Job categories: Project Management
Vacancy code: VA/2024/B5002/27561
Level: ICS-10
Department/office: GPG, GVA, Water, Environment & Climate (WEC)
Duty station: Multiple
Contract type: International ICA
Contract level: IICA-2
Duration: Building a pool of candidates for ongoing opportunities and retainer engagements. Positions may be for the duration of the project, subject to performance and availability of funds, and/or short-term (up to 220 days within a 12 month period with possibility of renewal)
Application period: 16-Feb-2024 to 10-Mar-2024
Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.
Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
Background Information – Job-specific
Background Information – Water, Environment and Climate (WEC)
The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support.
WEC effectively operationalizes partners’ agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.
The CLME+ region and the new 5-year UNDP/GEF PROCARIBE+ Project
The globally unique Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (LME’s) – further also referred to as “CLME+ region” – constitute an area of 4,4 million km2 that is shared among 26 independent States and 18 dependent/associated territories.
These ecosystems, rich in marine and coastal biodiversity/natural capital, support a multitude of interconnected and globally important ecological processes and economic activities which underpin the livelihoods and socio-economic well-being of the peoples from the region and beyond.
The UNDP Project “Protecting and Restoring the Ocean’s natural Capital, building Resilience and supporting region-wide Investments for sustainable Blue socio-Economic development” (PROCARIBE+) is a 5-year project (co-)funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF-ID 10800, May 2023 – April 2028) that aims to protect, restore and harness the natural coastal and marine capital of the region, to catalyze investments in a climate-resilient, sustainable Blue Economy, through strengthened regional coordination and collaboration and wide-ranging partnerships.
It will seek to achieve this by enabling and supporting the development of sustainable and resilient ocean-based (blue) economies, through, for example, the upscaling of actions on Marine Spatial Planning, marine conservation (MPA’s, OECM’s), Blue Carbon, sustainable fisheries, community grants, and through enhanced regional ocean governance (including capacity building efforts and enhanced marine data, information and knowledge management, strategic planning and environmental and socio-economic reporting). In doing so, the project will take into account cross-cutting issues such as climate change, gender and post-covid recovery. In support of the aforementioned, the project will play a global pioneering role as it will operationalize a region-wide “Coordination Mechanism to Support Integrated Ocean Governance in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems” (the “Ocean Coordination Mechanism”, or “OCM”). This “OCM” will seek to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination among the region’s many countries, and the numerous Intergovernmental Organizations (IGO’s) with an oceans-relevant mandate.
Functional Responsibilities
The PROCARIBE+ regional Project Management and Coordination Unit (PMCU) will provide: project management services, communication, knowledge management, support/oversight and direct implementation services for the project’s activities, as well as the geographic and thematic coordination of those project activities that are to be implemented by the different participating countries and/or project Executing Partners (e.g. other UN Agencies and IGO’s, national governments, NGO’s, CSO’s, private companies, as applicable).
For the duration of the Project, the PMCU is also expected to exercise the function of (interim) Secretariat of the regional Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM).
In the above context, UNOPS seeks to engage technical specialists (Environmental/Marine Practitioners) to support the work of the Project Management and Coordination Unit and the implementation of the Project’s activities.
These positions will be expected to bring in substantive technical expertise on one or several matters of relevance to the PROCARIBE+ Results Framework, the Project Management Function of the PMCU and/or the support function of the OCM Secretariat.The contract modality (Local ICA or International ICA) and duty station (Cartagena, Colombia or home -based) will be established based on the type of engagement (ongoing/regular position or retainer engagement).
Functional Responsibilities:
Upon the corresponding request(s) from and under the overall supervision/direction of the Project Manager/Regional Coordinator (PM/RC), and in close coordination with the other PMCU staff members and project partners, the PROCARIBE+ Environmental/Marine Specialists’ responsibilities may include:
Technical/Thematic project activities:
- planning, leading, overseeing and/or supporting/undertaking/monitoring/evaluating thematic project activities
- developing the technical elements of the Terms of References (ToRs) for contracts, co-executing agreements and service requests
- supporting the (technical) screening and selection of potential service providers
- providing (technical) advice, exercising (technical) quality control, risk/issue management, and compliance checks, and pursuing/promoting the overall coherence and synergies among the thematic project activities executed by other consultants, contractors and co-executing partners; this may include support for the development, implementation and systematic use of M&E plans and tools
- supporting PMCU team members and consultants/project human resources by providing the technical angle and inputs to their activities and deliverables
- providing the technical angle, inputs and requirements in the definition, fine-tuning and periodic revisions of the project budgets and work plans, project risks and issues assessments and management
- knowledge management
Stakeholder relations:
- liaising with project participants, stakeholders and beneficiaries (e.g. designated officials in the participating countries, other members of the PROCARIBE+ Steering Committee and Partnership(s), UNDP, UNOPS and prospective partners, donors and other stakeholders) on matters of relevance to the PROCARIBE+ initiative, in particular on (technical/thematic)
- preparing, or contributing to the preparation of PROCARIBE+ technical and progress reports, documents, and associated dissemination materials
- preparing, or contributing to the preparation of technical content and advocacy/awareness raising/dissemination materials for all relevant project meetings and/or other events where the project will be presented
- representing the Project at (technical/thematic) meetings, within the region and globally, and present the prepared materials at these events
- identifying opportunities, and actively advocate for, and secure additional stakeholder buy-in and support (incl. financial) for the PROCARIBE+ Project and next iteration of the regional SAP (and associated initiatives, as applicable)
- other outreach, communication and awareness-raising activities
Project management:
- reporting and providing recommendations to the PMCU members, based on (the findings of) his/her work
- when requested, and in coordination with other PMCU staff members, support the PM/RC in:
a) Supporting project management activities, ensuring compliance with UNOPS’ project management standards (UNOPS Project Management Manual) and all applicable GEF, UNDP and UNOPS rules and regulations, and Project Board decisions
b) Mobilization of project inputs, and reviewing and providing feedback on work delivered by project staff, responsible parties, other consultants and sub-contractors
c) when requested, present project deliverables and documents to the Board for their review and approval
The PMCU as Secretariat for the Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM):
- when requested by the PROCARIBE+ PM/Director of the OCM, and in coordination with PMCU staff members, support the work of the OCM Secretariat, in:
a) technically supporting the delivery of Project Outputs linked to the mandate and work programme(s) of the regional OCM (e.g. the regional OCM Knowledge Hub; the regional marine data infrastructure blueprint, the regional “State of the Marine Environment and associated socio-Economics (SOMEE)” report, etc:).
b) preparing, supporting and contribute to the documenting of meetings of the Steering Group, Executive Group and Working Groups of the OCM
c) contribute to the preparation of draft work programmes and budgets for the OCM, incorporating (as applicable) recommendations and feedback from the Steering Group and Executive Group;
d) implementing/supporting the implementation of activities as determined in the work programmes of the OCM
e) performing other functions assigned to the OCM Secretariat by the OCM Steering Group or Executive Group
f) preparing/supporting the preparation of performance reports on the execution of the OCM Secretariat functions and present them to the Executive Group and the Steering Group
g) supporting the coordination with other relevant international bodies as may be needed for the effective discharge of the functions of the OCM Secretariat
h) other OCM knowledge management, outreach and communication activities
i) other related duties, as may additionally be requested/required
Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education:
- Master’s Degree, or equivalent, in Marine Sciences, Marine Governance, Environmental, Natural Resources or Marine Ecosystems Management, Natural Resources Economics, Marine Fisheries, or a similar/related field(s) directly relevant to the project’s scope and objectives
- Complementary training/certification in project management, multi-stakeholder processes and/or other topics of high relevance for the assignment will be positively evaluated
- A first-level university degree may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree in cases where a combination of academic qualifications and a minimum of 7 years of practical, consistently successful recent work experience relevant to the announced position can be demonstrated
Expertise and practical work experience:
- A minimum of 5 years of successful experience in supporting the implementation or evaluation of technical project activities, environmental consultancies, related advisory, communication and/or knowledge management services, or multi-stakeholder processes, ideally at both national and international levels is required
- Practical experience supporting the activities of complex, multi-year, multi-country sustainable development projects, in particular within the context of the UN system/UNDP/UNOPS and/or the GEF International Waters Focal Area, or similar, will be considered important assets
- Expertise in/sound knowledge of marine/natural resources governance/management, in fields/on topics relevant to this assignment
- Familiarity with the goals and regulations, rules, policies, procedures and practices of international organizations (GEF, UNDP, UNOPS, others…) will be considered an important asset
- Practical work experience covering/in the Wider Caribbean region, in a function(s) relevant to the announced position(s) will be positively considered
- Familiarity with the ongoing regional ocean/marine resources governance processes in the Wider Caribbean region, with the CLME Project/CLME SAP and CLME+ Project, and/or with related global, regional and national-level initiatives will be positively considered
- Prior exposure to and familiarity with diplomacy and protocol, and experience with its practical application in the context of regional or global multi-country processes, will be positively considered
Languages:
- Fluency in written and oral English is required;
- Fluency in/knowledge of Spanish is highly desirable;
- Knowledge of other languages from the region – French, Portuguese, Dutch – would constitute an additional asset.
Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: The contract modality (Local ICA or International ICA) and duty station (Cartagena, Colombia or home -based) will be established based on the type of engagement (ongoing/regular position or retainer engagement).
Contract level: ISC10Contract duration: Building a pool of candidates for ongoing opportunities and retainer engagements. Positions may be for the duration of the project, subject to performance and availability of funds, and/or short-term (up to 220 days within a 12 month period with possibility of renewal) For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx
Additional Information
- Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
- Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
- Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
- UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
- Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
- We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.
Terms and Conditions
- For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
- For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
- All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
- It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.
