🇮🇹 Adaptation Finance Specialist 🌍 UNDP Rome Centre Job in Rome, Italy 💶

UNDP's Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition is hiring an Adaptation Finance Specialist at the IPSA-10 level in Rome, on a one-year contract open to internal and external applicants. The role provides technical expertise on climate finance to strengthen international cooperation on climate adaptation, and the application deadline is 2 September 2026.

Where This Role Sits

The position is located within the UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition, whose central purpose is to ensure effective implementation and further development of the strategic partnership between UNDP and the Government of Italy, while advancing broader collaboration with G7 and G20 countries.

🌍 The Rome Centre focuses on three priority areas: the Platform for Investment Support and Technical Assistance (PISTA), Youth Engagement in Climate Action (Youth4Climate), and Energy for Development (Energy for Growth). It also implements, with the UNDP Climate Hub, the G7 Adaptation Accelerator Hub (AAH), a global initiative launched under Italy's G7 Presidency to strengthen international cooperation on climate adaptation by bridging the gap between planning and investment in vulnerable developing countries over 2025-2026.

The Purpose of the Role

Under the supervision of the Rome Centre Senior Adviser and in collaboration with the AAH Project Manager, the Adaptation Finance Specialist provides technical expertise on climate finance, particularly to support investment planning and financial-instrument design, strengthening financing synergies with UNDP and Italian government initiatives such as the Mattei Plan for Africa and PISTA.

Adaptation Accelerator Hub Coordination

🤝 Support international outreach and engagement with G7 countries, non-G7 countries, MDBs, private-sector representatives and philanthropies, including advocacy events at fora such as G7, G20, UNGA and the COPs.

🧭 Provide technical assistance to Tier-1 countries (investment strategy documents, project identification to unlock grant and non-grant resources from GCF, GEF, the Adaptation Fund, MDBs, IFIs, NDBs and PISTA) and targeted "plug-in" support to Tier-2 countries.

🇪🇹 Support capacity building for Ethiopian officials and institutions, including workshops on project design and access to adaptation finance and building a bankable project pipeline.

🏛️ Contribute to institutional coordination and implementation, including AAH Executive Board and G7 engagement, and advise the Rome Centre Senior Adviser on adaptation strategies and synergies with the Mattei Plan for Africa.

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Adaptation Collaboration and Knowledge

💧 Act as the Rome Centre focal point for the strategic initiative on Improving and Enhancing Drinking Water Capacity in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, providing project-management oversight and quality assurance.

🔗 Identify and support strategic collaboration across Rome Centre programmes (Youth4Climate, Energy for Growth, Partnerships) to connect adaptation finance, energy transition, youth engagement and private-sector partnerships.

📚 Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, ensure project reports capture results and lessons learned, and contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Who Can Apply

🎓 An advanced university degree (Master's) in Economics, Finance, Environment, International Development, Public Policy or a related discipline is required, or a first-level degree in these areas plus two additional years of qualifying experience.

📅 A minimum of 5 years (with a Master's) or 7 years (with a Bachelor's) of relevant professional experience in development finance, climate adaptation planning or programme support is required, including demonstrated experience designing or supporting climate adaptation or resilience projects and assessing project bankability.

🌱 Desirable: experience with multilateral climate funds (GCF, GEF, Adaptation Fund), MDBs, IFIs or the private sector; climate/adaptation finance flows; and engaging private-sector stakeholders in developing economies.

Language

🗣️ Fluency in English is required.

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Good to Know

🔁 This is a one-year IPSA-10 contract, office-based at the Rome Centre in Rome, with possible international mission travel. UNDP uses a tiered application process, and external candidates apply under Tier 3.

🚫 UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process.