ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Environmental & Occupational Health Unit in the Business Analytics and Compliance Section (BACS) of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), duty station Juba. The Environmental Affairs Officer reports to the Chief Environmental and Occupational Health Unit as their First Reporting Officer and to the Chief of Business Analytics and Compliance Section (BACS) as their Second Reporting Officer.

Responsibilities Environmental Action Plan Implementation:

• Support the unit in implementing the mission’s environmental policy including through undertaking regular environmental inspections in all mission sites as well as contractor disposal sites and subsequent reporting;
• Assist in coordinating Environmental Action Planning and Performance (eAPP) reporting with relevant sections and liaise with data owners to ensure that the mission’s Environmental Performance and Risk Management System is completed and submitted;
• Identify priority environmental risks, provide recommendations and propose pragmatic remediation plans to mitigate risk and strengthen environmental systems;
• Conduct environmental assessments and surveys of operations, including Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) in liaison with relevant offices;
• Investigate complaints or reports of pollution, contamination, health hazards and other environment-related incidents. Consider divergent agendas and related complexities;
• Support the unit’s role as secretariat of the UNMISS Environmental Committee.
• Maintain records of environmental issues and infrastructure, including potentially hazardous installations within the mission (e.g., petrol station, warehouse storing flammables) in cooperation with fire marshals or other staff at the mission designated to deal with emergencies;
• Advise relevant officers or offices on environmental issues arising from the assessments, studies, and plans, including environmental information relevant to the operations of the mission.

Policy, Guidance and Drafting

• Identify, research and draft or modify policy guidance for the mission (including policy, mission directives, Annual Mission Environmental Statement, Standard Operating Procedures, etc.);
• Update the mission’s Environmental Baseline Study (EBS) as needed;
• Produce Environmental Emergency Preparedness Plans with relevant offices;
• Produce monthly KPIs on Energy, Water consumption and Waste generation. Submit periodic reports on environmental issues at the mission, to the Director of Mission Support (DMS) including policy compliance status reports as required for Department of Operational Support (DOS);

• Assist the unit chief in report writing and recommendations to the DMS to undertake measures as may be required to prevent or mitigate environmental problems;

  Management and Supervision of Environmental activities

• Manage the environmental activities and coordinate team towards the achievement of unit objectives;

• Assist in unit administration and recruitment of personnel;
• Assist in coordinating unit meetings in consultation with the unit chief.

Awareness and Training/Mainstreaming

• Promote awareness on environmental issues;
• Provide an environmental briefing to all mission personnel including police and military contingents during their induction training;
• Mainstream environment into mission-level SOPs and other relevant guidance and processes;
• Engage with stakeholder sections, contractors in close coordination with contract management colleagues, on responsibilities and requirements to uphold applicable Environmental standards.

Coordination and Partner Relations

• Coordinate activities of the network of Environmental focal points across the mission, and support the integrated response of mission components to Environmental issues;
• Liaise on environmental issues with local authorities and partner UN agencies and NGOs;

• Participate as required with UNMISS Climate Working Group and wider climate initiatives relevant to UNMISS mission support.

  Competencies Professionalism

• Shows pride in work and in achievements
• Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter.
• Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results.
• Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns.
• Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges.
• Remains calm in stressful situations.

• Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

  Planning & Organizing

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies.
• Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required.
• Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work.
• Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning.
• Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.
• Uses time efficiently.

Communication - Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. - Listens to others, speaks and writes clearly and effectively. - Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. - Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style, and format to match the audience. - Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education An advanced university degree (Master’s or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in [specify fields] or related fields is required. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the environmental management field with a national government/administration, a large firm or international organization is required.

Experience in evaluation and oversight of environmental compliance is required.

Experience in project planning is desirable.

Experience in Occupational Safety and Health implementation or compliance is desirable.

Languages English and France are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Qualified women that meet the requirements of this job opening are particularly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration in accordance with the United Nations efforts to increase women participation in its workforce.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.