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Technical Senior Officer- Environmental (Biodiversity & Capacity Building), Multiple positions

Remote | Home Based - May require travel

  • Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
  • Location: Remote | Home Based - May require travel
  • Grade: Mid level - IICA-2, International Individual Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Environment
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Agriculture and Forestry
    • Education, Learning and Training
    • Natural Resource Management
  • Closing Date: Closed

Job categories Environment
Vacancy code VA/2025/B5004/29501
Level ICS-10
Department/office GPO, NYPO, Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio
Duty station Home based
Contract type International ICA
Contract level IICA-2
Duration Ongoing contract (subject to good performance, availability of funds, organizational requirements and project duration)*
Application period 03-Jan-2025 to 16-Jan-2025
Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Functional Responsibilities

UNOPS is seeking the support of a Technical Senior Officer to support the GEF 8 ‘Umbrella Programme to Support NBSAP Update and the 7th National Reports’. The ‘Umbrella Programme to support NBSAP update and Seventh National Reports’ is a Party-led effort funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to continue the process of updating NBSAPs and undertake reporting on implementation of the GBF. This programme provides financial and technical support to 139 developing countries, small island developing states, and economies in transition in their work to update NBSAPs in alignment with the GBF and prepare and submit Seventh National Reports to the CBD. Joint implementation support is provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with the CBD Secretariat and the GEF Secretariat. It will build upon existing work through the GBF Early Action Support Project, as well as support countries to develop biodiversity finance plans, through the “Umbrella Programme to Support Development of Biodiversity Finance Plans”. The Project implementation units of all three initiatives will coordinate to ensure that resources from both projects are used effectively and efficiently towards the update or revision of the NBSAPs and the preparation of the 7th national report. 

Responsibilities include supporting the Senior Programme Manager and team to: 

Technical services to countries
  • Provide guidance to countries in aligning their national biodiversity strategies with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Assist countries in identifying gaps and opportunities in their biodiversity action plans to improve implementation efficiency.
  • Support the preparation and submission of high-quality reports to the CBD Secretariat, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements and timelines.
  • Coordinate targeted training sessions or workshops to strengthen national capacities for project implementation and reporting.
  • Develop tailored technical resources, such as templates, guidelines, and toolkits, to assist countries in meeting their project objectives.
  • Establish and maintain a feedback loop to continuously refine technical support based on country-specific needs and progress.
  • Facilitate connections with subregional technical and scientific cooperation support centers, where possible, to enhance regional collaboration.
  • Facilitate partnerships and collaborations between countries to share knowledge and best practices in biodiversity conservation and reporting.
  • Collaborate with Parties and national teams to identify their specific needs, focusing on national and regional priorities.
  • Engage with national technical teams to provide customized assistance and share relevant resources.
  • Monitor and evaluate the progress of countries in implementing technical recommendations, offering follow-up assistance as necessary.
  • Support countries in accessing relevant funding mechanisms or resources to complement their biodiversity efforts. 
  • Coordinate with participating countries to deliver targeted technical support through individual calls or email communication.
  • Collaborate with regional organizations to ensure technical support is contextually appropriate and regionally coordinated.
  • Review and provide feedback on the structure and content of the NBSAP and 7NR documents.
Project coordination and implementation
  • Track and maintain detailed records of national progress in achieving project goals.
  • Facilitate the alignment of project activities with national, regional, and global biodiversity goals and priorities.
  • Organize periodic meetings with national focal points and partners to review progress, address challenges, and plan next steps.
  • Coordinate development and implementation of communication strategies to disseminate technical guidance, jointly produced documents with partners, and other curated materials.
  • Support engagement with key project partners, including the CBD Secretariat, UNEP, UNEP-WCMC, and initiatives such as the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership.
  • Conduct literature reviews, knowledge management activities, and data compilation on topics relevant to the project.
  • Establish regular communication channels with stakeholders to keep them informed of project developments and progress.
  • Draft reports and policy recommendations addressing the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Ensure the timely preparation and submission of all required reports to donors and other stakeholders.
  • Provide logistical and technical support for project-related events, workshops, and training sessions.
  • Collect data from participating countries to prepare project progress reports, donor reports, training materials, and presentations.
  • Coordinate development and maintenance of a centralized database for all project-related documents, data, and communications to ensure efficient knowledge management.
  • Foster collaboration among participating countries and partners to ensure synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.
  • Coordinate development of frameworks for monitoring and evaluating project impacts and outcomes, incorporating lessons learned into future initiatives.
  • Coordinate project timelines and deliverables to ensure that milestones and deadlines are met.
  • Manage risk by identifying potential challenges in project implementation and devising contingency plans to address them.
  • Assist in budgeting, financial planning, and tracking of project expenditures to ensure compliance with donor and organizational requirements.
  • Monitor the implementation of cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, inclusivity, and stakeholder engagement within project activities.

Capacity building

  • Strengthen knowledge-sharing platforms to enable peer learning among participating countries.
  • Develop tailored training programs to address specific needs of national teams and stakeholders.
  • Support the integration of biodiversity targets into national development plans through customized training sessions.
  • Provide guidance on the use of innovative tools and technologies for biodiversity planning and reporting.
  • Identify and promote funding opportunities to support capacity-building activities at the national and regional levels.
  • Facilitate the development of South-South Cooperation and peer-to-peer exchange opportunities, particularly through regional working groups.
  • Lead the preparation of capacity-building engagements, including in-person and virtual events, and develop supporting materials such as PowerPoint presentations, agendas, and other resources.
  • Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of capacity-building activities, collecting feedback to refine future initiatives.
  • Promote multilingual resources to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for diverse stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with regional organizations to identify and deliver regionally relevant capacity-building initiatives.
  • Create and maintain an online repository of capacity-building materials and resources for easy access by stakeholders.
  • Work closely with thematic experts to ensure capacity-building materials are up-to-date and aligned with global biodiversity goals.
  • Encourage the participation of underrepresented groups, such as women and Indigenous Peoples, in capacity-building initiatives.
  • Collect and document best practices, experiences, and lessons learned from participating countries to enhance capacity-building efforts and knowledge exchange.
  • Organize follow-up sessions post-training to address queries and provide ongoing support.
  • Facilitate the organization of simulation exercises and hands-on workshops to improve practical understanding of biodiversity frameworks.
  • Support the development of partnerships with academic institutions and training centers to broaden access to capacity-building resources.
  • Coordinate the creation of capacity-building materials, such as webinars, online courses, brochures, and technical booklets, identifying key topics, dates, and speakers for these initiatives.

Communication

  • Coordinate the development of engaging and visually appealing content for the NBSAP Forum, events, publications, blogs, and learning opportunities.
  • Coordinate the dissemination of recordings of webinars and training sessions organized by UNDP and CBD on the NBSAP Forum.
  • Draft and edit press releases, talking points, PowerPoint presentations, blogs, and video messages for various communication needs.
  • Design and implement communication and outreach strategies to synthesize lessons learned, best practices, and project results.
  • Coordinate the preparation and dissemination of photo essays, success stories, and video content for public engagement.
  • Develop targeted social media campaigns to promote the NBSAP Forum and related biodiversity initiatives.
  • Ensure that all GEF Enabling Activities resources are readily accessible to users on the NBSAP Forum.
  • Assist in creating multilingual resources to ensure inclusivity in communications and outreach materials.

Events

  • Organize and moderate panel discussions at international conferences to highlight project achievements.
  • Identify key events to showcase countries’ innovative practices, lessons learned, and solutions to common challenges.
  • Provide technical support and manage the NBSAP Help Desk during key international events.
  • Coordinate the preparation and distribution of the NBSAP Forum newsletter, ensuring its content is relevant and timely.
  • Act as the primary liaison for the NBSAP Forum Steering Committee by convening meetings and participating in strategic discussions.
  • Identify relevant international events where the project should be represented, with particular attention to the CBD Secretariat’s calendar.
  • Coordinate the in-person NBSAP Help Desk during international conferences, upon request
  • Coordinate the planning and logistics of high-profile events, including virtual summits, international workshops, and expert panels, ensuring seamless execution and alignment with project goals.
  • Develop and implement event promotion strategies to raise awareness about the project’s impact and attract a diverse range of participants, including stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector.
  • Evaluate event outcomes by gathering feedback from participants and analyzing the effectiveness of the event in achieving its objectives, providing recommendations for future improvements.

NBSAP Forum moderation
  • Monitor and facilitate discussions on the NBSAP Forum to ensure that discussions are productive, relevant, and engaging for all participants, responding to queries and guiding participants in their use of the platform.
  • Provide timely and constructive feedback to users, ensuring that contributions are aligned with the forum's objectives and are based on credible data or references.
  • Collaborate with content contributors to ensure that materials uploaded to the NBSAP Forum are accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with global biodiversity frameworks and the needs of the forum participants.
  • Support users in navigating the NBSAP Forum, answering technical questions related to the platform and guiding them in accessing resources, posting content, and engaging with other participants.
  • Act as a primary point of contact for technical partners and users on the forum, ensuring smooth communication and addressing any technical or content-related challenges.
  • Coordinate the creation and moderation of thematic discussion groups or sub-forums to foster more focused dialogues on specific aspects of biodiversity, such as NBSAP alignment, biodiversity finance, or policy mainstreaming.
  • Track engagement metrics on the NBSAP Forum, providing regular reports to stakeholders on user activity, popular topics, and key discussions that could inform future project planning.
  • Facilitate the incorporation of new tools and resources into the NBSAP Forum, ensuring that all features, such as learning modules or toolkits, are user-friendly and accessible to all stakeholders.
  • Organize and moderate live Q&A sessions or webinars within the forum to engage directly with users on specific topics, challenges, or updates related to NBSAP implementation.
  • Coordinate the incorporation of updates or new features in collaboration with the Learning for Nature team, ensuring the NBSAP Forum continuously evolves to meet the needs of its users.
  • Develop a system for tracking and responding to forum feedback, collecting suggestions for improvements from users and coordinating with the technical team to implement necessary changes.
  • Promote the NBSAP Forum through outreach and awareness campaigns, ensuring that relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and biodiversity practitioners, are aware of and actively participating in the forum.
  • Ensure the inclusion of diverse voices, encouraging the participation of marginalized groups, such as Indigenous communities and women, in discussions to enhance the inclusivity of the forum.
  • Collaborate with the Learning for Nature team to ensure that educational resources and materials on the forum are aligned with global biodiversity goals and reflect the latest research and best practices.
  • Coordinate the translation of materials and forum content into multiple languages to ensure accessibility for non-English speaking stakeholders and ensure inclusivity across regions.
  • Promote the integration of EAS tools to help Parties to the CBD meet their NBSAP targets, improving alignment, monitoring, policy mainstreaming, and financing.
  • Facilitate the development and execution of thematic campaigns or events on the forum to spotlight key issues, such as biodiversity financing or the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Education

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in anthropology, sociology, sustainable development, environmental management/sciences, international relations, conservation biology/ecology geography, natural resource management, or in another related field with five (5) years of relevant experience is required.; OR
  • A first level university degree (Bachelor's degree) preferably in anthropology, sociology, sustainable development, environmental management/sciences, international relations, conservation biology/ecology geography, natural resource management, or in another related field with seven (7) years of relevant experience is desirable.


Work Experience

Relevant experience is defined as work or academic experience, preferably in any of the following topics at a conceptual or practical level: international environmental policy, natural resource management, biodiversity/climate change, human/civil/indigenous/women’s rights, social entrepreneurship/impact investing, local economic development, and/or civil society engagement and education.



Languages

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required.
  • Fluency in a second official UN language is desired.
This vacancy is now closed.