Technical Expert - Climate Change

TITLE: Technical Expert - Climate Change
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Programme Development & Quality

LOCATION: Kosovo-National Office
GRADE: 3
CONTRACT LENGTH: until December, 31, 2028.
LEVEL OF EFFORT: 50% FTE, with the possibility of an increase in effort, subject to donor approval of funds.
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The Climate Change Technical Expert will provide strategic and technical leadership to ensure that climate change, environmental sustainability, resilience and green transition approaches are effectively integrated across Save the Children Kosova/o's programmes, advocacy initiatives and organisational priorities.
SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Programme Quality & Development Manager
Staff reporting to this post: no direct reports but expected to provide coaching, mentoring and technical support to programme implementation colleagues, partners and stakeholders.
Budget Responsibilities: N/A

Role Dimensions: The TE will support the design and quality assurance of climate-responsive and climate-transformative programmes, ensuring that children and young people are equipped with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to address climate and environmental challenges. The post holder will strengthen evidence-based advocacy, support policy engagement and contribute technical expertise to programme design, implementation, learning and innovation.

Working closely with technical experts, programme teams, government institutions, civil society organisations, academia and child/youth-led initiatives, the TE will promote climate resilience, green skills development, environmental sustainability and meaningful child and youth participation in climate action.
Context: Development

Primary Technical Area: Climate Change
Primary Sub Technical Areas: Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Building; Climate-Transformative Programming; Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management Green Skills Development and Green Livelihoods; Child and Youth Participation in Climate Action; Climate Risk, Vulnerability and Environmental Analysis; Disaster Risk Reduction, Community Resilience and Advocacy.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
I. Technical Leadership & Programme Development

1. Provide technical leadership on climate change, environmental sustainability and resilience across all thematic areas.
2. Ensure climate considerations are integrated into programme design, implementation, monitoring and learning processes.
3. Serve as Technical Lead for climate-related components during proposal development processes coordinated by the Business Development Coordinator.
4. Support technical teams to integrate climate-sensitive and climate-transformative approaches within education, child protection, child rights governance and livelihoods programming.
5. Provide technical expertise during development of theories of change, logframes, technical narratives and programme strategies.
6. Participate in and provide technical leadership to national and local working groups, advisory bodies and consultation processes related to climate change, environmental sustainability, green transition and youth climate action.
7. Support identification of strategic partnerships with government institutions, academia, private sector actors and environmental organisations.

II. Technical Assistance, Programme Quality and Learning

1. Provide technical guidance and quality assurance for climate-related programme interventions.
2. Build capacity of staff, partners and youth groups on climate resilience, environmental sustainability and climate action approaches.
3. Conduct field visits and technical reviews to assess programme quality through quality benchmarks and identify learning opportunities.
4. Support development of technical guidance, tools, methodologies and learning products.
5. Collaborate with MEAL colleagues to strengthen climate-related evidence generation, research and learning.
6. Promote innovation and testing of new approaches related to climate adaptation, circular economy, green skills and environmental sustainability.

III. Advocacy, Influencing and Networking
1. Support development and implementation of climate advocacy and influencing priorities.
2. Ensure programme evidence and children's voices inform climate-related advocacy and policy engagement.
3. Develop policy briefs, position papers and technical inputs related to climate change and children's rights.
4. Represent Save the Children in relevant climate and environmental networks, working groups and policy forums.
5. Support engagement with ministries, municipalities, academia, civil society organisations and donors.
6. Promote meaningful participation of children and young people in climate action and environmental decision-making processes.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

The post holder must commit to work in an organisation that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviours that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.
QUALIFICATIONS

-Master's degree in Environmental Sciences, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Environmental Policy, Natural Resource Management or related field.
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• 3-7 years of experience in climate change, environmental sustainability, resilience or related fields.
• Strong understanding of climate change policies, environmental governance and green transition priorities in Kosovo.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to policy development, legislative processes or technical working groups.
• Proven experience in programme design and technical proposal development.
• Experience in developing theories of change, logframes, technical narratives, programme strategies and results frameworks.
• Excellent report writing, policy writing and proposal writing skills in English
• Experience leading advocacy strategies and policy influencing initiatives.
• Fluency in Albanian and English; knowledge of Serbian is considered an asset. KEY COMPETENCIES Technical competencies:
• Ensures all children’s access to quality education;
• Ensures all children’s wellbeing;
• Supports all children’s learning and development.
• Generic Competencies
• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities;
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children;
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery;
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers. Additional job responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. Equal Opportunities: The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCiK’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures. Child Safeguarding: We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse. Safeguarding our Staff: The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCiK anti-harassment policy. Health and Safety: The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCiK Health and Safety policies and procedures.