Programme Management Specialist (Legal Analyst for Climate Finance - Retainer)

UNOPS South East Asia Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO)

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across  North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines.  EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: SEMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia,  EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Lao PDR, EAPMCO Philippines and EAPMCO Cambodia.

In 2023, the UNOPS EAPMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 75 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services.  

The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself. 

The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP)

The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) brings together governments and philanthropies to work with partner countries in the region. We support the transition towards modern energy systems that can simultaneously ensure economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability. Enabling the transition toward greener energy systems will greatly contribute to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement objectives.

ETP is initially focusing on Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, which are the countries in the region with the highest energy demand, a substantial pipeline for fossil fuel-based projects, and a significant and cost-effective potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency. ETP provides high level technical advisory support, holistic support to governments on financing and technical needs, capacity and skill development, and facilitation of dialogues in all related areas. One of the upcoming interventions by the ETP in the Philippines is on carbon pricing instruments and the wider topic of climate finance.

This is not a full-time position. Retainer contractors are used to carry out tasks on an intermittent basis and called upon to work when needed. There are no minimum working hours or days guaranteed.

The incumbent will provide support to ETP’s intervention requiring legal analyses on matters related to policy issuances, legal and regulatory frameworks, and institutional and governance mechanisms on climate finance, and the wider topic of climate change vis-a-vis the energy transition.

Under the general guidance and supervision of the Senior Programme Manager, the incumbent will be a retainer to provide ad-hoc support to the country implementation team on relevant projects with the following responsibilities: 

Programme Implementation

• The Incumbent will provide legal analyses and advisory services for the effective technical and operational coordination of ETP’s projects and support activities in the Philippines on climate change in collaboration with the country authorities, stakeholders, and relevant donor partners to ensure timely and partner-oriented services delivery, and support issue resolution arising from the implementation processes. 

• Specifically, the Incumbent will facilitate ETP’s interventions requiring legal analyses for climate finance. Currently, the ETP is providing support to the Government of the Philippines in its assessment of carbon pricing instruments. The work will focus on a comprehensive evaluation of the Philippines' policy landscape and institutional frameworks to assess their suitability for the institutionalization of a carbon pricing instrument. Resulting from this, syntheses of the results shall be discussed and coordinated with the Department of Finance, ensuring that related outputs are developed accordingly. 

• In doing the legal analysis, the incumbent will help identify relevant national fiscal policies, national and regional climate policy commitments and related instruments, and sector-specific regulations from the power, industrial, and transport sectors and assess how carbon pricing instruments would fit into it. Planned policies on emissions reduction, carbon markets, and low-carbon development should also be analyzed when sufficient information is available.

• Ultimately, the work must determine and assess the Philippines’ regulatory environment for the institutionalization of a climate finance policy on carbon pricing instruments, synthesizing the results into conclusion, recommendations, and a draft framework for any carbon pricing policy.

• The Incumbent will provide effective support to building and maintaining relationships with the country stakeholders in the public and private sectors, fostering partnerships and collaboration with the development partners arising from the work.

Coordination Functions

• The Incumbent will work closely with both the ETP and the country authorities to deliver results. In the legal analysis specific to carbon pricing instruments and the wider topic of climate finance, the Department of Finance should be the main point of contact. The conduct of consultations with relevant stakeholders such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Energy, Climate Change Commission, and Department of Transportation among others must also be held mainly to identify their existing and planned policies, as well as sectoral objectives, that would relate greenhouse emissions reduction/ decarbonization to carbon pricing.

• Provide support and participate in the development partners’ group and country authority’s meetings on carbon pricing instruments and climate finance, and other related events to ensure aligned outputs of the work. This includes coordinating with the development partners’ group on the carbon pricing study being conducted with the Department of Finance.

• Coordinate with the ETP Secretariat and provide guidance in its programming, especially from key lessons learned arising from programme implementation work. Coordination also includes working closely with ETP’s pool of experts to ensure that outputs are aligned and consistent, delivering results that are positioned to meeting national development goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• Promote and maintain effective teamwork within the ETP and with other UNOPS colleagues.

Knowledge Management

• The Incumbent shall develop corresponding knowledge materials resulting from the legal analysis work.

• The Incumbent will facilitate and support knowledge management, sharing, and exchanging of lessons learned and best practices of the work and assist in the delivery of knowledge events.

• Document programme/project stories, lessons learned, and best practices resulting from the legal analyses work, ensuring that these are of quality.

• Identify country, regional, and global knowledge events relevant to the ETP on climate finance discussions, and develop and distill best practices and facilitate dissemination and incorporation within ETP’s programs and to counterparts and partners.

A detailed work plan will be developed together between the successful candidate and the ETP Secretariat.

Education

• Advanced university degree in Legal Management, Political Science, Economics, Development, or similar field. 

• A Bachelor’s degree with an additional two years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the postgraduate university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in policy research, analysis, and development in the Philippines is required. 

• Experience in fiscal policy analysis of the Philippines is required.

• Experience in implementing and managing projects or programme on climate change, encompassing the energy sector in the Philippines, is an advantage.

• Demonstrated experience working with international and multilateral development organizations, particularly in areas related to climate change and the energy sector, as well as awareness of fiscal policy regime, is an advantage.

• Proficiency in Google Suite or similar applications is an asset. 

Language

• Fluency in both English and Tagalogis required. 

1. Contract type: ICA Retainer
2. Contract level: ICS 10 / LICA 10
3. Contract duration: May to December 2024 (max. 100 days) with a possibility of extension
   
   
   

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.