GEF Project Design Specialist

Organizational Setting The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on these issues and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). OCB also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as well as FAO’s work on environmental safeguards and leads the Programme Priority Areas on Climate Change (PPA BE1) and Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture (PPA BE2).

Organizational Setting The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on these issues and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). OCB also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as well as FAO’s work on environmental safeguards and leads the Programme Priority Areas on Climate Change (PPA BE1) and Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture (PPA BE2). FAO is a lead implementing partner agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The GEF is a multilateral family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and supporting land and ocean health. The GEF is a financing mechanism for five international environmental conventions: the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the UNCBD, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UNFCCC that could be financed by the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). FAO is one of the top GEF partner implementing agencies worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300 projects valued at more than USD 1.8 billion in grant financing and more than USD 10 billion in cofinancing. FAO supports eligible countries in accessing resources from all of the GEF family of trust funds. The Office of Climate and Biodiversity (OCB) hosts the FAO-GEF Coordination Unit (OCB-GEF), which serves as the liaison unit in FAO with the GEF. OCB-GEF works closely with colleagues from across FAO’s technical divisions and regional and subregional offices in a FAO-GEF community to support countries. GEF project design specialists successfully interviewed, approved, and assigned to this roster will work with this FAO-GEF community worldwide to assist countries. The purpose of this call is to provide the FAO-GEF community with a list of qualified candidates to support and/or lead GEF project formulation, monitoring and evaluation and/or planning processes. The assignment may be home based with required travel for field missions.

Reporting Lines The GEF Project Design Specialist will work under the overall technical supervision of the Senior GEF Coordinator of OCB-GEF and the direct supervision of a GEF Regional Lead or the lead GEF Technical Officer, in close collaboration with the FAO Representation in the relevant country of assignment, and in close collaboration with the national GEF Executing Agency.

Technical Focus Identification, design, implementation support and monitoring of FAO-GEF projects and programmes and those of other environmental financing mechanisms. It includes strategic and policy work, with a focus on the nexus between global environmental challenges and sustainable agriculture, including climate change and resilience, land, water, fisheries, forestry, biological diversity and other environmental services.

Tasks And Responsibilities

Provide technical expertise or advice and project design guidance to project proponents in the identification, development and implementation of natural resource/environmental project proposals that address country priorities and further FAO and GEF strategic objectives, programme priorities and operational policies and procedures.

Participate in, and/or leads, multidisciplinary teams to assist governments and Decentralized Offices in the identification and formulation of natural resource and environmental management projects for financing by the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) or other environmental funds.

Ensure quality control of the GEF project concepts and full project proposals in line with GEF eligibility criteria and alignment with GEF-8 Programming Directions.

Coordinate and as required take a lead role in preparing project proposals.

Participate in, and/or leads, the design and delivery of capacity development activities to FAO technical staff in headquarters and Decentralized Offices on the strategies, priorities and procedures, trends and issues related to GEF, adaptation and other environmental funds.

Contribute to and/or advise on strategic and programmatic concepts for consideration under GEF-8

Contribute to, and/or advise on FAO GEF implementation support including, conducting mid-term reviews of projects.

As required, supports the management of the FAO-GEF portfolio, monitors and supervises implementation of assigned projects, and ensures quality control at all stages of the FAO and GEF project cycles

Perform other related duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum Requirements

For Consultants:

Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in natural resources management, environment, or natural resource economics; Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.

For PSAs University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in natural resources management, environment, or natural resource economics.

1 year (for Category C), 5 years (for Category B) or 10 years (for Category A) of relevant work experience in one or more of the following areas: biodiversity, climate change, energy, sustainable land, forest or water management.

Working Knowledge of English (proficiency level C)

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus

Teamwork

Communication

Building Effective Relationships

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable

Strong and relevant experience in preparation of projects and programmatic approaches related to the GEF and in results-based monitoring and supervision of multidisciplinary projects

Strong and relevant experience with and knowledge of the procedures of GEF and other environmental funds

Strong and relevant experience in one or more of the GEF focal thematic areas (biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, sustainable forest management, sound chemicals management/persistent organic pollutants) that in turn is relevant to FAO’s priorities and comparative advantages

Experience in developing projects and programmes for the GEF in relation to agriculture and food systems is desirable.

Demonstrated analytical and conceptual skills with proven ability to write project documents and papers and ability to analyse and integrate diverse information from various sources

analyse and integrate diverse information from various sources

Strong and relevant experience in providing technical expertise or advice to project proponents at national, subregional

and regional levels with regard to project development, results-based management, monitoring and evaluation planning, and monitoring for project impact

Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English

Limited knowledge (intermediate level B) of one of the other languages of the Organization

(Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).

Call For Expressions Of Interest - Vacancy Announcement Job Posting 13/Jul/2026

Closure Date 27/Jul/2026, 11:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit OCBD - Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment

Job Type Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level N/A

Primary Location Various Locations-Various Locations

Duration Up to 11 months

Post Number N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.

Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;

Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values

FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

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