Environmental Peacebuilding Association

DRC: Global Climate Adaptation Advisor

Mar 20, 2023 | Danish Refugee Council
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DRC is strengthening its response to the global climate crisis by reinforcing climate adaptation support for conflict-and displacement affected individuals and communities, as well as ensuring its own conduct is nature-positive, as per priorities set out in Strategy 2025 and DRC’s Framework on Climate change and Environment. In recent years, DRC has established an evidence base on building community resilience to climate change and environmental degradation using interdisciplinary methods that bridge regenerative design, agroecology, agroforestry, peacebuilding, passive water harvesting and community design to address problems linked to climate change, ecological degradation, market disruption and community insecurity. This includes projects like the Northern Uganda Resilience Initiative [1] and the Resilient Colline in Burundi [2]. Find more information about DRC’s climate and environment action on its web page.

This post is based within The Programme Division which develops programmatic concepts and strategies relevant to DRC’s international operations and delivers support to operations within these areas. The Programme Division hosts various global specialist lead functions including for DRC’s five core sectors and the DRC Response Framework.

About the job

The Climate Adaptation advisor will lead DRC’s global work on strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts, with technical reference to the Global lead on Addressing Root causes of conflict & displacement (HQ). The Climate Adaptation advisor will work in close collaboration with DRCs Global Sector & Platform Leads as well as the Environmental Advisor and establish strong working relationships with regional & country heads of programme. The Climate Adaptation advisor is a key member of DRC’s ‘go green’ community of practice and works with two other global advisors who cover climate mainstreaming and mitigation.

The overall responsibility of the Climate Adaptation advisor is to lead on climate adaptation and resilience for DRC globally, by guiding programme design and delivering technical capacity building as relevant to DRC’s response to displacement.[3] The Climate Adaptation advisor will drive development of climate adaptation programming, building on and expanding DRC’s existing work. In addition, they will strengthen cross-country learning and provide technical guidance and training for DRC’s regions & country operations, in line with global good practice on climate adaptation. In so doing, they will help to maintain and develop DRC’s competitive position as a global leader in Regenerative Resilience in Displacement. This is a full-time global role.

The specific areas of responsibility for the role are as follows:

Technical advice and support

Provide technical support for Regional Office and Country staff on climate adaptation interventions, building capacities through in-person, site-based trainings and demonstrations (technical fields may include a broad range: permaculture, regenerative & circular resilience, climate-smart agriculture, groundwater recharge and more)
Support regions and countries in project design for climate adaptation and resilience (in above-mentioned technical fields)
Deliver technical resources, guidance and tools for climate adaptation and resilience
Support documentation and replication of good practices across countries/regions

Resources and learning

Ensure institutional knowledge management, including maintaining and updating Intranet site and Collaborative Space / SharePoint
Establish and lead an internal working group on climate adaptation comprising key staff from DRC regions and actively contribute to the global Go Green reference group
Develop and maintain a roster of technical experts (consultants) in relevant fields related to climate adaptation and resilience
Contribute to DRC’s learning and evidence-building on climate adaptation and resilience, including by collecting and sharing good practice
Contribute to organisational awareness-raising and internal communication for organisational change in support of nature-positive programming.

Strategy and policy

Lead on external communication for donors and partners, drawing on programme learning
Build global partnerships, incl. in support of evidence-building and learning (incl. relationship building with research institutions)
Represent DRC in relevant global policy forums on climate adaptation and displacement.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role the candidate will have minimum 6 years’ experience in progressively more senior roles within the climate adaptation and resilience field. This should include minimum 2 years overseeing or delivering technical support to complex multisector adaptation initiatives, preferably including in conflict-affected locations.

All employees should master DRC’s core competencies: Communicating, Taking the lead, Collaborating, Striving for excellence and Demonstrating integrity.

Required

Up-to-date knowledge of climate adaptation and resilience concepts, policy debates and methods as a whole, with strong technical knowledge in one or more specific areas, such as circular design practices, permaculture, regenerative resilience design, agroecology (or other)
Experience working in different country contexts, e.g. beyond project-specific role(s) in one country
Strong track record and capability of mobilizing donor support for climate adaptation programming
Experience delivering technical trainings (in one or more technical areas, see above)
Strong ability to establish collaborative working relationships across dispersed geographical locations
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including writing and facilitation
Demonstrated ability to work independently as part of a small team, and to form close working relationships with a diverse range of multi-cultural colleagues
Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point)
Able and willing to travel for up to 45 days per year

Desirable

Knowledge of conflict sensitivity and/or conflict resolution techniques, and experience using such techniques in programming
Experience using Climate vulnerability assessments for programme design and implementation.
Experience with forecast-based and/or climate early warning programming
Experience with participatory project design with communities for climate adaptation

DRC offer

Contract length: Two years with possibility of extension, subject to donor funding

Workplace: The position is located in one of DRC’s regional offices or in a country office [4]. Therefore, if interested in and qualified for this position, the applicant should indicate their preferred DRC duty station in their cover letter.

Start date: 1 June 2023

Employment band: Non-management F

Salary and conditions for the position will be on DRC terms. Benefits package (incl. whether post is accompanied) to be determined based on mutual agreement on DRC duty station.

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV in English.

Closing date for applications: March 26th 2023. DRC expects to conduct interviews during the week of April 3rd

Further information

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact maria.pade.lange@drc.ngo, Global Lead on addressing root causes of conflict & displacement.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult the website drc.ngo.

[1] See more: https://nuri.ag/

[2] See more: https://pro.drc.ngo/resources/news/green-innovations-drc-burundi-partnering-with-nature-and-people-to-find-the-solutions-learning-brief/

[3] DRC’s Response Framework covers 3 types of response (Emergency response, durable solutions and addressing root causes) and five core sectors: Protection, Shelter & Settlements, Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding, Camp Coordination & Camp management, and Economic Recovery.