Energy Finance Specialist [Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants]
- Organisation: UNDP
- Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Deadline: 14 November 2026
Duties and Responsibilities
Tiered Approach
In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:
• Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Background
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the leading UN organization advancing sustainable development globally and in Ethiopia. As a key integrator within the UN system, UNDP plays a central role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP operates at global, regional, and country levels, combining international expertise with local knowledge to deliver practical solutions and impactful advocacy.
Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Program Support (BPPS) have the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP's development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its program support efforts.
As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2026-2029, four strategic objectives – prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience and healthy planet – define the organization’s strategic direction, powered by three accelerators: digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation; gender equality; and sustainable finance.
The central purpose of the Rome Centre is to ensure the effective implementation and further development of the strategic partnership between UNDP and the government of Italy across the objectives of sustainable development and in doing so advancing the broader partnership between UNDP and G7 and G20 countries.
The Rome Centre focuses on the critical policy areas of youth engagement in climate action, energy for development and climate finance.
At the core of UNDP’s work is the Global Policy Network (GPN), which mobilizes world-class technical expertise to support six signature solutions: energy, poverty alleviation, democratic governance, resilience, environmental sustainability, and gender equality. These solutions are aligned to foster structural transformation, promote inclusion, and build resilience in Ethiopia and beyond.
Energy is a critical enabler of most countries’ development agenda and is one of UNDP’s flagship areas of intervention. UNDP’s energy work aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), focusing on:
• Expanding access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.
• Improving energy efficiency across sectors.
• Increasing the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix.
In Ethiopia, the government has set bold energy access and transition goals, including through Mission 300, which aims for universal electricity access by 2030, with a target of 65% on-grid and 35% off-grid connections. Achieving these ambitions will require substantial and sustained investment, robust planning, and strengthened public-private collaboration.
A key initiative supporting this agenda is "Energy for Growth in Africa", which aims to identify and support clean energy projects across the continent that face difficulties accessing finance. The initiative, launched in the context of the Italian G7 Presidency and promoted by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) in collaboration with UNDP, provides technical assistance, risk mitigation tools, and access to concessional finance to improve project viability and attract private sector investment. Operated through UNDP Country Offices, the initiative works with governments to ensure alignment with national energy priorities and to help scale up investment-ready projects.
Currently active in twelve African countries, the initiative focuses on markets with limited access to commercial finance, working in close coordination with multilateral efforts to streamline support and enhance the delivery of sustainable energy solutions.
Scope of Work
The UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition is seeking an Energy Finance Specialist to support the implementation of the “Energy for Growth in Africa” program in Ethiopia. The Specialist will work in close coordination with the UNDP Country Office in Ethiopia and under the technical guidance of the Rome Centre’s Energy for Growth in Africa Team to accelerate clean energy investments aligned with national priorities and UNDP’s global and regional energy strategy.
The primary objective of this role is to identify, develop, and support energy initiatives that unlock financing and contribute to a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition in Ethiopia. The Energy Finance Specialist will provide strategic insights and technical expertise to ensure that interventions respond to national development goals while advancing regional and global objectives under SDG 7.
The Energy Finance Specialist will serve as the focal point for the UNDP Rome Centre’s “Energy for Growth in Africa” initiative in Ethiopia. The Specialist will provide technical expertise, strategic advice, and stakeholder coordination to accelerate clean energy investments that contribute to Ethiopia’s sustainable energy and climate goals, in alignment with CPD for Ethiopia (2025-2030), UNSCDF for Ethiopia (2025 – 2030) UNDP’s regional and global energy strategy. The key responsibilities include:
Ensure Project Identification and Origination
• Ensure the Implementation of the project origination framework established centrally by the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative;
• Ensure project identification is aligned with Ethiopia’s national energy priorities, in particular with the recently developed National Energy Compact.
Build Strategic Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
• Map relevant stakeholders in Ethiopia energy landscape and maintain active communication to ensure inclusive and coordinated engagement;
• Engage and coordinate with key energy stakeholders—government entities, private investors, development institutions (including G7 partners and the Italian Cooperation System), and financial actors—to facilitate partnerships and co-investment opportunities;
• Organize and contribute to technical meetings, stakeholder roundtables, and outreach events to promote the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative and related energy access and transition programs;
• Engage directly and, if requested by the Government counterparts, support the Compact Delivery and Monitoring Unit that will be formed to deliver on the Mission 300 Compact.
Ensure Project Risk Mitigation and Investment Facilitation
• Liaise with financial institutions, investors, and multilateral partners to coordinate the deployment of financial instruments and appropriate risk mitigation tools for the successful completion of the projects;
• Identify opportunities for clean energy projects to generate carbon credits under voluntary or compliance carbon markets (e.g., Article 6 of the Paris Agreement), and support the integration of carbon revenue streams into project financing structures.
Provide Technical Assistance, Capacity Building, and Knowledge Sharing
• Offer technical inputs to clean energy project developers on feasibility studies, business models, power purchase agreements, and compliance with environmental and social safeguards;
• Advise and support clean energy project developers in structuring project financing by drawing on public and private, national and international climate finance sources, including those provided by multilateral development banks (e.g. WB, AfDB), vertical climate funds (e.g. GCF, GEF) and bilateral funds from G7 countries and Italy (e.g. Italian Climate Fund) - and support the submission of funding applications to these instruments. Facilitate the exchange of lessons learned and best practices with other participating countries under the Energy for Growth in Africa initiative.
Reporting, Monitoring, and Impact Assessment
• Prepare quarterly progress reports detailing project identification, pipeline development, risk mitigation efforts, and stakeholder engagement outcomes;
• Provide regular updates on cooperation with development partners, particularly G7 entities, including challenges, opportunities, and strategic recommendations;
• Develop and apply monitoring tools to track project outcomes related to energy access, investment mobilization, and sustainable development impact;
• Capture and share insights to improve program design, execution, and overall contribution to Ethiopia’s energy transition.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangements: