Energy Specialist

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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The FAO Representation in Uganda provides technical assistance to the Government of Uganda in the agriculture, environment, fisheries and related sectors. FAO is implementing two projects to address forest degradation resulting from unsustainable practices in biomass energy production and utilization in Uganda and especially in the displacement context notably the Greening the humanitarian response in displacement settings project which aims to improve methodologies for assessing environmental impact, energy access and related livelihood challenges, and to promote best practices for a more inclusive and greener humanitarian response in Uganda and the Forest Management and Sustainable Charcoal Value Chain Project which aims at promoting sustainable charcoal production practices to mitigate negative environmental, social and economic impacts and to scale up adoption of clean cooking solutions. These projects are being in Northern, West Nile, Central and Mid-western Uganda. FAO seeks to recruit an energy specialist to support implementation of the project activities focused on enhancing access to improved energy technologies and clean cooking fuels.

Reporting Lines

The Energy Specialist will work under the overall supervision of FAO Representative in Uganda, direct supervision by the Project Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the programme Associate – Forestry.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will contribute to effective implementation of both the Greening Humanitarian Response in displacement settings project and the Forest Management and Sustainable Charcoal Value Chain project.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Energy Specialist will specifically be responsible for the following activities:

• Plan and implement project activities on provision of improved kilns and cookstoves for a more energy efficient utilization of resources in displacement settings and monitor results.
• Support dissemination of information and data to key stakeholders to inform evidence-based environmental and energy interventions.
• In collaboration with the private sector, plan field demonstration and training on energy technology application and effective use
• Organize information and knowledge sharing workshops on renewable energy access, associated challenges and durable solutions.
• Document and share best practices and key lessons learnt from implementation of the greening humanitarian project in displacement settings.
• Support to build relationships with environment and energy development NGOs, Government Ministries and Departments, the academia and Private sector.
• Develop a policy brief on biomass energy production and utilization in Uganda.
• Implement activities on access to clean cooking solutions to targeted project beneficiaries.
• Profile different clean cooking technologies and fuels currently available on Ugandan market and develop a clean cooking information handbook.
• Prepare timely and submit monthly and quarterly reports on the project’s activities.
• Undertake any other activities related to the project as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in natural resources management, environmental science, energy, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in energy, natural resource management, or a closely related field with excellent understanding of Uganda energy sector on energy access, utilisation, and sustainability
• Working knowledge of English.
• National of Uganda or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in energy with emphasis on community access.
• Experience in energy access value chain.
• Experience in renewable energy transition context for both emergency and development context.
• Experience in implementing field-based activities and routine performance reporting.
• Experience in working with a multi-stakeholder setting.
• Proven analytical capacity and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work with people of different professional, national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to listen, interpret and integrate different opinions and views.
• Ability to work independently, analyse and solve problems and priorities issues.
• Ability to be flexible, versatile and adapt to changing environments.
• Ability to plan and deliver work according to time-scales and required milestones with a strong commitment to quality and paying attention to detail.
• Ability to work in an environment with minimum supervision.

Selection Criteria

• Working knowledge of energy access policy framework in Uganda.
• Proven skills in socio-economic survey and expert knowledge of relevant tools.
• Proven skills in communication, presentation and writing high-quality reports.
• Good computer skills (word-processing, spreadsheets, and databases).

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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