This position is open to Ghana nationals only.

An international organization is currently recruiting for the position of Climate Change Adaptation/Environmental Specialist for a new project in northern Ghana. The incumbent will operate from the project’s head office in Tamale, Northern Region.

Project Overview:
The ultimate outcome of this 6-year project is to enhance food security and resilience for poor male and female smallholder farmers (35% male/65% female) and their households in the three northern regions. This ultimate outcome is to be achieved through increased, diversified and more equitable agricultural production; and increased, diversified and more equitable incomes and assets.

Position Summary:
Reporting to the Project Director (based in Tamale), the Climate Change Adaptation/ Environmental Specialist is responsible for leading and coordinating the work on integrating climate change adaptation and environmental management into all project activities. This includes: designing community-based vulnerability and disaster risk assessments; training and monitoring field staff on the facilitation of the assessments; assessing the climate change adaptation and environmental management capability of implementing organizations; and, designing and delivering training programs to address gaps. Liaise with the organization’s Canada-based climate change/environmental advisor for technical guidance on the development of an environmental management plan for the project and implementation of CCA/disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions for the project. Work in close collaboration with other project specialists based at the Tamale office (including monitoring and evaluation, gender equality, crops, livestock, and marketing and income generating activities specialists) to ensure a holistic approach is used within the project.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Prepare an Environmental Management Plan for the Project and arrange for an environmental impact assessment to be conducted that meets Ghana’s and Canada’s requirements;
• Assess the climate and environmental context in targeted districts and communities and advise project staff on selection criteria;
• Design gender-sensitive community-based risk, vulnerability and capacity assessments; train and monitor field staff to conduct the assessments at the community level and with beneficiaries; assess the results and advise project staff on the design and delivery of project activities;
• Assess the environmental sustainability of proposed agriculture and income generating interventions in targeted areas and advise project staff on appropriate adaptation strategies, including resilient varieties of crops, livestock, poultry and fish species, water harvesting, etc.;
• Advise on the incorporation of climate change adaptation and environmental considerations into crop, livestock, poultry and aquaculture extension training;
• Assess local level weather forecasting needs of beneficiaries; establish or strengthen linkages between beneficiaries and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Meteorological Services to access and disseminate relevant weather information at a local level; identify appropriate training and equipment required to strengthen local level weather forecasting systems;
• Identify and assess the availability and accessibility of water resources in the targeted areas. Research and recommend rainwater harvesting and micro-scale irrigation systems to improve access to water;
• Assess and identify capacities and needs of implementing organizations and targeted communities on environment, climate change adaptation and disaster risk management; design and deliver appropriate gender-sensitive training courses;
• Collaborate with the project’s M&E Specialist to ensure environment/CCA/DRR considerations are integrated into baselines data collection processes and the project’s M&E system;
• Participate in knowledge sharing and documentation of CCA/DRR experience and lessons learned;
• In coordination with the gender equality team, ensure that all strategies to address environment and climate change adaption take into consideration gender implications and opportunities.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Post graduate degree relevant to climate change adaptation and environmental management with a thorough understanding of both social and environmental sciences (e.g. climate change, climate science, environmental science, environmental management, natural resources management and/or environmental studies, in rural settings).
• Minimum of 8 years of work experience in areas related to environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture in a development context.
• Demonstrated understanding of climate change vulnerability and impacts in Northern Ghana.
• Experience integrating gender equality into projects, considered to be an asset.

Requisite Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong leadership skills, facilitation skills, interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to work in teams with colleagues and collaborators of different disciplines.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of gender equality.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; knowledge of other languages commonly spoken in the region is an asset.
• Basic computer skills (word-processing, presentations).
• Willingness to travel throughout the project area.

Location: Tamale

How To Apply For The Job

Suitably qualified persons are invited to submit their cover letter detailing how their work experience and academic/professional qualifications meet the requirements described above, CV, and 3 professional references no later than February 8th, 2013 via e-mail to:

jobsapplications@yahoo.com

Closing Date: 08 February 2013

Please indicate in the subject line of the email which position is being applied for.

The principles of employment equity are adhered to. Suitably qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. While all applicants are thanked for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.