Technical Specialist - Environmental (Climate Change) - Maternity Cover

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. 

Background information: Water and Energy Cluster (WEC)

Initiative for Climate Action Transparency

The Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) is an initiative under WEC.

ICAT helps countries better assess the impacts of their climate policies and actions, and fulfil their transparency commitments under the Paris Agreement. It does this by increasing the overall transparency capacities of countries, including the capacity to assess the contribution of climate policies and actions on countries’ development objectives, and providing appropriate methodological information and tools to support evidence-based policy-making. ICAT’s innovative approach is to integrate these two aspects.

ICAT currently works with 40 developing countries worldwide to support their work on NDCs, including tracking of implementation, further policy development and related Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV).  Work covers sectoral policies (renewables, energy efficiency, transport, etc.) and cross-cutting aspects such as the link to sustainable development benefits, transformational change, and integration of subnational and non-state actors.

ICAT is funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Italian Ministry of the Ecological Transition (IMET) and the ClimateWorks Foundation (CWF).

Under the overall guidance of the ECR WEC, and in coordination with the ICAT Director, the incumbent will fulfill the below responsibilities.

This role is based in Bonn, Germany, however other locations (home-based) could also be considered, depending on the outcome of the recruitment process. The final decision regarding the duty stations lies with UNOPS.

Support to e-learning, training and other capacity building activities related to climate action transparency

●       Manages the process and collaborates closely with implementing partners on course design and delivery, including to ensure timely advice on content and review of comments, support for identification of key learning needs and learning objectives, selection of instructional design strategies etc.;

●       Supervises the work with the implementing partners in the development and pre-testing of the materials,  e-learning module as well as in the organization and delivery of the face to face training;

●       Ensures the e-learning course developed is aligned with ICAT’s mandate, vision and its overall approach;

●       Ensures the content of the e-learning is according to the current trends and best practises in the area of climate change and transparency;

●       Supports the identification of a suitable partner/service provider to translate the e-learning course to French and manages the update of the e-learning course according to the translation and review process.

Support to the further development of the ICAT Toolbox

●       Provides additional support to the ICAT Secretariat, in particular on further developing the ICAT toolbox in coordination with implementing partners;

●       Develops a good understanding of the state-of-the-art approach to evidence-based policy making as incorporated in ICAT methodologies and stays abreast on development in related fields;

●       Coordinates workflows, conducts research and gathers data to create additional materials, as needed;

●       Provides substantive input to ICAT’s knowledge base by drafting ToRs for new tools and methodologies to complement those already in the ICAT toolbox, and background notes and engaging with active and potential partners;

●       Supports the identification of a suitable partner for the translation of ICAT methodologies into French and related activities.

Knowledge management and wider Secretariat support

●       Facilitates activities to disseminate knowledge and conduct knowledge exchange at the country and regional level;

●       Coordinates the preparation of knowledge products to effectively share lessons learned and best practices at the country, regional and project levels, and ensure adequate dissemination in collaboration with implementing partners;

●       Supports effective knowledge sharing and management within the ICAT team.

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) preferably  in environmental management/sciences, international relations, business economics, environmental science, education, development studies, and/or other relevant fields for climate action transparency and capacity-building.
• A first-level university degree with relevant combination of academic qualifications and two years of additional experience related to the nature of the position may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Contract type: International ICA Contract level: IICA-2/ICSC-10
Contract duration: January - October 2022

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• 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 (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.