Vacancy #: 7399 Unit: Biodiversity and Rights (OR) Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: Barbados Project Office, Bridgetown, Barbados The candidate must reside and maintain citizenship in Barbados or any English-speaking Caribbean country. Reporting to: Coordinator, Colours; Center of Excellence in the Caribbean Work percentage: 100% Grade: P1 Expected start date: 21 October 2025 Type of contract: Indefinite Closing date: 07 October 2025 BACKGROUND IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private, and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development, and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worldโs largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 18,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments, and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools, and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoplesโ organizations, and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems, and improve peopleโs well-being. JOB DESCRIPTION The Communities, Local outcomes and Regional Centres of Excellence (COLOURS) project aims to enhance the sustainable, inclusive, equitable, and gender-responsive management, effective long-term conservation, and restoration of natural ecosystems including their contributions to poverty alleviation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and security and stability. COLOURS will focus on three main outcomes:
1. Regional observatories for biodiversity in the Caribbean and Pacific regions are strengthened to enhance biodiversity knowledge management systems, skills, and support practitioners, policy- and decision-makers (Biodiversity Centre of Excellence);
2. Indigenous peoples and local communitiesโ rights are advanced in synergy with increasing effective long-term biodiversity conservation, directly contributing to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets and goals, by 2030 (IP and LCs in Biodiversity);
3. Site level Nature Positive outcomes are delivered by private sector and conservation actors in the Global South, as documented through application of robust metrics (Measuring Nature Positive Outcomes).
COLOURS is also building on the achievements of the BIOPAMA programme which was instrumental in advancing biodiversity conservation across the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions, notably through the establishment and enhancement of Regional Observatories and associated information systems, capacity development and support for direct conservation action. The project seeks to further strengthen the Regional Observatories, now evolving into Biodiversity Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in the Caribbean and Pacific. These CoEs will continue the legacy of data collection and dissemination and expand their role to include capacity building and advocacy. By leveraging the established infrastructure and networks from BIOPAMA, the project aims to ensure that these CoEs become central to the implementation of the KM-GBF in these regions. IUCN ORMACC will be implementing the CoE Caribbean component alongside the OECS Commission, the host of the Caribbean CoE, the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway (CPAG). The CPAG will form an integral part of the OECS regional environmental information system.
IUCN ORMACC is hiring a Policy Officer to work with the Project Coordinator and Technical Officer to ensure the successful implementation of the Caribbean CoE component of COLOURS.
The Policy Officer will provide support and guidance to the Caribbean CoE on policy alignment of its products and services and facilitate engagement with countries and relevant regional entities to ensure priority decision-making and capacity building needs are informed by and are informing CoE's support. This will include targeted policy and advocacy work with national governments of project countries and key regional organisations, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to enhance their interest in engaging with the CPAG and other resources, processes and results.
The position will also work to strengthen synergies with ORMACCโs Caribbean project portfolio by providing guidance to identify and pursue opportunities for policy positioning and engagement in the Caribbean region. This will ensure alignment with IUCN?s strategic and thematic priorities while enhancing the Unionโs visibility and influence in regional policy processes.
The Policy Officer position will be responsible for coordinating the policy engagement across the region on protected and conserved areas to ensure, inter alia, that products from the CPAG and the project are known and used, as well as expanding the networks of contributors and users in the wider Caribbean region. S/he will work closely with the Project Coordinator and Technical Officer to ensure effective and efficient implementation of project activities and with the OECS Commission to engage relevant government agencies, partners and institutions to ensure that the information from the CPAG is used in relevant decision-making fora. S/he will work to identify priority decision-making and capacity building needs that can inform IUCNโs work and the further development of the CPAG in meeting the regionโs needs. S/he will also support the development of knowledge products that can be integrated into technical reports and presentations at relevant meetings and conferences.
Specific duties can include but are not limited to:
โข Support the effective and efficient implementation of project activities in accordance with the COLOURS Caribbean CoE component work plan.
โข Assist with the collection, collation and reporting of project data and submission of technical progress reports according to agreed formats and deadlines.
โข Provide technical support and facilitation to project activities, with support from the Project Coordinator and/or Technical Officer
โข Provide targeted political engagement and advocacy support to the CPAG for bridging the science-policy interface on environmental sustainability with national and regional policy/decision makers and frameworks through uptake and application of CPAG tools and services inter alia.
โข Provide leadership in the identification of required data product and service needs for the CPAG to consider.
โข Support the development of key documents such as State of Environment reports for the OECS region and countries in CARICOM in accordance with agreed priority needs of the region.
โข Support the dissemination of these key documents and assist with the uptake of recommendations in relevant institutions in the region.
โข Support the OECS in developing and managing the CPAG network of users, ensuring that these stakeholders use the CPAG functions and inform development as relevant and in line with regional needs and requests.
โข Engage with other relevant IUCN projects to ensure uptake of CPAG products and services and use of the CPAG as relevant
โข Forge strong partnerships and strengthen opportunities for the OECS and IUCN to collaborate, through common thematic and strategic priorities and corresponding synergies, with governments, regional mechanisms and leading regional environmental organisations in the Caribbean.
โข Identify opportunities for new projects and support the investigation of additional fund-raising possibilities to ensure the sustainability of project activities
โข Provide technical advice to identify and pursue opportunities for IUCNโs policy positioning and engagement in the Caribbean, ensuring alignment with IUCNโs strategic and thematic priorities within the ORMACC project portfolio and strengthening the Unionโs influence in regional policy processes.
These Terms of Reference outline the main responsibilities and duties of this position. However, in an organization like IUCN, which is constantly evolving, staff members are expected to demonstrate flexibility in their work approach and be willing to take on other tasks that may be reasonably assigned to them but are not part of their usual Terms of Reference. When a task becomes a regular part of a staff member's responsibilities, the ToR should be amended in consultation between the manager, the staff member, and the Human Resources Unit. Any of the three parties may initiate the consultation. REQUIREMENTS โข ACADEMIC TRAINING AND WORKING EXPERIENCE:
-Bachelorโs degree required. A postgraduate degree in a relevant field such as environmental management, natural resource management, environmental policy or related field is preferred. Additional qualifications related to international relations is an advantage.
-A minimum of 6 years of professional experience, with at least five years demonstrated experience working in the Caribbean on regional or national policy-related issues and project implementation.
-Experience in interacting confidently with diverse stakeholders including with government officials, regional frameworks and development partners.
-Fluency in English, both written and verbal. English will be the working language.
-A working knowledge of French and / or Spanish is considered an advantage.
-The candidate must reside and maintain citizenship in Barbados or any English-speaking Caribbean country.
โข SKILLS:
-Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
-Skilled at researching and systematizing information for the development of clear and well-written policy documents and communication products.
-Excellent time management and scheduling skills.
-Highly motivated and results-oriented individual.
-Demonstrated ability to work with limited supervision to prioritize tasking and manage workflow in a high-pressure environment and within tight deadlines, and to deliver time-sensitive high-quality work.
-Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong team player with proven communication and diplomacy skills with the ability to work effectively with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
-Proactive problem-solving ability, identifying obstacles and implementing solutions to ensure continuous Project progress.
-Capacity to evaluate data and information, providing evidence-based recommendations to enhance Program implementation.
-Skilled in facilitating workshops and meetings, fostering active participation and collaboration among all stakeholders.
-Experienced in designing and leading training courses and workshops, tailored to meet the needs of diverse audiences.
-Culturally sensitive and respectful of the social, economic, and gender practices of local communities, including peasants and indigenous peoples.
-Commitment to gender inclusivity and respect for indigenous populations in all aspects of the Project.
-High ethical standards, with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing any issues that could jeopardize the organizationโs reputation.
-Willingness to travel as needed to support Project activities. APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the \"Apply\" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worldโs largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve peopleโs well-being.
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