Direct authority under which the seconded expert will work: Director General of the CDRI

Composition (staff and functions) of the team/service within which the seconded expert will work: The CDRI secretariat, located in New Delhi, has 80 staff members, including some 40 specialists and experts in resilient infrastructure. The CDRI secretariat has five divisions: (i) Operations, (ii) Programme and Technical Assistance, (iii) Research, Knowledge Management and Capacity Building, (iv) Partnerships, and (v) Advocacy and Communications.

The international technical expert will work with all divisions in a transversal manner, in close contact with the Director General, the Directors and more particularly with the Global Director of Programmes and Strategy, who is responsible for overseeing the launch of the new CDRI programmes.

A first seconded expert (2022-2025) helped launch the CDRI flagship programme dedicated to Small Island and Developing States (IRIS). Another French seconded expert is being recruited, in charge of financing resilient infrastructure.

Launched in September 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, whose secretariat is in New Delhi, aims to help vulnerable developing countries improve the resilience of their infrastructure to climate risks and natural disasters and support them in post-disaster reconstruction. It comprises 50 member countries, including France since 2020, and 8 international organizations (European Union, African Union, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, etc.). France co-chairs the Coalition from April 2024 to March 2026, alongside India. At the CDRI International Conference (I-CDRI), organized in Nice on the sidelines of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), on 6 and 7 June 2025, the CDRI announced the launch of its programme dedicated to Africa, as the African Union and several new African countries had just joined the organization.

To provide expertise to CDRI in the field of infrastructure resilience to disasters linked to global warming, adapting it to the African context, while contributing to the strengthening of relations between France and CDRI.

Key tasks and expected results: The objective of the position is threefold:

1) Support the CDRI Secretariat in a transversal manner on its activities in order to support the development and structuring of the organization, by mobilizing French expertise and know-how, in conjunction with other possible French seconded experts.

2) Support the deployment of the new CDRI programme dedicated to Africa: provide technical expertise on infrastructure resilience in Africa; contribute to the identification and formalization of resilient infrastructure projects in African countries, in collaboration with African Member States; help define a methodology and contribute to the strengthening of local capacities in African States; support the CDRI in its enlargement (new members and new projects) in Africa.

3) Support the French Embassy in New Delhi in its co-presidency of the CDRI (regular interviews with the Global Issues Advisor, annual reports) and allow a strengthening of Franco-Indian relations and with the other CDRI member countries, by mobilizing the entire French ecosystem (Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Ecological Transition, Directorate General of the Treasury, AFD Group, CEREMA, etc.) and international (UNDP, UNOPS, G20 working groups...).

Professional experience:

Number of years of relevant experience desired: 10 years Experience in managing infrastructure projects and engineering projects aimed at combating climate change (particularly adaptation) is required.

Specific experience in disaster risk reduction projects is an asset.

Experience in Africa and/or India would be a real advantage.