UNEP – Environmental Affairs Officer,
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 25th Feb 2011 DATE OF ISSUANCE: 4th Jan 2011 DUTY STATION: Multiple D/S
Remuneration : $167,000.00 usd
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Responsibilities
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA) is responsible for analyzing the state of the global environment, providing early warning information and assessing global and regional environmental trends to catalyse and promote international cooperation and action on the environment. This post is located in UNEP/DEWA at the Nairobi Duty Station. Under the overall guidance of the Director, DEWA, and the direct supervision of the Chief, Scientific Assessment Branch (SAB), the incumbent will function as Head of the Integrated Environmental Assessment Section (IEA) and will perform the following functions:
1. Plans, coordinates and directs the production of recurrent Global Environment Outlook (GEO) reports and other environmental assessments by: consulting with member states, including through UNEP Governing Council and its subsidiary bodies, and with other stakeholders and partners on the scope and process for assessments and reports; identifying the targeted users and intended impacts, appropriate assessment methodologies and necessary cooperative arrangements and participation by national governments, thereby promoting global and regional collaboration and ensuring developing countries participation and input; consulting with collaborating centers, scientific experts, relevant UN system agencies and relevant UNEP programmes to plan the production of the assessments and agree on roles and responsibilities, taking into consideration gender, geographical and disciplinary balance; ensuring the integration of global assessment activities across UNEP as appropriate and with relevant national and international programmes; coordinating and directing assessment and reporting processes, including the preparation of syntheses, summaries and associated products; ensuring the scientific credibility of the assessments and reports, including their peer review processes; designing and formulating a publication and outreach strategy for each major report in line with the overall publication strategy of UNEP and making use of cost effective and innovative technologies where appropriate; establishing and maintaining an effective process to monitor and evaluate the use and impacts of assessments and reports; developing, evaluating and testing in close collaboration with other parts of UNEP, new approaches, procedures, methods and tools, including indicators for transferring science information to policy makers in support of environmental governance; promoting the acceptance and use of appropriate integrated environmental
assessment approaches, procedures and methodologies, within UNEP and relevant national and international organizations;
2. Manages the day-to-day operations of the IEA Section by: providing leadership and supervising section staff, setting objectives and targets, promoting the values and principles of the UN, monitoring and appraising performance, identifying training needs and facilitating an environment of team work and high productivity; planning and managing section work plans and budgets effectively and efficiently and mobilizing additional resources as required; contributing to the development of UNEP’s biennial Programme of Work and developing strategies and work plans to ensure the effective integration of the environment assessment and reporting activities with other activities within DEWA and as an integral
part of the UNEP sub-programmes; reporting regularly on Programme of Work implementation and expenditures and monitoring and evaluation results; reporting to the Government Council and other bodies on the implementation of relevant decisions and bringing to their attention the key findings of environmental assessments as well as emerging environmental issues;
3. Performs other duties including: representing the Division or UNEP at international meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences; carrying out other tasks as assigned by the Director.
Competencies Professionalism: Demonstrated ability to identify key strategic issues and to provide innovative technical and scientific inputs and guidance for the production of integrated, comprehensive, policy relevant, global environmental assessments and reports, including related projects, incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Proven ability to analyze and integrate diverse information and to communicate it (verbally and in writing) clearly and effectively to senior managers; while ensuring that global scientific assessments integrate, reflect and contribute to UNEP’s work in all sub-programme areas. Broad knowledge of environment and development issues.
Leadership: Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and tasks, links between the Organizations’ strategy and the work unit’s goals; demonstrated innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operations; tact and negotiating skills; good judgement and decision-making skills. Teamwork: Demonstrated team building and team leadership skills. Ability to work collaboratively with and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, in order to achieve organizational goals.
Planning and Organizing: Ability to identify priority activities and assignments within the areas of responsibility consistent with agreed strategies and organisational goals. Track record of excellent time management and ability to meet tight deadlines. Demonstrated ability to plan, budget, coordinate and manage complex projects.
Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills. Proven ability to write in a clear concise manner and to convey complex scientific issues to non-technical audiences.
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Education Advanced University degree in natural and/or environmental sciences, natural resources management or related disciplines. A first university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
Work Experience At least 10 years of relevant working experience at the national and international levels. A mixture of working experience in developed and developing countries is highly desirable.
Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the advertised post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages an asset.
Other Skills Track record in financial resource mobilization. Experience of managing performance with proven effective supervisory skills, and ability to delegate. Knowledge of UNEP institutional mandates and policies an advantage.
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