Programme Specialist (Climate & Environment), Fixed-Term, P-4, Suva, Fiji

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 133,180 USD and 171,708 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, results.

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work in the link provided here www.unicef.org/pacificislands

How can you make a difference?

The Programme Specialist (Climate & Environment) will contribute to the objective of the current country programme 2023-2027 in improving Government capacity to implement effective child-focused, shock- and gender-responsive programmes to protect all children from social, climate and environmental risks. Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative for Programmes and in coordination with relevant climate and environment advisors of UNICEF EAPRO and HQ offices, the Programme Specialist (Climate & Environment) will specifically support UNICEF engagement on environment and climate for and with children across nutrition, WASH, health, education, child protection and social policy programme components.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Developing and implementing Data, evidence generation, knowledge management strategies and activities on climate change and environmental issues at country and regional level:

• Across the 14 Pacific Island Counties & Territories (PICTs) and at the Pacific regional level, map and maintain overall knowledge on the policies and regulatory frameworks, institutions, programmatic activities and partnerships relevant to child rights realization from the perspective of environment and climate.
• Identify objectives, actions and best practices for protecting children from climate change and environmental risk globally and locally and provide necessary technical assistance and capacity development to staff and partners for their adoption.
• Coordinate identification and addressing of gaps in the evidence base around the impact of climate change on child rights across nutrition, WASH, health, education, child protection and social policy programmes.
• Provide technical guidance to programme sections on mainstreaming climate resilience into all programme areas and provide support to countries in identifying opportunities for integrating child climate actions in the national policy and strategy frameworks ( such as Nationally determined contributions, National Adaptation Plan, etc) as well as sector-specific plans.

2. Advocacy, partnership and resource mobilization for accelerating child-centered climate actions and finance in the region:

• Establish strong working relationships with relevant ministries and government counterparts in priority countries aimed at supporting national climate change priorities and advancing UNICEF’s environment and climate action portfolio.
• Support communication, dissemination of evidence, and awareness raising regarding climate change, environmental degradation and child rights in the Pacific and provide grounded inputs into key national climate and environment policy dialogues.
• Identify partners and entry points for strategic engagement and policy advocacy regarding climate change impact on children for engagement, including through UNICEF Field Offices. Establish close collaboration with national authorities, NGOs community groups, other partners and children themselves to keep abreast with climate-related initiatives and efforts, collect information, identify problems and constraints, and advocate for tangible solutions for children.
• Support the development of platforms and opportunities that empower children as agents of change with an active role in addressing climate-related risks by exercising their views, opinions and concerns, identifying and working on solutions, and promoting environmentally sustainable lifestyles.
• Identify funding opportunities and support UNICEF programmes in accessing climate-related funding from existing and emerging sources, including public private partnerships, innovative climate finance and leveraging of non-financial contributions for climate aims. Develop concept notes for fundraising for climate change adaptation and mitigation proposals as well as inputs to proposals from all programmes as needed.

3. Mainstreaming climate change and environmental issues across UNICEF country programming Management and coordination support for programme development and implementation:

• Substantively lead cross-sectoral integration of environment and climate change and development of effective programmatic response at all levels from strategy development to design and costing specific interventions.
• Serve as climate and environment resource person for the Country Office (COs) and Multi-Country Office (MCO) and provide targeted technical assistance help ensure impactful climate and environmental actions of UNICEF in the region across the whole country programming
• Liaise and build effective programmatic partnerships with other stakeholders active in climate change and environmental sustainability at the Pacific regional level regional organizations (e.g. Pacific Island Leader Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Secretariat of Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), etc; and at country level for programmatic coordination, lessons learned and good practices.
• Participate in relevant United Nations and development partners’ climate change working groups to ensure linkages/ knowledge exchange with regional and global stakeholders.

4. Results-based monitoring, evaluation and reporting on UNICEF’s climate and environmental actions in the region:

• Coordinate and be ultimately responsible for effective knowledge management systems (data collection, monitoring, report generation, evaluation and tasks related to documenting the programme process with partners) regarding UNICEF Pacific environment and climate action.
• Ensure that child-focused environment and climate action are appropriately integrated into results-based programme work plans, progress against set objectives and targets is monitored and jointly reviewed with the Government to ensure achievement of quality and sustainable results.
• Prepare inputs to annual reports, results in assessments and specific programme/project and reports in order to update management, partners and allies, including relevant briefs and reports for decision-making purposes by UNICEF management.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

• An advanced university degree in environment, climate science, social and economic development, public health, public administration international cooperation or another relevant technical field is required. A Bachelor's degree in combination with 2 additional relevant years can also be considered.
• Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree with a specialization on the environment and climate science are a strong asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national level in programme/project development, focused on areas related to development cooperation in climate change adaptation and mitigation, environment or socio-economic development.
• Demonstrated experience in applying results-based management required.
• At least one year of international experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Familiarity with government and administration regulations and experience working with sub-national governments is considered an advantage.
• Proactive and resourceful, with good communication skills in negotiating and liaising with counterparts and partners.
• Good skills in computer applications; especially Word, Excel and Power Point.
• Experience with research methodologies and data analysis, using a statistical software (STATA; SPSS or SAS), is an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Excellent knowledge of English for developing reports and communication with government counterparts and international staff respectively.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Remarks:

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

In regard to higher educational qualifications, UNICEF only considers degrees obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.