Senior Climate Resilient Urban Development Advisor (Home based Retainer) - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Senior Climate Resilient Urban Development Advisor will provide strategic and technical support to Ethiopia's Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure Development, focusing on mobilizing climate finance, developing investment pipelines, strengthening institutional capacity, and supporting climate-smart urban infrastructure and waste management priorities aligned with Ethiopia's Nationally Determined Contribution.

Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, and prioritize climate-resilient, low-carbon, smart, and green urban investment opportunities including integrated urban watershed management, nature-based flood and stormwater systems, green corridors and public spaces, waste management services, green infrastructure, non-motorized transport, climate-resilient public facilities, and smart-city enablers.
• Prepare, coordinate, and refine high-quality concept notes, project proposals, and investment packages for submission to climate and development financing institutions.
• Develop bankable project documents including problem analysis, theory of change, results frameworks, budgets, financing plans, implementation arrangements, safeguards inputs, gender considerations, risk assessments, and monitoring frameworks.
• Prepare climate finance strategies, donor engagement plans, funding-opportunity trackers, investor outreach materials, and partnership briefs to mobilize resources for urban climate priorities.
• Advise Ministry leadership on financing windows, partnership opportunities, and options for aligning with Netherlands-supported and other partner initiatives.
• Assess institutional capacity gaps in fundraising, investment planning, project-pipeline development, proposal writing, and climate-responsive infrastructure preparation.
• Design and deliver practical in-house training, coaching, and mentoring for Ministry staff, regional bureaus, municipalities, and sector actors on climate finance and project design.
• Support municipalities to strengthen technical capacity to adapt and replicate successful urban initiatives.
• Develop and institutionalize tools, templates, guidance notes, and standard operating procedures to improve project preparation and climate finance engagement.
• Support alignment and complementarity between Ministry-led interventions and Netherlands-supported initiatives.
• Provide strategic advice on implementation of urban and infrastructure-related climate priorities including NDC commitments.
• Support review and refinement of sector policies, standards, planning frameworks, and investment priorities.
• Support identification, documentation, and scaling up of good practices and lessons from urban initiatives.
• Support planning, technical review, coordination, and implementation follow-up of integrated Urban Development programs related to climate and green areas and waste management.
• Facilitate collaboration among Ministry departments, municipalities, regional bureaus, Ministry of Planning and Development, Ministry of Finance, development partners, academia, civil society, private sector, and financial institutions.
• Work closely with NDC Partnership In-Country Facilitator and climate finance and policy advisors to ensure alignment and coordination.
• Support development and strengthening of climate-responsive monitoring, reporting, and learning systems for urban and infrastructure programmes.
• Document lessons, case studies, good practices, and strategic recommendations and prepare analytical and progress updates.
• Undertake field missions, consultations, reviews, and technical backstopping tasks to accelerate implementation of priority urban climate interventions.
• Support preparation of briefs, presentations, and decision notes for Ministry leadership and key stakeholders.
• Carry out other related strategic or technical tasks requested by Ministry leadership.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent, preferably in Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Infrastructure Planning, Climate Change, Environmental Engineering, Architecture, Development Finance, Project Planning, Public Policy, or another closely related field.
• Bachelor's degree in related discipline with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience (total 7 years) may be accepted instead of an advanced university degree.
• PhD in urban planning, green or climate resilient infrastructure, or related field is desirable.
• Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in urban development, climate resilience, infrastructure planning, or related fields.
• Experience in mobilizing climate finance and developing bankable project proposals for multilateral climate funds, development banks, and other financing institutions.
• Proven ability to design and deliver capacity building and institutional strengthening activities for government ministries and municipalities.
• Experience working with government agencies, development partners, and multilateral organizations in climate-smart urban development.
• Strong skills in project development, proposal writing, donor engagement, and investment planning.
• Ability to provide strategic advice on climate-smart urban policies, planning frameworks, and investment priorities.
• Experience in stakeholder coordination, monitoring, knowledge management, and reporting in urban climate initiatives.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently in a home-based setting using own equipment and software.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of local languages is an asset.

Skills

• Urban Planning
• Climate Resilience
• Infrastructure Planning
• Climate Finance Mobilization
• Project Proposal Preparation
• Capacity Building
• Institutional Strengthening
• Government Engagement
• Multilateral Collaboration
• Project Development
• Donor Engagement Strategies
• Investment Planning
• Strategic Advice on Urban Policies
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Monitoring and Reporting
• Knowledge Management
• Climate-Smart Urban Development
• Waste Management
• English

Languages

English