Opportunity Summary
Abt Associates seeks a qualified Climate Adaptation and Resilience Specialist with proficiency in climate risk management to support its growing climate portfolio in the International Development Division. The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Specialist will assume a leading role in technical planning, design, and implementation of projects that support adaptation and resilience to climate change in developing countries on topics including economic growth, food security, agriculture, renewable energy, and disaster risk reduction. The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Specialist will manage staff, partners, and budgets to successfully implement adaptation and resilience projects globally. This role will also lead technical and strategic development of proposals and support strategic priorities as part of Abt’s Climate and Energy Team.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Provide technical assistance to developing countries across various sectors impacted by climate change.
- Assist country stakeholders and clients with the design, implementation, and evaluation of climate risk management strategies to support adaptation and resilience to climate change.
- Effectively manage staff, partnerships, budgets, MEL, and reporting requirements for successful project outcomes and impact.
- Capture voice of IDD’s clients at the technical and management levels and help lead client interactions.
- Lead scoping of technical assignments, work planning, and budgeting to be responsive to donor clients and host-country counterparts.
- Identify technical assistance expertise required to achieve the best results and exercise quality assurance over the work and products of less senior staff
- Contribute to new business development by leading the creation of winning strategies and technical approaches in climate adaptation and resilience, and support business development efforts across the global energy and climate portfolio.
- Participate in the ongoing development of Abt’s climate and energy growth strategy for International Development Division to achieve short-term and long-term results.
- Build collaborations with bilateral and multi-lateral organizations, international initiatives, government agencies, and private organizations.
- Strengthen Abt’s external reputation in climate adaptation by contributing to thought leadership including development of blogs, podcasts, conference presentations, panel discussions, and marketing materials.
Preferred Qualifications
- MSc in engineering, agriculture, hydrology, forestry, ecology, climate science, economics, or a related field.
- Deep technical familiarity with climate adaptation and resilience in developing country contexts.
- Five or more years of field experience in developing countries, especially experience leading or supporting USAID adaptation and resilience projects.
- Experience as a project manager or deputy project manager, leading staff management, budget development, project accounting, and project reporting.
- Proficient in a second language used in developing countries.
- Certification as a Project Management Professional or Associate.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree + Nine years of relevant experience, or Master’s Degree + Seven years of relevant experience, or PhD + Four years of relevant experience
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Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.
This position offers an anticipated annual base salary range of approximately $97,000 to $155,000 and may vary by ten percent depending on candidate geographic location. Salary offers are made based on internal equity and market analysis.
About Us
The International Development Division focuses on improving the lives and economic well-being of people in lower and middle-income countries. We command technical expertise in health, agriculture, climate change, food security and governance—as well as in international evaluation. Our multi-layered health portfolio includes policy, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management. In partnership with government clients and local experts, our high-quality programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are known for impact and innovation.
At Abt Associates, we are committed to creating a lasting culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that in order to achieve full participation, our practices must be free of prejudice, discrimination, and bias that result in inequitable outcomes. We are actively working to advance equity for everyone, and while we still have much work to do, we know that racial and cultural diversity are an asset to our business and the communities where we live and serve. Our ongoing commitment is focused on creating business practices that advance racial and social equity, investments in community impact programs for the benefit of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and expand upon project work related to racial equity and social justice.
