Nature-based Solutions Programme Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

UNEP's Ecosystems Division supports countries in conserving, restoring, and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain, and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. It addresses the environmental causes and consequences of disasters and conflicts. It helps countries reduce pollution from land-based activities, increase resilience to climate change and reflect linkages between poverty and the environment in their development planning. It works through five main branches: Biodiversity and Land, Disasters, and Conflicts, Nature for Climate, Marine, and Freshwater, and Ecosystem Integration.

This position is based in the Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit, within the Biodiversity and Land Branch, Ecosystems Division, but will work across all branches within the Division to promote the uptake, development, scaling of nature-based solutions that can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address a myriad of other human development objectives such as socio-economic upliftment, improved health, food, and water security.

Under the supervision of the Chief, Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit (BPL), The Volunteer will provide the following duties:

• To work across the Ecosystems Division, as well as with the UNEP regional Offic-es and with the Communications and Science Divisions as needed, to identify and seek funding for suitable nature-based solutions that address a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. You will be skilled at collaborating across teams, at proposal development and able to focus on the bigger picture. • Coordinate: Develop internal principles for what best practice NbS is for UNEP’s Ecosystem Division, working with other divisions and regional offices, • Assess: Undertake an analysis of a representative sample of UNEP implemented NbS projects across marine and coastal, freshwater, terrestrial, climate and disas-ters and recommend how our work on NbS can be harmonised and create greater impact. s of the range of NbS • Implement: Design a NbS project based upon the developed best practice princi-ples and identify key donors to approach for funding • Support: Work with others across the organisation to support the understanding and uptake of the UN NbS definition and implementation of associated projects.

Results/Expected Outputs • Co-developed a programme on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) working with relevant stakeholders to identify suitable NbS interventions for terrestrial and marine eco-systems, looking at the full range of societal challenges including climate, water security, food security, disaster risk reduction and socio-economic development and provided technical support in the implementation of these projects. • Developed at least one funding proposal for an NbS projects. • Analyzed UNEP’s current NbS projects and identified gaps in their implementation and opportunities for synergies. • Researched emerging themes and developments in NbS that can be applied in UNEP interventions. • Relevant policy and communications interventions that promote and emphasise the value of NbS. • Supported UNEP NbS co-leads, Member States and Stakeholders in UNEP regional and global consultations on NbS. • Supported the preparation of knowledge products, such as reports.

• Professionalism: Ability to identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and rec-ommendations; 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 ra-ther than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; takes responsibility for incorporating gen-der perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • Planning and 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, correctly in-terprets messages from others and responds appropriately; proven interpersonal skills; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing in-formation and keeping people informed; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, ar-ticulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military person-nel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse back-grounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups. • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.

project management and development, of which at least 2 years of work experience working in Nature-based Solution interventions is mandatory. - Experience with writing projects and grant proposals is desirable
- Experience on the development of policy and advocacy briefs and materials is desirable - Experience in capacity building is desirable - Experience with working with multi-cultural teams would be desirable - Experience with coordination in an international organisation would be desirable - Execution: reliability and efficiency; ability to self organize and coordinate work - Mindset: creativity, enthusiastic, and willing to learn more, with a problem-solving mindset - Strong interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to communicate and convince many diverse audiences, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of various actors. - Autonomy: the ability to handle complexity and evolve in a fast-paced environment and take impactful initiatives

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethi-opia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; Na-tional Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.