Programme officer (climate change)

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 Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) is responsible for the implementation of the UNEP climate change subprogramme in close coordination with the other UNEP Divisions and partners. This post is located in UNEP/DTIE, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC), at the Panama duty station.

Responsibilities

In close coordination with the Director, UNEP/DTIE and under the direct supervision of the Director, UNEP ROLAC and the Climate Change Coordinator, the incumbent will:

Help to operationalise the UNEP Programme of Work for the region: a) Provide advice on the development of UNEP’s regional and national activities and projects, helping ensure that regional needs and perspectives are matched with UNEP’s obligations under its Programme of Work; b) Undertake regional climate change needs assessments and analysis and use this to help guide the development of UNEP’s regional and national activities and projects; c) Review all climate change related projects with regional and national components submitted to the Project Approval Group (PAG) or the Project Review Group (PRG) to ensure they are fully in line with the Climate Change Subprogramme, the UNEP Medium Term Strategy, and the UNEP climate change strategy and that they reflect regional needs; d) Review projects developed for other thematic areas, including cross-cutting projects, to ensure crossfertilization and proper coordination within the Regional Office; e) Develop project proposals to help implement the UNEP Programme of Work and its Outputs and to meet regional needs.

Facilitate the implementation of the UNEP Programme of Work in the region:a) Ensure coordinated implementation of climate change activities and initiatives from the UNEP Programme of Work (mitigation, adaptation, science and outreach) in the region; b) Work with each of the UNEP Divisions/Regional Office team to develop a coherent programme of climate change activities (mitigation, adaptation, science and outreach) for the region; c) Provide support to the Divisions in the implementation of climate change activities and projects, including the identification of partners, the development of Terms of Reference and Memoranda of Understanding and the hiring of relevant staff and consultants.

Help develop and maintain partnerships and coordinated working relationships with key regional organizations (e.g. Regional Economic Commissions, Regional Integration Organizations, Regional Development Banks, Climate Change Centres) and other UN agencies: a) Assist in developing the work agreements with key regional partners to support the implementation of the UNEP Programme of Work; b) Identify technical centres in the region through which UNEP can implement its activities and develop the agreements needed to facilitate such cooperation.

Facilitate information flow and communication within the Regional Office and between the Regional Office, DTIE and other UNEP Divisions: a) Act as UNEP climate change focal point in the Regional Office, helping to liaise and facilitate information flow between the Regional Office, the Divisions and the Climate Coordinator; b) Keep abreast of relevant climate change activities and initiatives within the region and circulate relevant regional information to UNEP Divisions/Regional Office team to ensure awareness of climate change developments; c) Support the development and maintenance of the UNEP climate change website and the climate change intranet with key documents needed by UNEP staff for coherent implementation of their activities, including standardized presentations, strategy; d) Facilitate the development of special outreach materials and presentations to raise the profile of UNEP climate change activities; e) Participate in relevant meetings as required by the Climate Change Coordinator and DTIE Director and/or the Regional Director.

Qualifications

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’ degree or equivalent) in natural resource management, environmental or development economics, environmental law or related field. A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in environment, climate change and/or development. Demonstrated experience in programme and project management preferably in the field of environment and climate change (for example in adaptation, mitigation, science, and/or policy). Demonstrated knowledge of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and UN programming processes at the country and regional level an advantage.

Languages: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages an asset.

Other Desirable skills: Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications (e.g. work processing, spreadsheets, internal databases and internet) required.

Competencies:

Professionalism – Demonstrated professional competence in the policy aspects of climate mitigation; strong analytical skills and ability to conduct research in the subject matter; ability to deliver outputs by deadline, ability to work under pressure within tight deadlines, maintaining good communication with strategic stakeholders; providing leadership to assessment teams in the field and solving practical problems that arise.

Planning and organizing – Ability to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies and action plans; ability to develop, implement and evaluate programme components relating to buildings, energy, climate change and sustainability; ability to foresee risks and allow for contingencies when planning.

Communications – Excellent drafting and communication skills, both written and oral; ability to prepare project documents, strategy papers, briefing notes and reports that are clear, concise and meaningful for both technical and non-technical audiences; ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with a broad range of people to implement organizational objectives.

Teamwork – Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships, both internally and externally, with people of different national and cultural backgrounds; ability to work independently and to participate effectively in a team-based information sharing environment.

Accountability – Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments.