Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Location: Remote | Bangkok | New York City | Panamá | Istanbul | Addis Ababa | Amman
Grade: Level not specified – Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
Environment
Biology and Chemistry
Project and Programme Management
Waste Management
Closing Date: 2024-08-02
Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
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.
BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy, and Chemicals and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support Oversight and Compliance Unit, work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests.
Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems.
Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.
Sustainable Energy.
Extractive Industries.
Chemicals and Waste Management.
Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches.
This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.
In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships in Nature, Climate, Energy and Chemicals & Waste, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds (VFs), UNDP’s Vertical Fund Programme Support Oversight and Compliance Unit supports UNDP’s Nature, Climate, Energy and Chemicals & Waste related Hubs and provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.
Sound chemical and waste management could eliminate the hazardous chemicals and waste from the key value chains and facilitate the transition to sustainable production and consumption patterns towards circularity. Chemicals and Waste Hub has specialized technical and policy advisory teams in New York, Istanbul, Bangkok, Addis, Amman, and Panama to support clients’ countries through UNDP Regional Hubs and Country Offices to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive public and private sector investment into sustainable development. In doing this, the Chemicals and Waste Hub assists partner countries to access, combine, and sequence resources from a range of funds, financial instruments, and mechanisms, including GEF and MLF.
This position is to support the portfolio development and oversight in the chemical and waste Hub. This includes work under the Chemicals and Waste Focal area in the GEF as well as on sustainable cooling primarily funded by the MLF and on sustainable cooling under the Montreal Protocol and other tasks related to the sound management of chemicals and plastic for the Latin America and the Caribbean region by working closely with the Regional Team Lead in Panama City and the Chemical and Waste Hub. The Regionsal Technical Specialist will be part of the Chemicals and Waste Hub in BPPS and will be home based. The Specialist will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Team Lead of the Chemicals and Waste Hub for LAC.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Regional Technical Specialist is primarily responsible for providing high-quality technical policy, programming, implementation support and oversight, and knowledge and capacity development services to UNDP country offices in the region. Secondary clients might include other UN agencies, governments and inter-governmental organizations, NGO’s, donors, and the like.
Provision of Strategic Leadership, Innovation, Policy Dialogue and Advocacy:
Contribute to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region and globally, including establishing contact and identifying strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGOs, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
Participate in the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development within the BPPS and beyond. Engagement in policy and advocacy work with external partners where relevant;
Provide policy development support and guidance to country offices and governments;
Advise and support the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
Facilitate policy analysis and the development of technical tools and guidance;
Maintain trusted relationships with country offices, government, and non-governmental partners’ role within the region and globally;
Keep the Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area and contribute actively to the development and implementation of the LAC Energy and Environment Team programming and Business Plans;
Keep the Principal/Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs) informed of trends and issues in the region;
Work in coordination with other Specialists in the region to develop projects requiring technical guidance for multiple areas.
Lead Programming and Management:
Guiding the development of strategic policy and guidance for strengthening UNDP Country Offices with chemicals and waste project design and implementation, including alignment with national priorities;
Leading the development of and advocacy for specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance in support of programming and finance for sound chemicals and waste management;
Contributing to the establishment of a trusted leadership role within the region;
Sourcing of technical expertise and support, including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports;
Contributing to regional retreats, focal area retreats, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc.;
Promoting gender equity/empowerment in programming opportunities;
Helping to ensure that strategies and projects are aligned to country outcomes and UNDP corporate environment results in internal UNDP project tracking systems (e.g. ERBM);
Maintaining quality and accuracy in data and project management systems (e.g. PIMS+), management of Quantum Risks logs, and portfolio delivery rates;
Monitoring to ensure expected quality standards are maintained in project implementation reviews;
Supporting the RCU to internalize lessons from evaluations in programming in the region.
Provision of Policy Advisory and Resource Mobilization:
Advise programme and project identification and development, including on integrated approaches and multifocal area projects;
Providing timely and quality information and technical advise on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities, including the Global Environment Facility funds, the Green Climate Fund, other multilateral donors, bilateral donors and foundations;
Identify and suggest to the RTAs priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance;
Facilitate the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
Provide guidance and support in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support, including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts, and reviewing reports;
Facilitate liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions.
Ensure effective development impact:
Guide with inception, contracting and initiation of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
Advise and support UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management;
Guide the UNDP country offices with organizing and compiling information that will feed into the project development exercise;
Prepare reports and communications pieces effectively showcasing socio-economic development benefits as well as environment results.
Facilitate Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development:
Evaluate, capture, codify, synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
Peer review, comment on, and seek to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
Contribute to the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
Support the preparation and delivery of training courses;
Respond to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
The Technical Specialist – Chemicals and Waste will report to the regional lead of the CW team in Panama, as well as to the RTL based in Panama;
The Technical Specialist – Chemicals and Waste will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
The Technical Specialist – Chemicals and Waste will be responsible for providing her/his own work station (i.e. laptop, phone) and must have access to reliable internet connection;
The Specialist will engage regularly with the supervisor by email, Teams, Zoom, etc. on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis;
The Specialist shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks;
Competencies
Core Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
Cross-Functional & Competencies
Business Direction and Strategy – System Thinking:
Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Management – Partnership Management:
Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
2030 Agenda: Planet – Nature, Climate, Energy, Chemicals & Waste:
Chemicals and Waste management: practical application.
2030 Agenda: Planet – Nature, Climate, Energy, Chemicals & Waste:
Green Economy: Circular economy concepts, policies, and tools.
2030 Agenda: Peace – Nature, Climate, Energy, Chemicals & Waste .
Energy:
Energy access
2030 Agenda: People – Gender:
Gender Mainstreaming.
Desired additional skills and competencies:
At least 7 years of experience in UN or international organization and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices would be an advantage
Experience working with developing countries on the sound management of Chemicals and waste is an advantage, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean;
Experience working with Energy Efficiency and Energy transition an advantage;
Experience working with multilateral, bilateral and/or regional environmental funds including experience with the Global Environment Facility is an advantage;
Experience in project management (direct experience an advantage) and guiding project implementation and management an advantage;
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent ) in Environmental Sciences, or in Engineering, Economics or Social Sciences with specialization in Environment, Energy, Chemicals Management or Development, or other closely related field is required. Or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree)in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
Minimum 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience working with developing countries in the field of chemicals management or other environmental field is required.
At least 5 years of experience with conceptualizing and developing internationally financed projects and programmes;
At least 5 years of experience working with developing countries in the policy development and implementation in any of the focal areas under the Global Environment Facility (GEF);
At least 5 years of experience in policy development processes in climate change (mitigation or adaptation) or sound management of chemicals.
At least 7 years of experience working in Latin America and the Caribbean
Language:
Fluency in English and Spanish is required Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.
Travel:
International mission travel will be required. An estimated 5-6 missions during the first year (destinations to be identified) with expected total travel duration of approximately 4-8 days per mission. Expected mission travel would be discussed upon commencement of assignment and updated quarterly;
Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and advance by the Director of the Chemicals and Waste Hub, and the RTL, depending on the project;
The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
The incumbent 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.
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.
Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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