Senior Water Specialist (Climate Change)

Published on by for Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Senior Water Specialist (Climate Change)

Close relatives of ADB staff, except spouses of international staff, are not eligible for recruitment and appointment to staff positions. Applicants are expected to disclose if they have any relative/s by consanguinity/blood, by adoption and/or by affinity/marriage presently employed in ADB.

Close relatives refer to spouse, children, mother, father, brother and sister, niece, nephew, aunt and uncle

Staff on probation are not eligible to apply. Applicants for promotion must have served at their position for at least one year and must have normally served at their personal level for at least two years immediately preceding the date of the vacancy closing date. Applicants for lateral transfer must have served at their position and personal level for at least one year immediately preceding the date of the vacancy closing date (reference A.O. 2.03, paragraphs 5.8 and 5.9).

In the event that the staff appointed to a new category (i.e. from AS to NS, or from NS to IS) is rated at 2 or lower in the first two performance reviews after appointment at the new level, they will return to the level occupied immediately prior to their appointment in the new category.

This is a special fixed-term appointment for a period of three (3) years following Section 3.1 (c.) of Administrative Order No. 2.01 (“Recruitment and Appointment’). This appointment is not convertible to a regular appointment. It may be extended on exceptional basis for a further fixed period at the option of ADB. This appointment is open to internal and external applicants.

If the successful candidate is an ADB staff member holding a regular appointment, his/her regular appointment will be converted to a special fixed-term appointment. A special fixed-term appointment will automatically and without prior notice expire at the end of the term.


Overview

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is an international development finance institution headquartered in Manila, Philippines and is composed of 68 members, 49 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region. ADB is committed to achieving a  prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific ,  while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. ADB combines finance, knowledge, and partnerships to fulfill its expanded vision under its Strategy 2030.

ADB only hires nationals of its 68 members.

The position is assigned in the Water Sector Group (SDSC-WAT) within the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department (SDCC). SDCC provides leadership, innovation, and knowledge sharing for ADB’s sector and thematic work. SDSC WAT carries out SDCC’s role within the Water Sector Group (WSG) across ADB leading knowledge and innovation and importantly sharing this through providing direct support to operations in support of the preparation and implementation of projects.

To view ADB Organizational Chart, please click here.

Job Purpose

The Senior Water Specialist (Climate Change) will support operational departments (i) with up-to-date and accurate information, analysis, and assessments needed to make the case for increasing investments in climate change and resilience in the water sector that can be included in the CPS and COPB; (ii) with global good practices that can inform the design of climate change and resilience investment projects in the water sector; (iii) with technical assistance that builds capacity of developing member countries (DMCs) agencies in implementing climate change and resilience projects through improved standards, regulations and incentives in the water sector. The Specialist will liaise closely with operational departments and coordinate with other Sector and Thematic Groups in SDCC and the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Division in particular. The incumbent will have a solid-line reporting (direct) to Chief of Water Sector Group and a dotted-line reporting (indirect) to Chief of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Thematic Group concurrently Director, SDCD and will supervise international, national and administrative staff.


Responsibilities

• Support operations departments through consultation/review of inter alia project concept papers, pre-feasibility studies, and climate risk and adaptation assessments or as a team member with particular emphasis on upstream work with DMC clients to ensure climate change and resilience considerations are incorporated at earliest possible stage of concept development.

o This will ensure that projects are resilient to the fullest degree possible and have strong climate change adaptation components.
o This will ensure that progress toward ADB climate finance targets is maximized within the WSG for both adaptation and mitigation.

• Support operations departments through consultation/review inter alia or as a team member including participation in key missions involving water project design and project preparation, and implementation including transactional technical assistances to ensure that the most appropriate climate change and resilience options are incorporated. S/he will support implementation of measures as needed in ongoing projects to enhance their climate change and resilience components.
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• Develop strategies and supporting technical materials to support the transition from projects climate change adaptation and resilience components or that are “climate proofed” (Type I) to become pure adaptation project (Type II)

• Review outputs related to climate change and resilience from water sector projects across operational departments to capture relevant lessons to generate knowledge and assess the application of inputs and analysis with the intent and help improve and standardize the approach and methodology used in future water sector operations.

o Part of this work would be to provide better ideas to project officers on how to match the level effort for climate and resilience activities with the level of perceived risk and available resources.
o This would also include developing more insight into the “additionality” attributable to climate change and resilience interventions in projects both from a financial and an impact perspective.
o An important part of this work would focus on cost considerations related to water and climate change and resilience and economic, financial, and cost-benefit analysis approaches for evaluating projects.
o This work may result in (i) suggested guidelines or checklist for projects types to help provide guidance for project officers of in (ii) a climate and resilience “strategy” decision process for project officers to align climate risk and available capacity and data.

• Support Operations Departments through consultation/review with the preparation of Terms of Reference for specialists related to water and climate change and resilience. This would include TORs for climate risk and adaptation assessment for water sector projects.

• Provide support to operations departments and DMCs for not only “hard” project interventions/investments with regard to concept development, project design and implementation but also support for “soft” interventions and the following analytical tools. This will include review and input into relevant sector policies such as land-use planning; institutional reforms for DMC agencies to improve their effectiveness in addressing climate change and resilience; and design standards and technical guidelines inter alia.

• Lead knowledge work in the water sector to keep ADB Operations Staff and DMC counterparts up-to-date on the latest climate change and resilience research and applications for projects, technical assistance and capacity building.

• Prepare knowledge products for the WSG in SDCC or other Sector and Thematic Groups of specific operational departments as demanded on specific geographies or thematic topics as they related to water and climate change and resilience. Develop and deliver capacity building materials and programs in collaboration with operations departments, SDCC and relevant external partners over various platforms for ADB staff and DMC counterparts on the latest climate change and resilience research and applications for projects.

• Support development of, and help foster a cross-sector community of practice in ADB for climate change and resilience in the water sector among the operational departments, Sector and Thematic Groups, and other interested ADB staff in a manner similar to other WSG Water Advisory Teams.

• Support ADB to liaise with external development partners including other MDBs/IFIs, knowledge/policy partners, private sector and civil society with a view to exploring opportunities for external cooperation with regard to climate change and resilience in the water sector. In addition, support ADB’s engagement in relevant external events such as the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, and Stockholm World Water Week inter alia to exchange knowledge and further its program climate change and resilience in the water sector.

• Provide review and comments on documents such as Country Partnership Strategies, sector assessments and other relevant ADB operational and strategic documents for climate change and resilience as related to water. Provide input as requested in DMCs water sector policies and national level policies relevant to climate change and resilience such as NDCs and NAPs.

• Support operation departments further develop and expand the use of nature-based solutions for climate change and resilience in the water sector.

Qualifications

Relevant Experience & Requirements

• Advanced degree in engineering, hydrology, water resources management or other water- and climate-related subject or relevant fields. Alternatively, university degree in related fields combined with additional relevant professional experience can be considered.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant international professional experience in the water sector including 7 years of experience in the field of water resilience and climate change adaptation and mitigation in the water sector.
• Substantial experience working with project preparation, feasibility studies, and project implementation in multilateral development or donor institutions required and ideally with ADB.
• Country experience in ADB DMCs is highly desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English is required
• Please refer to the link for ADB Competency Framework for IS5.

General Considerations

The selected candidate, if new to ADB, is appointed for an initial term of 3 years.

ADB offers competitive remuneration and a comprehensive benefits package. Actual appointment salary will be based on ADB’s standards and computation, taking into account the selected individual’s qualifications and experience.

ADB seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities to work in an inclusive environment. ADB encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Please note that the actual level and salary will be based on qualifications of the selected candidate.

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