Theme Lead Climate Adaptation and Mitigation

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance.

Job Description

As Theme Lead Climate Adaptation and Mitigation you are responsible for the development and consistent application of a set of high-impact strategies and approaches responding to development needs and opportunities within and across the Agri-Food, Water and Energy sectors. You are reporting directly to the Managing Director of Sectors (part of Management Board) and you are member of the Senior Leadership Team with Country Directors, Global Heads and other Core Theme Leads.  

It is SNV’s mission to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform Agri-Food, Energy and Water systems to enable sustainable and more equitable livelihoods for all. The climate crisis is increasingly impacting these systems and low-income countries, the poor and most vulnerable people in the world most heavily. It is therefore inevitable that we fully integrate and address climate change in all our interventions in the 3 sectors.
Your Role
You ensure SNV further develops and integrates our strategy on how best to address the climate crisis and realize impact at scale in adaptation and mitigation in our Agri-Food, Energy and Water sectors. This is a true practice development role, we therefore expect you to be self-starting, result-oriented and driver for change.
In collaboration with the Global and Country Teams you will:

1. Assess of current approaches and tools available at SNV;
2. Develop of innovative strategies and approaches aiming at impact at scale; across and contextualised within the sectors;
3. Define relevant and specific outcomes and indicators;
4. Strengthen internal and external communication;
5. Assist in identifying new funding options and partnerships, and
6. Provide backstopping and knowledge brokering to project teams in the countries where SNV operates.

Your main responsibilities

• Drive adaptive leadership, practice development, knowledge sharing and learning on your theme across the 3 sectors.
• Set standards, ensuring consistency of approach and alignment across SNV’s project and programme portfolio. Ensure that the sets of tools and approaches to implement climate adaptation and mitigation within and across the area’s of expertise is updated and adjusted to meet required high-quality standards.
• Build and expand partnerships with relevant actors (knowledge organisations, companies, impact investors, development banks, venture philanthropists, foundations, donors, etc.) through professional profiling of SNV’s strategy, vision, knowledge and experience. Represent SNV at selected events.
• Implement newly developed vision on knowledge and knowledge development strategy/agenda, stimulate and facilitate knowledge building and innovation within and across countries and SNV expertise areas.

Other responsibilities

• Develop innovative and relevant methodology enhancements or new approaches based on experience and external developments.
• Partner with prospect teams in design and review quality of new proposals on aspects of climate adaptation and mitigation.
• Support practice development on aspects of climate adaptation and mitigation and translate external trends into internal improvement actions and innovations. Support the development, maintenance and updating of the climate adaptation and mitigation knowledge and support organisational learning.
• Contribute to creating an overarching vision on systems change and how to implement this in relation to addressing the climate crisis.

Qualifications

Required

• Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline.
• 10+ years of working in development cooperation in Africa and Asia with experience in climate adaptation and mitigation at strategic level
• Proven experience in implementing new programme strategies and positioning of climate adaptation and mitigation within an international cooperation context.
• Extensive (international) network in implementing approaches and projects focusing on addressing the climate crisis in low and middle-income countries.
• Ability to mobilise teams, effectively advice and, coach in a multi-cultural setting.
• Good communication and negotiation skills as well as intercultural sensitivity.
• Excellent social and networking skills, ability to bring people together and active team player
• Good ability to position SNV externally.
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required.
• Self-starting entrepreneur, result-oriented and driver for change.

Desired

• Experience with and methodological skills on knowledge management, learning and innovations in climate adaptation and mitigation.
• Ability to engage with governments and the private sector including influencing skills and experience of working effectively in a matrix organisation.
• Affinity in business development with external donors: proven ability and experience designing impactful projects and programmes, writing successful proposals and managing international donor relationships.
• Proficiency in French is highly desirable

Additional Information

Additional information
Contract Type:                           Full time (40 hours per week)
Contract Duration:                     indefinite contract
Expected Start Date:                 As soon as possible
Information Duty Station:          The Hague, The Netherlands (negotiable)
Travel:                                        Approximately 30%

Working at SNV
SNV offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. We offer a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from, and contribute to, an internal global network of experts. For more information, please visit our website: www.snv.org/careers.
SNV strives to be an inclusive employer, thriving on the diversity of its people and does not discriminate on the basis of disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender and sexual orientation, etc.

How to apply
If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and letter of motivation by 23rd of September.

Reference check and vetting
We will require that you provide us with the full details of three people who are willing to act as a reference.  We will not contact these references without your explicit permission.
SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for International determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct". This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme.  

- We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement -