Marine Cargo Inspection Specialist

According to UN OCHA, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains the worst in the world. Nearly five years of conflict and severe economic decline are driving the country to the brink of famine and exacerbating needs in all sectors. An estimated 80 per cent of the population – 24 million people – require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance, including 14.3 million who are in acute need. Severity of needs is deepening, with the number of people in acute need a staggering 27 per cent higher than last year. Two-thirds of all districts in the country are already pre-famine, and one-third face a convergence of multiple acute vulnerabilities.[1]

In order to address the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the restoration of regular commercial cargo flows into the country is essential. UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) decided that “Member States shall take necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer from or through their territories or by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned”.[2] In order to facilitate the unimpeded flow of essential commercial items to Yemen, the UN has been requested by the Government of Yemen to provide a monitoring and inspection service to inspect commercial cargo entering Yemen’s territorial waters in compliance with UNSCR 2216 (2015). 

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) was requested to operationalise and manage a mechanism to oversee the monitoring and inspection services on behalf of the UN and the concerned Member States. UNVIM is an independent mechanism, executed by UNOPS and reporting to OCHA.

The United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) was established in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti, in January 2016.  As of November 2019, UNVIM has issued clearances to more than 1,100 vessels discharging over 21.1 million metric tonnes of commercial cargo to Yemen’s Red Sea ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa.

Role objectives:

This role requires the Cargo Inspector to:

• Verify and Inspect containerized cargo.

• Verify and Inspect bulk or break-bulk cargo.

Expected output:

• From vessel manifest, conduct initial screening and physical verification of the cargo whilst offshore in accordance with national legislation and international law.

• Perform cargo inspections of seagoing vessels to detect and identify the presence of illicit and prohibited goods such as arms and related materiel of all types to include weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment and spare parts for the aforementioned and if suspected/detected recommend re-routing of vessels to port for further inspection.

• Work as part of a rapid response team in a dynamic/high risk environment.

• Analyze vessel documents that set forth cargo and draft surveys/inspection reports detailing work undertaken.

• Coordinate with the appropriate authorities (member states officials) for permission to inspect the cargo both at sea and if required in port.

• Supervise the loading/unloading of shipments and detail any discrepancies, compiling reports on findings swiftly and accurately.

• The inspection team will be required to adhere to our client’s procedures and protocols, including data protection and security measures.

• Perform other tasks as directed by the Project Manager.

Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education):

• Master degree preferably in Nautical Science or related field is desired. 

• A Bachelor degree combined with 7 years of work experience can be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.

• A technical or professional diploma from a recognized institution in a field of study relevant to the TOR with 6 years of experience maybe accepted in lieu of a university degree.

• A technical/Professional Diploma in combination with an additional 9 years relevant experience, maybe accepted in lieu of a university degree.

• Secondary Diploma in combination with 11 years relevant experience maybe accepted in lieu of a university degree.

Certification/Licenses:

• Commercial Shippers must have attained and awarded Chiefmate Licence for merchant mariners is desired.

• Naval/Military Officers must have ship’s command certificate and reached the rank of atleast a Captain or equivalent, is desired.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 5 years working in a marine environment is required,

• Thorough knowledge of the International Maritime Laws including Laws of the Sea is required.

• Progressively responsible experience in inspection operations with well know entities is required.

• Demonstrated thorough knowledge of the overall structures of various types of ships and engineering practices is required.

• Fluency in English is required.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
Contract level: IICA-2
Contract duration:Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• 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. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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.

• This position is stationed in Djibouti, Djibouti which is a family duty station.

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. 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.