Background Information - Job-specific
WEC (Water & Energy Cluster) Background:
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 WECโs 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 NDC Partnership:
The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each countryโs strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnershipโs work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnershipโs work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).
Under the overall guidance of the NDC Partnership Support Unitโs Regional Manager for the Latin America and the Caribbean Region and in coordination with the UNOPS WEC Head of Programme, the incumbent will support the Regional Manager for the Latin America and the Caribbean regions in day-to-day work of regional engagement including; partnership building at the regional level, preparation of inputs to respond to regional or multi-country information requests; regional level and regional aggregation of knowledge and information; monitoring and reporting for the aggregate region; documenting lessons learned and best practices for implementing CE strategy at the regional or multi-country level. This includes applying knowledge tools and communication work of the Support Unit (SU) to drive implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in its member countries.
* Although this is a home-based position, the candidate is required to be in or near the Washington D.C. time zone.** The contract modality (Local ICA or International ICA) will be determined based on the nationality of the preferred candidate. Functional Responsibilities
Regional Strategic Engagement and Coordination
Support the Regional Manager in developing the regional Annual Work Plan (AWP), keeping track of the implementation of its activities, updating teams regularly and rolling-up country-specific information to report back to the Support Unitโs Management Team through quarterly stock takes
Support the Regional Manager in the oversight of country-related work of the NDC Partnership in the region, flagging key support needs, priorities and strategic engagement
Support coordination and partnership building activities at the regional levelโ including but not limited to organizing coordination meetings with regional and national partners and keeping track of developments, including through the preparation of formal and informal communications
Lead and prepare information to support the Regional Manager in efficiently responding to requests related to regional or multi-country topics from different Partnershipโs workstreams, countries and partners
Responsible for the multi-country analysis related to climate change action of requests by Regional Manager, Governments and/or Implementing and Development Partners based on public documents, national targets and country portfolios
Support the Regional Manager with the internal coordination of global and of regional teams including preparation and synthesizing information from team meetings, preparation of meetings, note taking and regular reminders of tasksโ
Keep the Regional Manager and the Country Engagement Directors appraised of all management and ad-hoc requests from implementing and development partners, regarding country engagement in the region
Support the Regional Manager in planning and conducting timely onboarding of new CES and other regional team membersโ, including new countries
Regional tracking and data management
Provide regular follow ups of country progress update reports monthly and quarterly from NDC in-country facilitators, deliverables from other embedded advisors in the region, and work with Country Engagement Specialists to ensure the completeness of relevant online repositories
As required, draft high-quality, & consistent multi-country or regional briefing notes, and help identifying impact stories of support through the Partnership and ensure these are given visibility via relevant internal and external channels
Provide input to the Communications and Knowledge and Learning teams for the development of success stories of change that the Partnership can promote; challenges and opportunities in coordination with relevant staff members of the NDC Partnership Support Unit from different work streams
Track and report on progress trends in the Latin America and the Caribbean regions against the NDC Partnership's M&E Frameworkโ in collaboration with relevant staff members of the Support Unit
Conduct or support research and regional analysis at the request of Partnership Development Senior Manager, Governments or Partnersโ in collaboration with relevant staff members of the NDC Partnership Support Unit from different work streams
Support the Regional Manager in ensuring timely updates from CES of regional sections of SharePoint, Monday boards, Salesforce, and any other online system for team coordination and internal reporting
Collect and compile input from the region to feed into internal and external communication channels such as Country Engagement biweekly meetings, SU Weekly Updates, Country Engagement Opportunity Updates, Newsletters, country/regional focal points lists, country quarterly reports folders, NDC Implementation Plans and narrative reports, country pages and other written products of partnerships supported work
Regional Learning and Knowledge Management
Lead and support the technical organization of regional events and meetings, with multiple partners and countries in coordination with other staff members of the Support Unit, (e.g., prepare invitations, materials, talking points and post-event analysis)โ
Lead regional knowledge management, in the Support Unitโs Information Management System. โ the kNook in collaboration with other staff members of the Support Unit
Documentation of regional trends, lessons learned, best-practices & knowledge changes related to regional level approaches to country engagementโ
Engage in continuous learning and contribute to the RPO community by working closely with and learning from other RPOs under guidance from Regional Manager to build a community that leverages common standards, best-practices, and shared knowledgeโ
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground. Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education
An advanced university degree (Masterโs degree or equivalent) preferably in international relations, international development, climate, environmental management, economics, finance, administration or a related field is required.
Bachelor's degree in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience (4 years of experience total) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Experience
Required:
At least 2 years of experience (or more, depending on academic credentials) in international cooperation and/or project management related matters on developing countries from the target region of the Latin America and Caribbean regions.
Demonstrated skills set in dealing with large databases and spreadsheets.
Experience in the development sector and/or environment within the Latin America and the Caribbean regions is required.
Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills.
Knowledge on climate change topics and UNFCCC issues.
Asset:
Good knowledge of international climate policy and of national climate policy making in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
A good knowledge of the development and humanitarian sector/working with UN, Donors, NGOs.
Demonstrated ability to conduct financial and budget analysis.
Language
Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
Knowledge of other UN languages would be an asset.
Contract type: ICA.
Contract level: LICA 09 / IICA 01. The contract modality (Local ICA or International ICA) will be determined based on the nationality of the preferred candidate.
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.
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.
UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.