Project Officer - Ecologist - Marine

The coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan, spanning a mere 27 kilometers at its northeastern tip, holds a distinctive role as Jordan's limited maritime access. Its pristine waters boast a stunning coral reef teeming with diverse marine life. Recognizing the importance of preserving this unique biodiversity, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) reclassified the Aqaba Marine Park (AMP) to the Aqaba Marine Reserve (AMR) in 2020. This designation, integrated into the Jordan National Protected Areas (JNPA) network, underscores its significance for biodiversity conservation and community engagement. Jordan's nomination of the AMR for inclusion on UNESCO's tentative list in 2023 further acknowledges its potential as a natural heritage site of Outstanding Universal Value.

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has allocated CAD $5 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support ASEZA's efforts in enhancing the coastal biodiversity of the Gulf of Aqaba. The UNDP will implement Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to protect and restore coastal ecosystems both on land and underwater. This includes introducing native coastal plant species around selected dams to enhance biodiversity and promote ecotourism, while also improving groundwater storage and retention capacity. Below water, the project involves constructing artificial reefs to bolster coral reef resilience, foster fish stock and ecotourism, mitigate plastic pollution, and restore damaged coral reef areas within the AMR and beyond.

This holistic approach promises significant environmental and socio-economic benefits for the region, aligning with various national and international strategies and policies, such as Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision Executive Program 2023–2025, the National Women’s Strategy, the Jordanian National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, and global frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
 

Provide the technical services for the project daily activities

• Contribute in the day-to-day management by planning and implementing planned project activities, managing resources, and monitoring progress against predefined outputs and quality criteria.
• Executing and supervising the project's components, which involves developing necessary terms of reference and overseeing service providers responsible for activity implementation.
• Providing technical backstopping to ensure the sound implementation of project activities.
• Collaborating closely with Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Aqaba Marine Reserve (AMR), and other relevant entities within ASEZA and Aqaba institutions to ensure alignment of project activities with desired outcomes, outputs, timeframe, and budget.
•  Contributing to the development of the project's annual work plans and corresponding budgets. 
• Offering technical assistance and advice to project teams, as well as facilitating progress reporting and ensuring accountability for resources used in cooperation with relevant project teams.
• Compiling various types of project progress reports and final project reports according to schedule, while coordinating review meetings and evaluation missions in partnership with UNDP. 
• Coordinating and monitoring of the activities of all consultants  and contractors assigned by the projects to ensure timely provision of inputs and achievement of outputs and deliverables. This includes drafting terms of reference, technical specifications, and other necessary documents, as well as identifying and advising on the recruitment of project consultants. 
• Work with the project team to ensure appropriate stakeholders engagement  in the project implementation.
• Assist in resource mobilization efforts through e.g. drafting concept notes and identifying potential relevant donors.

Facilitates knowledge building and knowledge sharing, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Oversee the project's visibility, ensuring compliance with donor, UNDP, and Government visibility standards and templates.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptive project management by facilitating the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned.
• Coordinate efforts to achieve synergy and integration with relevant UNDP projects, particularly those focused on marine ecosystem conservation.
• actively engage in pertinent meetings aligned with the Environment Pillar's mandate.
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice to share best practices and innovative approaches.
• Promote active participation in gender analysis and mainstreaming initiatives, fostering a gender-responsive approach to project activities.
• Support the drafting of press releases and speeches for project events, ensuring adequate media coverage and strategic communication of project-related activities.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Institutional Arrangement

Under the general supervision and the direct guidance of the project manager/ marine, the project Officer will contribute in the implementation of project activities and offer relevant technical advice and support to the UNDP office in Aqaba with respect to marine environment. 

The full-time project officer will be hosted at ASEZA premises with frequent visits/work to the different sites along the Aqaba’s coastline. She/he will be mainly responsible to undertake technical tasks as well as some administrative and financial tasks. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: