Terms of Reference for a Green Economy Expert – MENA

SPARK’s ambition with its 2030 strategy is to become a market leader in creating impactful jobs for youth in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS), creating 20,000 impactful jobs annually. Considering the green economy’s high potential for job creation in the future in the Southern Neighbourhood, especially in the food sector, water and renewable energy, SPARK intends to become a leader in greening of business processes, business support to growing (M)SME with a growth-oriented green product, as well as green jobs.

About the programme:

SPARK implements the EU-funded programme Green Forward aiming to strengthen the green business ecosystem by leveraging network effects and peer learning for sustainable green growth in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. Green Forward is a programme funded by the European Union that aims to foster the green and circular economy (GCE) in the Southern Neighbourhood region, encompassing countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It is designed to bolster the capacity of business support organisations (BSOs) to act as key ecosystem enablers, bridging the gap between policy and SME levels. This initiative is committed to fostering sustainable economic growth and innovation through comprehensive support and collaboration, promoting an inclusive green economy.

About you:

This position will be under the supervision of the Green Forward Programme Manager. The Green Expert is preferred to be based in one of the implementing countries of the programme and of SPARK and she/he will work with partners in MENA and will closely coordinate with regional teams in the MENA region as well as country teams.

The Green Expert will be a flexible multi-tasker with a broad range in charge of country-level activities; participate in project planning and implementation; advising and supporting for country-level activities, delivery of results and smooth running of operations; communicate with local target groups and stakeholders, contribute to communication and visibility actions and support with the execution of the monitoring and evaluation plans.

About the role:

This position, supervised by the Green Forward Programme Manager, will work closely with all of the country teams and partner institutions across the MENA region (specifically Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia).

The Green Economy Expert will play a crucial role in the Green Forward programme, which aims to strengthen the green business ecosystem by leveraging network effects and peer learning for sustainable green growth in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. This role involves providing technical expertise, supporting strategy development, and fostering collaborations to promote a green and circular economy in the Southern Neighbourhood region.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

• Provide technical expertise and guidance: 

1. Work closely with the Programme Manager and offer technical expertise and guidance on green economy initiatives to ensure alignment with project objectives and sustainability goals.
2. Stay informed and integrate knowledge of EU green policies against climate change and the European Green Deal into programme activities.

• Support in the development and implementation of green economy strategies and action plans in collaboration with local partners and stakeholders in the 7 target countries.
• Coordinate with programme stakeholders to deliver capacity-building programs and provide technical assistance in green and climate sectors.
• Promote and build effective collaborations between local partners, collaborative spaces, the local private sector, and other related organisations.
• Work closely with the Programme Manager and the M&E officer to gather learnings from the programme and activities. 
• Work closely with the Communications Officer to design the programme awareness campaign.
• Organise and/or facilitate events/workshops to promote green economy practices and knowledge sharing.
• Support on technical reporting 
• Harvest insights from the Green Forward programme activities and compile them into a green economy best practices book for dissemination and integration into actions.
• Prepare country roadmaps after each conference in collaboration with the project partners to outline steps needed to build stronger business alliances for a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy.
• Support partner in developing workshops, coaching, and mentoring -based on a tailored to a common needs assessments- to support BSOs in the 7 countries.
• Advise partners on content preparation for the Green Business Training Academy and prepare a common methodology in close collaboration with the Programme Manager and partners.
• Guide partners in supporting their target group of BSOs to develop a toolbox to assess the integration of sustainability and circular economy approaches in services offered to entrepreneurs and SMEs. This includes labeling/certification of green start-ups and matchmaking support between green start-ups and existing SMEs.
• Guide partners and BSOs to test the toolbox with MSMEs in the 7 countries, monitor the implementation process, provide guidance, and measure results.
• Assist the communications team in designing and preparing the programme green awareness campaign.
• Support the programme team in upgrading the Digital Eco-innovation platform where entrepreneurs can propose solutions to challenges submitted by companies seeking innovative tools to advance their processes, technologies, products, or business models.
• Support the partners’ working groups in the 7 countries to develop policy recommendations to adapt laws and regulations in target countries.
• Create high-quality tools to deliver knowledge on GCE (Green and Circular Economy) to programme stakeholders such as the SPARK team and the regional implementing partners such as presentations, articles, etc.
• Create assessment tools to follow up with partners’ progress on capacity building initiatives, workshops, webinars, etc. This includes forms, training calendars, etc.
• Other Duties: Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements and skills:

• Master’s degree or higher in Environmental Science, Sustainable Development, Economics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in green economy initiatives, sustainable development, or environmental policy.
• Proven track record of working on EU-funded projects or similar international programs.
• Experience in capacity building, project management, and stakeholder engagement in the MENA region.
• In-depth understanding of green economy principles, sustainability practices, and circular economy models.
• Familiarity with EU green policies, the European Green Deal, and international climate change frameworks.
• Knowledge of policy development processes and regulatory frameworks in the MENA region.
• Ability to develop and implement green economy strategies and action plans in collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to gather and analyse data, derive insights, and compile best practices.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build effective collaborations with local partners, private sector entities, and other organisations.
• Experience in organising and facilitating events, workshops, and training sessions.
• Ability to design and deliver capacity-building programs, workshops, and mentoring tailored to the needs of BSOs and SMEs.
• Skills in building the advocacy capacity of BSOs to strengthen regulatory, normative, and institutional frameworks for a green transition.

Additional skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Arabic and/or French is an advantage.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.

SPARK offers:

• International and dynamic working experience;
• Opportunity to take initiative and realise your ideas;
• Full-time employment contract;
• Remuneration will depend on profile.

How to apply?

Please apply through SPARK’s online application platform at https://vacancy.spark-online.org/ and be prepared to provide writing samples and take a technical test, if shortlisted. The deadline for application is 31 March, 2025.

All applications will be assessed on a rolling basis; interviews can therefore take place before the application deadline. However, due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every applicant individually. There may be a delay between the deadline and the moment we contact selected applicants.

If you have not received a reply, we regret to inform you that we have continued with other candidates.

About SPARK:

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing, international not-for-profit development organisation with 80+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world. SPARK supports refugees in the Middle-East by providing them with scholarships in universities and higher education institutions in the region. SPARK also supports young entrepreneurs in fragile states, to start or grow their businesses.