Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Advisor

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. We are driven by a vision of a better world: a world where, across every society, all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably. To make this vision a reality, we need transformations in vital agriculture, food, energy, and water systems. SNV contributes by strengthening capacities and catalyzing partnerships in these sectors. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequalities and barriers to social inclusion, and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises. Building on 60 years of experience, we support our partners with our technical and process expertise and methodological rigor. We do this in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia with a team of approximately 1,600 colleagues. By being adaptable and tailoring our approaches to these different contexts, we can contribute to impact at scale, resulting in more equitable lives for all. 

Our core values of people-centeredness and respect, equity and equality, and diversity and inclusion are fundamental to who we are and what we do. This is reflected in our vision, mission, and strategy, which set out our aspirations and commitments as our compass towards 2030. 

For more information on our operations in Ethiopia and SNV, generally visit our website: www.snv.org  

SNV Ethiopia is recruiting an experienced Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Advisor for an anticipated flagship program. The program aims to secure 800,000 dignified and fulfilling job opportunities for rural young women.  The program will embrace a market system approach in high-potential value chains (horticulture, poultry, dairy, and complementary value chains), grounded in seven regional clusters. It will deliberately integrate Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) transformative approaches and safeguarding mechanisms across all program interventions, empowering young women to secure jobs through initiatives that aim to address market and socio-economic barriers and on location-specific gendered root causes. 

SNV will implement the program jointly with five other Ethiopian/ international NGOs, who will deliver their work in specific clusters. Together, these clusters will integrate technical expertise, and they will support the program’s ecosystem to achieve longer-term system change for youth employment in agriculture. 

Summary of the Position

This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about promoting youth employment, creating entrepreneurial opportunities for young women in the agricultural sector, and addressing systemic barriers to young women's empowerment and their businesses. We are seeking a professional with considerable experience in climate change adaptation and resilience. 

Reporting to the Deputy Program Manager-Technical Lead, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Advisor will be part of the program team and responsible for leading climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience strategy of the project. You will be an advisor to the Programs Team and drive collaborations with consortium partners’ climate change and resilience persons to ensure alignment in all related strategies.

The Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Advisor will provide strategic leadership, technical expertise, and guidance to design and implement climate-resilient strategy for youth-focused agribusinesses. The role will focus on integrating climate change adaptation, risk management, and resilience-building approaches across program components, ensuring young people, especially women, are equipped to adapt to climate-related challenges.

The Advisor will oversee participatory climate risk analysis, promote climate-smart agriculture, enhance capacities, and leverage technologies, innovations and financial mechanisms to create climate-resilient agribusiness and markets for youth.  The position will work closely with program teams, implementing partners, and market actors strengthening of human and institutional capacity for climate resilience. The Advisor will also generate evidence for impact, drive strategic partnerships, and advocate for climate change resilience at the national and regional levels.

Provide technical leadership to integrate and implement climate change resilience strategies

• Provide technical leadership and expertise on climate change and resilience programming to ensure activities are designed to maximize climate resilience
• Ensures that climate change adaptation and resilience are integrated across each of the agribusiness types ensuring that strategies are risk assessed with a climate lens, adaptation measures are mainstreamed, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems are in place. 
• Lead climate risk assessments and the development of context-specific adaptation and mitigation strategies to address climate-related challenges faced by target groups and sectors.
• Collaborates with crop and livestock advisors, IP staff, and others to provide appropriate technical support for piloting climate change adaptation strategies.
• Integrates climate change adaptation and climate-smart agriculture and Agribusiness concepts, including options for climate change mitigation and approaches, into the project components
• Assist the crop and livestock business advisors, BDS advisors, and agro-input system advisors in conducting analysis of value chains and business constraints, including vulnerability to impacts of climate change.
• Organizes training and delivers/arranges for the delivery of training programs for project target beneficiaries, government stakeholders, and the private sector, including climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation strategies.
• Pilot innovative practices and technologies relevant to the target groups (insurance schemes, early maturing crops, solar-powered irrigation pumps, dairy processing technologies, compost, cost-effective local feed, forage development, etc.).
• Work with project staff to develop relevant information packages and training modules and various ways of disseminating the skills and climate information, including technology-enabled agricultural extension services.
• Develop, update, and implement training materials, tools, and guidelines to build the capacity of staff, partners, and stakeholders on climate change resilience and adaptation.
• Provides support to IPs in raising the awareness of project targets on climate change impacts and adaptation mechanisms through integrating resilience concepts, weather, and climate information into technical and VC training as well as digital extension systems that better inform decisions of risk-aware business planning. 
• Build the knowledge and skills of young women, empowering them to adopt climate adaptation strategies and actively participate in agribusiness and community decision-making.
• Closely work with a financial inclusion advisor to pilot and roll out insurance schemes for major value chains (e.g., horticulture, poultry, dairy) while promoting financial tools such as YSLAs, SACCOs, and loans as climate change adaptation strategies. 

Networking and Collaboration:

• Maintain and establish contacts among local partner organizations and government offices, private sector and others
• Foster and maintain strategic partnerships with governments, development partners, and stakeholders to promote climate change resilience at the national and regional levels
• Influence policy development and national-level discussions on climate change resilience through evidence-based recommendations and active participation in climate-related forums.

Knowledge management and learning:

• Monitors and disseminates relevant scientific developments on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies
• Document efforts on climate resilience, pilot technologies, and innovative practices.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of climate change resilience interventions, generating evidence to inform program design and policy advocacy.
• Collaborate with other technical advisors, program staff, and partners to ensure high-quality implementation of climate change adaptation strategies.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building efforts, ensuring that lessons learned from resilience programming are disseminated to key stakeholders and incorporated into future initiatives.
• Monitors and disseminates relevant scientific developments on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies

Take on other responsibilities within the project that will help the team to achieve the desired results.

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in environmental studies, climate change, agricultural economics, development studies, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in climate change programming, including climate risk assessment, adaptation/mitigation strategies, and resilience-building.
• Proven experience in developing and delivering training on climate change and resilience topics.
• Strong technical expertise in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and environmental sustainability.
• Experience working with financial tools (insurance schemes, loans, YSLAs) to promote resilience.
• Knowledge and experience in gender programming and implementation
• Strong understanding of agribusiness dynamics and market system development approach.
• Demonstrated experience in policy advocacy and influencing climate change resilience at national and regional levels.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams to achieve program goals.
• Women candidates are encouraged to apply 
• Flexible and able to adapt to a multicultural environment and complex situations. 
• Fluency in English is required. 

Additional Skills & Competencies:

• Experience working in climate change resilience in a development context.
• Familiarity with national climate change frameworks and policy agendas.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
• A broad understanding of the various aspects of climate change adaptation methods, tools, and frameworks.
• Specific expertise in certain aspects of climate change adaptation practice, climate change science, and integration of climate change issues into the design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects and programs
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment.

Contract Type: National, Full-time

This position will be based on donor funding and approval confirmation.

Expected start date: April/May 2025

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contract Duration: One year with the possibility of extension based on performance. 

How to Apply? 
If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and a letter of motivation before/on March 7th, 2025. Please submit your application only via Smart Recruiters. All information will be kept in the strictest confidentiality. 
If your experience and skills match the position's requirements, we will contact you to advise on the next steps in the recruitment process.

Working at SNV  
SNV offers 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 and global network of experts.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and uphold a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Vetting
SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for both national and internationally determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill out 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. 

SNV is an equal opportunities employer, and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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