Vacancy #: 7493 Unit: Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands Organisation: The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) Location: Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, Gland, Switzerland Reporting to: Senior Regional Advisor (Africa) Work percentage: 100% Grade: YP Expected start date: 16 March 2026 Type of contract: Max-term (up to 12 months) Closing date: 08 February 2026 BACKGROUND The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and of wetland biodiversity and services. It was the first of the modern global multilateral environmental agreements and remains the only one devoted to a specific critical ecosystem.
The Secretariat of the Convention has its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, where the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provides some administrative services to the Conventionโs Contracting Parties for the operations and implementation of the Convention.
This position is part of IUCNโs Junior Professional (YP) Programme, which has specific eligibility criteria. It is offered as a one?year contract, renewable only once for an additional year, and renewal is subject to performance and the availability of funds.
Applicants must meet all of the following conditions:
โข Be a young professional up to 35 years old;
โข Hold at minimum a Bachelorโs Degree;
โข Have between 6 months and 3 years of relevant professional experience.
The Junior Professional Programme is designed to offer an early career professional their first international work experience. It provides meaningful assignments and structured learning opportunities that support the development of technical, organisational and intercultural competencies.
Within this framework, this Young Professional position supports the implementation of the Convention on Wetlands through a collaborative, whole-of-Secretariat approach. The role offers professional development and direct experience in:
โข understanding how international legal instruments support conservation and sustainable use of natural and human-made ecosystems;
โข understanding how different multilateral environmental agreements work in synergy, notably through the contribution of data and indicators for the implementation of global sustainable development programmes and goals;
โข exposure to national authorities, diplomats, scientific experts and practitioners focusing on the development and implementation of international and national policies;
โข experience of working in the context of a small international team supporting 172 countries that are Contracting Parties to the Convention. JOB DESCRIPTION 1. Ramsar Site designation and information updates
โข Evaluate data sheets (\"Ramsar Information Sheets\") and prepare related documentation to accompany the designation process of Wetlands of International Importance (also known as Ramsar Sites) and their updates;
โข Provide support to Contracting Parties to enter data in RSIS (Ramsar Sites Information Service) database for new designations and updates.
2. Ramsar Site conservation and protection
โข Assist in addressing conservation and sustainable use issues of individual wetland sites primarily in the applicable region(s) of the Convention and in particular assist with the procedure concerning adverse changes in the ecological character of Ramsar Sites (Art 3.2);
โข Promote use of the mechanisms for conservation and sustainable use of wetlands that have been developed under the Convention, especially the technical guidelines related to the work on Ramsar Information Sheets, and the development of management tools.
3. Support to Contracting Parties
โข Maintain routine contacts with governments that are Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands as well as non-Contracting Parties, as well as with NGOs and international partner organisations and other relevant organisations and stakeholders;
โข Contribute to the preparation of regional meetings, annual meetings of the Standing Committee and the triennial Conference of the Contracting Parties.
4. Policy processes
Compile, analyse and draft information on technical and policy issues related to wetland conservation and sustainable use, in the context of the approved Workplan of the Secretariat, , the Strategic Plan 2025-2034, the work plan of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) and decisions taken by the Governing Bodies of the Convention (documents available on the Convention Web site), and support the Secretariatโs collaboration with other relevant Multilateral.
5. Project Implementation
โข Monitor project implementation and provide project oversight as assigned (where applicable);
โข Ensure project reports are completed and meet grant requirements.
6. Other
Complete routine administrative work such as preparing correspondence, updating databases and providing translation.
The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, staff members are expected to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee's responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the employee and Human Resources.
REQUIREMENTS โข Education:
University degree (preferably a post graduate degree) in a field relevant to wetland conservation and sustainable use, such as geography, biology, hydrology, marine sciences, natural resources management, land use planning, economics, or anthropology/sociology.
โข Experience:
โข At least 6 months of relevant professional work experience in field work related to wetlands;
โข Work experience or familiarity with work in the Americas region.
โข Skills:
โข Ability to work in English and Spanish is essential;
โข Well?developed computer skills, and an ability to work effectively and efficiently with a proprietary database (RSIS).
โข Experience with CRM platforms such as Salesforce, CiviCRM or equivalent.
โข Experience working in a multi?cultural and multi?disciplinary environment.
โข Values:
โข Demonstrated commitment to nature conservation and sustainable use.
โข Awareness and understanding of cultural diversity and gender issues. SALARY The gross annual salary for this position is CHF 60'000. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.
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/
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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.
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