulnerable to climate variability and shocks. Transforming the sector through climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is therefore essential to sustain economic growth, reduce poverty, and ensure long-term food security. The UN Volunteer will serve as a technical expert and key catalyst for this transformation, dedicated specifically to bridging the financing gap for agricultural adaptation. The core mandate of this role is to translate broad climate resilience strategies into structured, bankable CSA projects. By actively engaging stakeholders and aggressively pursuing climate finance, from vertical funds (e.g. Adaptation Fund), bilateral donors, and private sector investors, the Specialist will mobilize the critical resources needed to scale up nature-positive agricultural practices, promote green value chains, and build the resilience of vulnerable farming communities.

Task description:

• Under the direct supervision of the Head of SEEDCC, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Drive Resource Mobilization for CSA: Lead the drafting of high-quality funding proposals, concept notes, and investment pitches specifically targeting climate finance for climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management.
• Develop Bankable Projects: Identify and structure green financing opportunities and de-risking mechanisms to attract private sector investment into climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
• Technical Design: Provide technical inputs into the design and implementation of CSA interventions (e.g., agroforestry, drought-resistant varieties, climate information services, efficient irrigation).
• Donor & Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate strategic partnerships with key stakeholders (such as Ministry of Agriculture, environment agencies, agri-businesses, and development partners) to leverage co-financing for CSA.
• Impact Reporting: Monitor the impact of agricultural resilience projects and prepare compelling donor reports that demonstrate the return on investment in CSA.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Donor priorities:

• .

Nationality: Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Additional eligibility criteria:

• This assignment is funded by the Government of Korea and therefore specific criteria apply:
• - Candidates must be Korean nationals. Fluency in Korean is required.
• - Candidates must be 27 years of age at the time of application.
• - Candidates who have already served as UN Volunteer Specialist funded by the Government of Korea are not eligible to apply (former UN University and UN Youth Volunteers are eligible).
• - Serving UN Volunteers will not be considered for other UN Volunteer assignments until they reach three (3) months before the end of contract date of their current UN Volunteer assignment. This provision applies equally to first and subsequent contracts.
• - Candidates may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the 'Additional remarks' field when filling in the application form.
• - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment.
• APPLICATION DEADLINE: 19 July 2026
• +++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Climate Change Adaptation, Environmental Finance, or a related field

Competencies and values:

• ☒ Accountability
• ☒Adaptability and Flexibility
• ☒Commitment and Motivation
• ☒Communication
• ☒Ethics and Values
• ☒Integrity
• ☒Planning and Organizing
• ☒Professionalism
• ☒Respect for Diversity
• ☒Self-Management
• ☒Working in Teams

Skills and experience:

• Demonstrated experience in
• Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Implementation: Proven track record in designing, man-aging, or providing technical advisory for CSA interventions, such as agroforestry, drought-resilient crop varieties, sustainable land management, and agricultural water management.
• Resource Mobilization & Climate Finance: Demonstrable success in securing climate fi-nance. Experience drafting high-quality, successful funding proposals for vertical funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility), bilateral donors, or private sector agricultural investments.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Experience working directly with ministries of agricul-ture/environment, agri-businesses, and farming communities to integrate climate risk as-sessments into agricultural planning and practices.
• Project Pipeline Development: Experience translating broad climate adaptation concepts into structured, bankable projects or investment pitches within the agricultural value chain.
• Skills in:
• Advanced Grant Writing: Exceptional proposal writing, logical framework design, and donor pitching skills tailored specifically for climate and environmental finance.
• Technical Agricultural/Climate Analysis: Ability to analyze agricultural climate risks, assess vulnerability, and design appropriate technical mitigation and adaptation re-sponses.
• Partnership Building & Negotiation: Strong interpersonal skills to cultivate relationships with a diverse range of donors, private sector investors, and government counterparts.
• Impact Reporting: Strong analytical skills for tracking project metrics, assessing the socio-economic impacts of CSA interventions, and developing compelling donor re-ports.

Area(s) of expertise:

• Agriculture, Economics and finance, Energy and environment

Driving license:

• -

Other information