Principal Climate Change Officer

Job description

1. Background

The Zambia Environmental Management Agency’s (ZEMA) mandate is drawn from the Environmental Management Act (EMA) No.12 of 2011. ZEMA is mandated to protect the environment and promote sustainable development through regulatory oversight, environmental monitoring, and coordination across government, private sector, and civil society. In addition, ZEMA through the Climate Change and Research Department is responsible for implementing the provisions of the Environmental Management Act in preparing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions inventories and coordinating Zambia’s commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

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In pursuance of its mandate, ZEMA is now inviting applications from visionary, competent and experienced Zambian citizens to fill the position of Principal Climate Change Officer.

2. Job Purpose

The purpose of this position is to coordinate national GHG inventory preparation, strengthen technical capacity for MRV and transparency reporting, and support Zambia’s obligations under the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement, and national climate legislation. The Officer will support the preparation of the BTR1/NC4 and future reporting cycles, working closely with national institutions, sectoral experts and the GHG Technical Working Group.

3. Main duties and Accountabilities (without limitation)

The main duties and responsibilities of the Principal Climate Change Officer, include;

Lead ZEMA’s technical input into national climate policy frameworks, strategies, standards, NDCs, and national planning processes.
Oversee development and tracking of sectoral mitigation and adaptation actions aligned with national climate commitments and the NDC.
Provide technical support on GHG emissions assessments, mitigation pathways, low-carbon development, and climate resilience planning.
Facilitate monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of mitigation and adaptation outcomes across priority sectors.
Coordinate the national Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, Carbon Registry for climate actions, including data standards, methodologies, and reporting protocols.
Lead and provide technical oversight for the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory development for BTR/NC reporting, including sector coordination, methodology selection, recalculations, and uncertainty analysis.
Coordinate and provide technical backstopping to the GHG Technical Working Group, sector experts, government institutions, and partners involved in ETF reporting.
Superhead the collection, compilation, and integration of GHG activity data and emission factor development across sectors in line with IPCC 2006 Guidelines, 2019 Refinement, Good Practice Guidance, and ETF modalities/procedures.
Coordinate implementation of Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures, institutional documentation, and verification processes for the GHG Inventory.
Lead preparation of the National Inventory Report (NIR), Common Reporting Tables (CRT), sectoral documentation sheets, and corresponding chapters for the BTR/NC.
Identify data gaps, methodological limitations, institutional issues, and coordinate preparation of the National GHG Inventory Improvement Plan.
Coordinate stakeholder validation workshops and incorporate comments from reviewers, sector institutions, and Quality Assurance Experts.
Oversee archiving, data documentation, and electronic records for the GHG inventory for institutional continuity and ETF compliance.
Coordinate climate reporting inputs related to NDC stocktaking, climate finance, technology development and transfer, research and systematic observations, and sectoral climate reporting obligations.
Represent ZEMA in national climate coordination bodies, inter-ministerial committees, and climate negotiation processes as relevant.
Prepare and submit periodic technical progress reports and briefings to the Project Coordinator, Ministry, and ZEMA Senior Management.

4. Minimum Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate should have:

Degree in Environmental Science, Climate Change, Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Development, or related field (Master’s degree is an advantage).

Minimum 5–8 years professional experience in GHG inventory preparation, MRV systems, climate reporting, or ETF transparency frameworks.
Demonstrated experience working with IPCC guidelines and reporting tools.
Familiarity with UNFCCC reporting mechanisms including BTR, BUR, NC, NIR, NDC frameworks.
Knowledge of MRV frameworks, carbon market mechanisms (compliance and voluntary), and climate/environmental regulatory frameworks including Environmental Management Act and Green Economy & Climate Change Ac
Experience working with multiple stakeholders and government institutions.
Strong analytical, documentation, and stakeholder coordination skills.

5. Reporting Structure

 The Principal Climate Change Officer will report to the Manager Climate Change and Research.

6. APPLICATION PROCEDURE & DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS

Interested persons are requested to submit electronic or hard copies of their curriculum vitae with three readily contactable references, copies of relevant academic/professional certificates, and an application letter stating their motivation, to the address below:

THE ACTING DIRECTOR GENERAL
ZAMBIA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AGENCY
CORNER OF SUEZ & CHURCH ROAD
PO. BOX 35131
LUSAKA

Email: Jobs@zema.org.zm

The envelope or email containing above application documents to be clearly labelled with the job applied for.

THE CLOSING DATE FOR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS IS 31stJANUARY, 2026