Senior Climate Change Specialist

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Business Unit: Operations Complex – Global Practices and Partnerships Directorate

Department: Resilience & Climate Action

Division/Section:
Climate Change and Environment

Country: Saudi Arabia

Location: IsDB, HQ Jeddah

Job Grade: E3

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Closing Date: 30-Oct-2026

JOB PURPOSE

To provide senior-level technical and professional expertise in delivering IsDB’s climate action and green growth, sustainability agenda across mitigation, adaptation and resilience, nature-based solutions and to support the Bank in raising the development impact of its operations. Participate as a core team member in the identification, preparation, appraisal and implementation support of projects and programmes – including climate risk screening, GHG accounting, climate finance qualification and Paris alignment assessment – and support the mainstreaming of climate and environmental considerations through the Bank’s systems, policies and standards, including the Environmental and Social Framework and the sustainable finance architecture. Support Member Countries in implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, long‑term low‑emission development strategies and net‑zero pathways. Contribute to business development in collaboration with Regional hubs, the mobilization of concessional and vertical‑fund climate finance through bilateral and multilateral partners, and to knowledge generation, capacity development, partnership building and results reporting on the Bank’s climate portfolio. Coordinate the work of consultants and less experienced team members and review their deliverables.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic and Operational Planning and Implementation:

• Contribute to the development of strategic plans, analytics, guidance notes and other products related to climate mitigation, adaptation and environmental sustainability within the Climate Change and Environment Division and jointly with other Global Practices and Regional Hubs in the Operations Complex.
• Take part in project identification, appraisal, design, processing and approval as a team member along with the relevant Regional Hub. Lead the provision of input on climate change aspects, including physical and transition climate risk screening, GHG accounting, identification of adaptation and mitigation measures, alignment with Just transition Framework, and climate co‑benefit and climate finance qualification.
• Support the Bank’s alignment with the Paris Agreement in line with the joint MDB Paris Alignment framework, in particular Building Blocks 1 (mitigation alignment) and 2 (adaptation and climate‑resilient operations), and support the consistent application of the agreed assessment methods by project teams.
• Support the interface between the climate agenda and the Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS1–ESS10), including on climate‑related aspects of environmental and social risk screening, resource efficiency and pollution prevention, biodiversity and nature‑based solutions, and contribute to the roll‑out, benchmarking and capacity building of the Environmental and Social Framework.
• Co‑lead Communities of Practice (CoP) in selected sectors on climate mitigation and adaptation, which entails providing technical leadership on positioning the Global Practice internally and externally in relation to climate change and environment, including participation in MDB Working Groups.
• Contribute to the delivery of selected global engagement products on climate mitigation and adaptation and, when needed, directly lead and participate in country dialogues and deliverables (such as NDC and LTS support, NAPs, and national drought resilience plans), in addition to capacity building workshops in Member Countries.

Climate Finance and Sustainable Finance:

• Support the achievement of the Bank’s corporate climate finance target, including its adaptation finance ambition, across Global Practices and Regional Hubs. With the Global Practice and Operations Task Leaders in the Regional Hubs, keep track of commitments and report to and advise the Bank on progress in meeting the target, on portfolio composition and on adjustments required.
• Apply the joint MDB methodologies for tracking climate change mitigation and adaptation finance, and ensure consistent, defensible and well‑documented classification of climate finance in Bank operations.
• Support the operationalization and management of the Physical Climate Risk Management System (PCRMS) of the Bank for various sectors. With support from the Division and regional focal points, ensure the implementation of best practice in climate adaptation and resilience measures in