Senior Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity Specialist - IPSA 12 - Home Based

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Monday 21 Feb 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a IPSA-12 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 10 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-12 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Travel

  • International mission travel may be required;
  • The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
  • The incument is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP and for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
  • S/he is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/
  • The incumbent will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
  • All related travel expenses will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents.

Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

Under the Strategic Plan covering the period 2021-2025, UNDP’s work in Ecosystems and Biodiversity (EBD) has as an overall strategic objective to maintain and enhance the goods and services provided by biodiversity and ecosystems in order to secure livelihoods, food, water and health, enhance resilience, conserve threatened terrestrial and marine species and their habitats, and increase carbon storage and sequestration. Emphasis is placed on applying nature-based solutions in vulnerable SIDS and LDCs in order to generate multiple global and local environmental, social and economic benefits.

The Strategic Plan also spotlights UNDP’s role in catalysing SDG finance, supporting governments and the private sector to mobilize biodiversity finance at scale as a prerequisite system change to achieve the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This entails a series of strategic interventions working with both public and private financial institutions and the establishment and capitalization of flagship financing mechanisms, including the innovative Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR). The GFCR is the UN’s first Multi-Partner Trust Fund for SDG14 and the first blended finance mechanism dedicated to the conservation and restoration of coral reef ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Institutional Arrangement

  • The incumbent will work from home.
  • The incumbent will report to, and be directly supervised by, the Principal Technical Adviser (Ecosystems and Biodiversity).
  • The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.
  • The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own work station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection.
  • Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The Senior Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity Specialist will lead on expanding and strengthening the marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems work of UNDP in support of sustainable development. S/he will be responsible and accountable for management and coordination of UNDP activities in this subject area, including supervision of assigned staff. S/he will perform as a senior technical advisor for marine and coastal biodiversity, with expertise in SIDS and coral reef ecosystem conservation. The Specialist will report to Head of Ecosystems and Biodiversity at BPPS. S/he will work closely with UNDP specialists across thematic areas in BPPS, the Regional Bureaux, BERA, the Finance Sector Hub, and other relevant units. The incumbent will contribute to the development of strategies and action plans for UNDP to engage in external partnerships, communications, and resource mobilization for oceans, coasts and coral reefs.

Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Policy Dialogue and Advocacy (15%)

  • Provide leadership for the development and implementation of UNDP’s marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems portfolio and strategy, with particular emphasis on SIDS, providing strategic guidance, engagement and substantive technical inputs.
  • Ensure that key decision-making activities, representational functions and major deliverables relating to marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems (as planned each year) are coordinated and implemented in a strategic manner.
  • Coordinate with other counterparts across the GPN and other UNDP offices, UN entities and groups to ensure effective and integrated collaboration for programming and implementing initiatives on marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems, including coral reefs.
  • Deliver strategic advice to UNDP country offices, including SIDS, on programming opportunities related to oceans, coasts and coral reefs.
  • Lead on the integration of lessons, results and products in the area of marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems into UNDP’s strategic documents and interventions.
  • Keep abreast of major institutional initiatives and political events relevant to SIDS, oceans, coasts and coral reefs, providing advice and guidance to relevant UNDP colleagues on necessary actions and decisions.

Partnership Development and Resource Mobilisation (15%)

  • Manage UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, its members and secretariat, providing strategic direction, technical advice and inputs to guide the Fund’s development.
  • Strengthen partnership with UN and non-UN entities including private sector and civil society on matters related to marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems, including coral reefs.
  • Support UNDP units and management in advocacy and partnership discussions on matters related to marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystems for sustainable development.
  • Liaise with ocean, coasts and coral reef conservation networks, coalitions, initiatives and conferences(including ICRI, CBD, BINGOs, etc.)
  • Ensure programmatic coordination between related conservation finance initiatives and funds, including the Lion’s Share and related UNDP Offers and Promises; provide technical advice on request.

Future development and programming of UNDP’s Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystems Portfolio (70%)

  • Manage the UNDP GFCR project with responsibility for effective delivery and oversight of all components including i) GFCR Investment Plan, ii) Policy Architecture, iii) Knowledge Management and Solutions Facility and iv) Strategic Partnerships:
    • Lead the development of the GFCR’s Investment Principles, Sector Standards, Safeguards and Gender Policies, and Risk Management System.
    • Lead the development of the GFCR’s Knowledge Management and Solutions Facility.
    • Lead the development of the GFCR GEF partnership with a focus on expanding access of LDCs and SIDS to the Fund’s Investment Window.
    • Manage all contractors to the UNDP GFCR project to ensure high quality deliverables and outputs.
  • Support Vertical Fund project development and implementation in select SIDS:
    • Strategise and facilitate management of Country Office demand for programming related to oceans, coasts and coral reef ecosystems in Africa/Indian Ocean SIDS, ensuring timely and high-quality support.
    • Provide guidance on development of project concept including the Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) pre-screening.
    • Formulate the project preparation grant (PPG) initiation plan and prepare of ToRs of PPG team.
    • Supervise project preparation processes for compiling full CEO endorsement request packages, liaising closely with project preparation team leaders and country offices.
    • Engage with Regional Hubs and Country Offices to address programme opportunities or operational issues related to oceans, coasts and coral reefs.

Competencies

Required skills and competencies

Skills

  • Highly developed inter-personal, negotiation and teamwork skills, as well as networking attitude.

  • Strong nuanced teamwork skills, capable of balancing initiatives with the collaborative approach that is required for the distributed team and network of partners.

  • Proven analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills to manage complex partnerships.
  • Strong skills in multi-tasking for timely and quality delivery.

Competencies

Corporate

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional

Leadership:

  • Ability to persuade others to follow and engage

Stakeholder Management:

  • Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and balance often contradictory expectations, building and maintaining effective relationship.

Knowledge and results management:

  • Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstratable results

Collaboration and Partnership building:

  • Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Internal Reporting and Accountability:

  • Ability to create internal reporting and accountability processes and standards for Quality Assurance:

Project Management:

  • Ability to plan, organize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Communications:

  • Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a concise and straightforward manner.

Teamwork

  • Works well in a team;
  • Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
  • Focuses on results for the client;
  • Welcomes constructive feedback.

Desired additional skills and competencies

  • Working experience in an international organization is an advantage as is knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices.
  • Experience working on projects submitted to the Global Environment Facility or similar Vertical Funds is highly desirable
  • Demonstrable experience in and understanding of conservation finance instruments including blended financing mechanism is highly desirable;

Required Language(s) (at working level)

Fluency in English, with strong writing, presentation and communication skills; Fluency in other UN languages (including French, Spanish) is desired.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications

Academic Education

  • Master’s degree in environmental or natural science, geography, natural resource management, development, economics, international relations, or other closely related field

Years of relevant work experience

  • Minimum of 10 years’ experience working with developing countries on biodiversity conservation and financing;
  • At least 5 years’ experience providing technical guidance to governments in developing countries, including SIDS, on marine biodiversity and ecosystem conservation and management including coral reefs ecosystem.
  • Extensive experience working with SIDS on coastal and marine ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation, including coral reefs;
  • Demonstrated experience with design and implementation of multi-sectoral and sectoral programmes and projects at different scales.
  • Demonstrable experience in developing and maintaining strategic global partnerships;
  • Full computer literacy.
Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org