Background
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to tackle the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change on a global scale. Working with our broad network of experts, host governments and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law.
Following the power shift in August 2021, the situation in Afghanistan remains largely uncertain and fragile, with approximately seventy per cent of the population facing multifaceted vulnerabilities affecting their well-being, human security and long-term development while nearly a third of the population is estimated to be acutely food insecure. Women and girls are increasingly stripped of their rights to education, employment and free participation in public life which will have irrevocable socioeconomic consequences. Over the recent years, international assistance has played a vital role in averting a socioeconomic collapse by providing lifesaving, resilience-building and livelihoods-sustaining assistance to millions of people, hundreds of critical healthcare and educational centres, and tens of thousands of small and medium enterprises, often owned and managed by women. Nevertheless, the humanitarian challenge in Afghanistan is one of the biggest in the world, and basic human needs and priorities remain extremely high. In 2024, 95 per cent of households experienced at least one shock of an economic or natural disaster nature such as floods, droughts and others.
To help tackle the pressing challenges for enduring livelihoods and climate resilience, UNDP is designing fit-for-purpose portfolios of programs to create new livelihoods, income opportunities, basic services and to build resilience against climate-induced natural calamities that continue to haunt millions of households in the country.
Afghanistan remains one of the most gender-unequal countries in the world, with women facing systemic challenges hindering their access to education and employment opportunities in the public sector and restricting their participation in public life. UNDP remains committed to women's empowerment through capacity-building initiatives, livelihoods and self-employment/employment support, enhancing gender-responsive decision-making at community level, and supporting local communities to include women, in line with UNSCR 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security).
Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Portfolio 1: Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Management
The Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Management portfolio focuses on advancing Afghanistan’s climate resilience and energy sustainability in a fragile and under-developed context. The portfolio team works to influence climate change management strategies, adaptation plans, and address gaps in environmental assessments, greenhouse gas inventories, and hazard mapping. These efforts aim to create a comprehensive understanding of the country’s climate risks and vulnerabilities, paving the way for targeted interventions, technology transfer, and improved environmental governance. UNDP invests in a range of community-based infrastructure (dams, check dams, irrigation systems, flood protection systems, afforestation initiatives, etc.) to enhance community resilience to climate change and natural hazards, and engages with local communities to develop disaster risk reduction frameworks and early warning systems. UNDP climate priorities align with UNSCR 2721 (2023).
Given the limited access to global climate funds, such as GCF and the Adaptation Fund, the portfolio team strives to lobby for and explore alternative financing avenues, including private sector engagement and innovative models like private partnerships to help mobilize resources. The team also advocates for donor collaboration to unlock critical funding from global vertical funds as well as traditional and nontraditional financing sources. The team addresses emerging priorities, including renewable energy and extractive industries, by working with a range of actors, including the private sector, and fostering partnerships to fill critical knowledge and resource gaps. Ultimately, the portfolio seeks to deliver sustainable, scalable solutions for Afghanistan’s adaptation and mitigation needs.
Portfolio 2: Sustainable Livelihood and Resilience
The Sustainable Livelihood and Resilience portfolio adopts a holistic approach to addressing Afghanistan’s complex challenges, emphasizing human development as an overarching objective. It prioritizes safeguarding lives, enhancing resilience to shocks, and supporting livelihoods. This portfolio bridges macro-level interventions in socio-economic development, trade and financial systems with localized interventions, focusing on resilience-building, access to finance, livelihood creation, social cohesion, and equitable access to essential services. Guided by the country office management, the portfolio adopts solutions adjusted to the unique context in Afghanistan while also ensuring alignment with the SDGs, especially SDG 5 and 10, by integrating gender equality, reducing inequalities, and fostering sustainable development.
Collaborating with UN agencies, donors, and national stakeholders, the team designs and implements multi-year, conflict-sensitive interventions that enhance livelihoods, access to finance, private sector recovery, economic resilience, and access to basic services and infrastructure. By promoting financial inclusion, essential services infrastructure, and private sector engagement, the portfolio supports Afghan communities’ capacity to withstand economic, social, and environmental shocks. Gender mainstreaming and targeted activities for vulnerable groups, including women, youth, and internally displaced persons, are central to the portfolio’s objectives. Through strategic partnerships and compliance with corporate standards, the portfolio strives to create inclusive and sustainable solutions to meet Afghanistan’s basic human needs.
The Sustainable Energy Services for Education and Health in Afghanistan (SESEHA) Project is implemented by UNDP with the objective of adopting renewable energy (and energy efficiency) measures in public facilities for the sustained delivery of essential services for meeting basic human needs. Project implementation started in January 2023 and is expected to end by June 2028. The targeted sites of the project are public health and educational facilities across 19 provinces. The project is conceptualised in the priority area of sustained essential services of the UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025, and falls under Portfolio 1 above. It directly contributes to the two outcomes:
Outcome 1: By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services.
Outcome 2: By the end of 2025, people in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work.
Position Purpose
Under the direct supervision of the SESEHA Project Manager, the Energy Technical Specialist will review and manage all the technical support to the SESEHA project. S/he is responsible for all technical aspects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency activities in the project and provides technical advisory to the Country Office units.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks and crises that the world is facing and that calls for the assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated and systemic response.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provide overall technical advice and support to the project team in the successful implementation of project activities.
Provide technical support on the methodologies, design, and specifications of renewable energy and energy efficiency interventions in the portfolio. Provide technical support and assistance on the energy audits, and assessments using IoT devices for energy consumption. Lead the field assessments and technical surveys including technical design of renewable energy and energy efficiency interventions that are gender-responsive and are based on environmental and social screening for shortlisting of facilities. Provide technical inputs in the drafting of the project annual work plan, procurement plan, and project progress reports as required including QPR and APR. Provide technical inputs to address the risks identified in SES and address the complaints received through GRM. Support the implementation of M&E framework for clean energy activities, in close coordination with M&E staff as per UNDP rules and regulations, and standards for donor reporting. Supervise and conduct spot checks and field visits to project sites to check the technical compliance of the project activities. Work closely with the UNDP gender, SES, and Integration Risk Management Unit (IRMU) focal points in managing environmental and social risk management issues. Support the development of innovative approaches for the sustainability of the project results tailored to crisis context.Contribute to the delivery, resource mobilization and advocacy efforts
Work closely with the procurement unit to come up with detailed technical specifications of the clean energy systems and identify strategies for expedited implementation of contracts. Supervise and manage the contractor, vendors and suppliers to ensure their deliverables are on time as agreed. Participate in the technical evaluation panels to support the capacity assessment of contractors and their compliance with UNDP rules and regulations. Ensure project data is available and up to date for timely reporting of progress reports. Prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for joint initiatives, and recommend approaches for resource mobilization and growth of the energy portfolio. Contribute to the reports developed for internal and external audiences and are useful in resource mobilization.Facilitate knowledge management and coordination
Guide in establishing and maintaining usable, auditable, and well-communicated records of the project. Manage stakeholder expectations and participate in communication activities to inform stakeholders of progress and issues. Use sound judgment in all project communication and ensure that project communication meets the needs of different audiences (UNDP guidelines, donor requirements and so forth). Attend and coordinate technical working group meetings with various stakeholders including donors and relevant actors working in the energy sector. Advise and support the project manager in communicating the project results and its impact on the energy sector in the country. Ensure regular updates on the energy sector in Afghanistan are available and are up to date for the growth of the energy portfolio.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervise and manage Energy Technical Analyst
Competencies
Core Competencies:Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:Business Direction & Strategy-System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
Business Management-Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
Business Management-Monitoring and Evaluation: Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns
2030 Agenda-Partnerships-Sustainable Energy Hub: Energy: Energy Efficiency
2030 Agenda-Partnerships-Sustainable Energy Hub: Sustainable Energy
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Electrical / Civil Engineering, or Environmental Management, or any other related field is required. Or, A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degreeExperience:
Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in clean energy including renewable energy and energy efficiency and project management. At least three years of experience in the design and implantation of clean energy systems is required. Experience in energy audits, surveys, and data collection is required. Experience in providing technical support to renewable energy and energy efficiency-related projects with accountability for project performance is required. Proven experience and strong knowledge of renewable energy system design and optimizing system components, including off-grid, on-grid, and hybrid renewable energy solutions, is an added advantage. Practical use of AutoCAD, Pvsys, PVSol, or related software will be an added advantage. Professional certification in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or any clean energy related subject will be an asset. Prior experience with the UN, and/or multilateral and bi-lateral aid organizations in crisis working environments/post-conflict settings will be an asset.Language:
Proficiency in oral and written English language.Disclaimer:
UNDP participates in the Scheme for the disclosure of safeguarding-related misconduct in recruitment processes within the humanitarian and development sector (Misconduct Disclosure Scheme).
In line with this Scheme, UNDP will contact previous employers of job applicants to request information about any investigations or findings of misconduct concerning allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment (sexual misconduct) against the applicant, during or after their employment.
By submitting a job application, the applicant confirms to have understood and consented to UNDP contacting the applicant’s prior employers, during UNDP’s recruitment process, to request any such information on sexual misconduct.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Probation
For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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