Technical Programme Director Climate and Development Knowledge Network

Title: Technical Programme Director

Description:

About the CKDN

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is an initiative designed to support developing countries to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. We operate at the interface of climate and development, and science and policy-making to support climate compatible development. Our interventions provide three types of services to support policy processes: demand-led research, applied technical assistance and knowledge products. Our African programme is hosted by SouthSouthNorth, based in Cape Town, South Africa.

The CDKN is moving into the third year of our five year programme. During the past two years we have provided support to governments in Africa in our focus areas of climate resilience and low carbon development policy, increasing national access to climate finance and supporting a stronger representation in the international climate negotiations. We do so cross-sectorally, or by taking a focused approach in the energy, water and disaster risk management sectors. As our programme is growing we are seeking a Technical Programme Director to lead on engagement with governments and to provide technical expertise in shaping and growing our portfolio further.

This position would report to the Africa Director and would oversee the strategic direction of our team of 4 project managers. This is an upper-mid level technical management role.

Roles and Responsibilities

· Lead on steering the technical focus of the CDKN Africa portfolio, for example directing strategy, ensuring portfolio wide coherence in the projects that we support and identifying synergies and learning points between the three main work streams (technical assistance, research and knowledge management)

· Lead on engaging with our clients, African governments, to build relationships, scope projects and maintain high level oversight of project implementation (Note: project managers will be providing day to day management)

· Provide expert review / quality assurance of both the internal documents and external deliverables of CDKN projects, across the project lifecycle, for example:

o Pre-project: Identifying and conducting due diligence on project opportunities

o Procurement: Reviewing terms of reference, identifying and selecting service providers,

o Project implementation: Reviewing deliverables, attending important project meetings or events

· Build the CDKN’s external profile through representing the CDKN at relevant conferences and events, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, and developing high level relationships with key African actors at national and regional level

· Directly manage a small number of technical assistance and/or research projects

· Daily team-working and collaboration with the Africa and London offices

· Developing a stronger link between the Africa office and the CDKN’s other regional offices in Pakistan and Ecuador, to foster greater cross-regional learning and collaboration

Skills and Experience

Essential

· At least 10-15 years relevant work experience in the environmental, climate change or social and economic development fields. Strong understanding of the linkages between climate change and development

· Demonstrated ability to lead multi-stranded programmes at a strategic level and ensure coherence between different work streams

· Good interpersonal skills and experience managing people

· Strong programme, procurement and project management skills gained through the management of medium sized projects and budgets

· Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain working relations with a range of high-level stakeholders in Africa including governments, donors, public sector organizations and private sector organizations

· Excellent English oral and written communication skills.

· Willing to undertake travel related to the project

Highly Desirable

• Proven expertise in one of the following areas: climate policy, climate finance, DRR, energy or water
• French and/or Portuguese oral and written communication skills
• Experience in working in national or sub-national African governments
• Experience of capacity building with African governments and civil society
• Experience working with international organizations including UN agencies, multilateral organizations and bilateral donors

Qualifications

At least a post graduate Qualification (or equivalent experience) in either a social science field, including international development, politics and economics, or a natural science field, including biology, environmental science or geography,

Application-Url:

http://www.ngojobsonline.com/Job_53_Technical+Programme+Director.html?FromHub=devnetjobs.org