Job Title: Climate Change Advisor
Hiring Organization: Mercy Corps
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: NGO
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 06/13/2024
About
Mercy Corps
Mercy
Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we
know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member
feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and
skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
Program / Department
Mercy
Corps began working in Kenya in 2008 and has built a robust and diverse
portfolio working to enable Kenyans affected by poverty, climate change,
resource scarcity and conflict to be healthy, productive and to drive peace and
development of their communities. To do this, we deliver integrated programming
to strengthen market and governance systems, innovate urban youth employment
opportunities, respond to climate-related shocks, address the root causes of
conflict, and build the resilience of vulnerable populations – in particular
youth, women, adolescents and marginalized communities.
Mercy
Corps is seeking a Climate Change Advisor to support climate-focused
interventions throughout Kenya. Mercy Corps, through a diversity of program
interventions, seeks to address the challenges faced by pastoralist and
agro-pastoralist communities due to climate change. This includes programs that
test incentives for collective rangeland management, improving natural resource
management practices, promoting good governance, strengthening livelihoods and
supporting climate adaptation, among others. In addition to supporting specific
programs to mainstream / incorporate appropriate climate-focused activities,
the Climate cnage Advisor will also provide technical support to country-level
strategies and interventions.
Essential
Responsibilities
- STRATEGY AND
VISION
- Develop, and
drive forward, a strategic vision for Mercy Corps Kenya programming as
relates to climate change interventions, with a particular focus on
leading the application of Mercy Corps’ Kenya Climate Action Plan
- Collaborate with
relevant departments within Mercy Corps Kenya regarding the measurement,
monitoring and analysis of key performance indicators and promote learning
and program adaptation within the country team
- Lead the
planning, management and/or operationalization of Mercy Corps’ strategic
climate programming, including such initiatives as carbon monetization,
climate financing and others, as identified
- Support the
capacity development of team members through trainings, presentation and
other mechanisms to promote improved knowledge of climate change
approaches
- Utilize climate
modeling tools to highlight future climate scenarios and their impact on
the target counties; support programs to adjust accordingly
- Support new
business developments that seek to attract increased climate adaptation
resources, both locally and globally
- Lead the
development of relevant communication and thought-leadership materials,
such as technical reports, briefing notes, vision documents and others, as
relevant, to promote Mercy Corps leadership in climate programming
- Remain abreast
of relevant county-, national- and international trends, events,
approaches and opportunities and ensure this knowledge is incorporated
into the country program.
Technical
Leadership
- Serve as
technical advisor and play critical role in bridging the gap between
technical knowledge and on-the-ground actions for sustainable,
climate-resilient outcomes across all programs
- Participate in
climate vulnerability assessments to identify specific climate risks and
impacts in the target counties
- Collaborate with
local communities, government stakeholders and other actors to understand
perspectives, needs and priorities related to climate adaptation
- Lead the
integration of resilience design and other climate adaptation approaches
into all Mercy Corps programming; support the scaling up of successful
models, incentives and approaches
- Advise on the
potential viability, impact and expected outcomes of proposed
interventions and support adaptation based on experiences and evidence
- Provide capacity
building support, based on identified needs, to program stakeholders, both
internal and external
- Support program
teams to remain compliant with donor-, national- and Mercy Corps
environmental regulations and expectations.
Safeguarding
Responsibilities:
- Actively learns
about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including
safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
- Practices the
values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of
participants and fellow team members.
- Encourages
openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to
submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g.,
Integrity Hotline and other options.
Representation
- Represent Mercy
Corps in all relevant forums and engagements, both internal and external,
in regard to climate change initiatives and approaches
- Manage
relationships with government and non-government stakeholders
- Support advocacy
efforts engaging government agencies regarding the adoption of policies
and legislation in support of climate adaptation approaches, especially in
support of county- and/or community-identified priorities
- Identify and
nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions
- Facilitate
coordination with national- and country-level government agencies to
ensure collaboration, engagement and information-sharing of relevant
program activities.
Supervisory
Responsibility
- Works Directly
With: Country Director, Director of Programs, Operations Director, Finance
Director, Program Managers, TRaQ team, consortium partners, local
implementing partners.
Accountability
to Participants and Stakeholders
- Mercy Corps team
members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability,
specifically to our program participants, community partners, other
stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief
and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as
equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field
projects.
Minimum
Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Bachelors degree
in agricultural systems, environmental sciences, natural resources
management, or climate resilience program; Masters degree beneficial
- 5 to 7 years of
relevant technical experience in climate-adaptation or related field
- Demonstrated
experience in designing and implementing climate adaptation strategies and
interventions
- Previous work
experience within the dryland areas of Kenya required
- Strong
communication skills, including the proven ability to engage with /
facilitate discussions with diverse stakeholders
- Proven ability
to work cooperatively with others in a team environment, including with a
diverse group of national and international staff
- In-depth
understanding of climate-related policies at the local and national levels
necessary
- Experience
advocating for the adoption of climate-resilient policies, including
influencing of decision-makers and key stakeholders
- Demonstrated
proficiency with MS Office software (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) required
- Persuasive
written and oral communication in English and Swahili required, competency
in another relevant local language beneficial