- Job categories: Environment
- Vacancy code: VA/2025/B5004/29740
- Level: ICS-10
- Department/office: GPO, NYPO, Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio
- Duty station: Home based
- Contract type: International ICA
- Contract level: IICA-2
- Duration: Ongoing contract (subject to good performance, availability of funds, organizational requirements and project duration)*
- Application period: 17-Feb-2025 to 02-Mar-2025
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
UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.
The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.
The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.
UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement the project activities for the Global Programme on Nature for Development.
UNDP’s Global Programme on Nature for Development brings together three different initiatives — the Equator Initiative, Learning for Nature, and the National Biodiversity Initiative under one program in order to identify, foster, showcase and celebrate nature-based solutions that help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at local, national, and international levels. The work of the Global Programme on Nature for Development contributes to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021 by charting sustainable development pathways through the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems; and by promoting inclusive and effective democratic governance in the area of natural resources.
The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. The Equator Initiative seeks to:
- Recognize the success of local and indigenous initiatives;
- Create opportunities and platforms to share knowledge and good practice;
- Inform policy to foster an enabling environment for local and indigenous community action; and
- Develop the capacity of indigenous peoples and local communities to scale-up their impact.
The National Biodiversity Initiative supports countries to manage their ecosystems and biodiversity in order to improve national planning and governance of biodiversity, ecosystems, and development, and to promote resilience for sustainable development. The National Biodiversity Initiative works in three project areas: National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Support, National Reporting, and Capacity Building. The use of spatial data for spatial planning is a cross-cutting theme across these project areas, including work through our flagship platform UN Biodiversity Lab, created in partnership with UN Environment and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Knowledge Sharing is a main goal of the Equator Initiative, Learning for Nature and the National Biodiversity Initiative. The Equator Initiative has a large series of research papers, books, and other publications focusing on local approaches to poverty reduction and conservation, informed by community- based initiatives.180 case studies in over 30 languages have documented the Equator Prize winners’ innovative practices that deliver the win-win-win solutions that ensure social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The National Biodiversity Initiative share knowledge on the role of spatial data in biodiversity planning, policymaking, and reporting through blogs, case studies, and story maps.
Learning for Nature is a capacity-building offer provided by the Global Programme on Nature for Development, cutting across the three areas of work. This program connects biodiversity policymakers, change-makers, and on-the-ground subject matter experts to facilitate the delivery of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Access to the global multi-stakeholder networks mobilized by the Equator Initiative, Learning for Nature, and the National Biodiversity Initiative allows Learning for Nature to circulate knowledge while promoting best practices. Building on our learnings on the ground, Learning for Nature seeks synergies, builds linkages, and engages thousands of course participants through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), webinars, self-paced e-learning modules, and private training courses.
For further information please go to: www.equatorinitiative.org, www.nbsapforum.net, www.learningfornature.org, www.unbiodiversitylab.org
This is a position to support a project which UNOPS is implementing for the United Nations Development Programme. The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.
Functional Responsibilities
UNOPS is seeking the support of a Technical Specialist – Environmental (Environmental Policy) to advance the Global Programme on Nature for Development’s work to support governments to use spatial data and systematic conservation planning in their efforts to plan, implement, monitor, and report on their commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the other Rio Conventions, and the nature-based elements of the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. The goal of the assignment is to provide GIS and coding support, contribute to the development of technical documents, guidance materials, and other related resources for the UN Biodiversity Lab and a variety of projects and initiatives that bring together the world’s governments, UN agencies, and leading scientists to develop and implement approaches around the globe to identify where nature-based actions to protect, manage, or restore biodiversity and ecosystems can more effectively and efficiently meet national commitments and priorities for biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development.
Under the supervision of the Senior Technical Manager the duties and responsibilities include:
- Customize guidance briefs to address sector-specific challenges (e.g., agriculture, water resources, urban planning).
- Develop simplified versions of guidance materials for community-level stakeholders.
- Incorporate global best practices and lessons learned from other countries by implementing nature-based solutions.
- Conduct comparative analyses of nature-based solutions policies across different countries to identify best practices.
- Provide technical support to government agencies in updating biodiversity and climate-related policies.
- Develop policy alignment matrices to assess coherence between national strategies and international frameworks.
- Create a centralized database to track key policy developments and their impact on nature-based solutions.
- Develop data visualization tools to make policy analysis findings more accessible to stakeholders.
- Conduct scenario modeling to assess the long-term impact of different policy options on biodiversity and climate resilience.
- Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of nature-based solutions-related policies over time.
- Map nature-based solutions commitments in the NDCs against implementation gaps and propose targeted actions.
- Support the inclusion of measurable nature-based solutions indicators in future NDC updates.
- Coordinate with sectoral ministries to mainstream nature-based solutions into sectoral climate strategies.
- Provide technical input for the country’s NDC progress reports to international climate bodies.
- Establish an online community of practice for nature-based solutions practitioners to exchange knowledge and experiences.
- Develop thematic reports summarizing nature-based solutions trends and emerging issues.
- Organize annual conferences or forums to showcase national and international nature-based solutions success stories.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
*CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED NATIONS OR UNOPS EXPERIENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in environmental management/sciences, development studies, sustainable development, international relations, or research around topics prioritized by the Global Programme on Nature for Development with five (5) years of relevant experience is required; OR
- A first level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) preferably in environmental management/sciences, development studies, sustainable development, international relations, or research around topics prioritized by the Global Programme on Nature for Development with seven (7) years of relevant experience is desirable.
Work Experience and skills
- Relevant experience is defined as work or academic experience, preferably in at least one of the following topics at a conceptual and/or practical level: international environmental policy, natural resource management, biodiversity/climate change.
Language
- Fluency in English is required.
- Fluency in a second official UN language is desired.
Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
Contract level: International Individual Contractor Agreement (I-ICA 2)/ICS 10
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. The contract for this position is set for a duration until 31 December 2025, with termination upon its conclusion. Depending on availability of funds and satisfactory performance, any need for services beyond this initial period will be communicated to the incumbent accordingly.
Even though the level of the position is indicated as IICA-2, depending on the incumbent`s personal situation (candidate with national ID or resident permit), a local fee scale (LICA-10) might be applied in determining the contractor`s fee.As home-based position, it may be the responsibility of the selected candidate to make arrangements, to a standard deemed acceptable by UNOPS, for a secure internet connection, laptop and/or equipment necessary for work (as defined by UNOPS).
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
- 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.
