UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, 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.

The New York Portfolio Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management. The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement the project activities for the Global Programme on Nature for Development.

UNDP’s Global Programme on Nature for Development brings together three different initiatives -- the Equator Initiative, and the National Biodiversity Initiative, and Learning for Nature under one program in order to identify, foster, showcase and celebrate nature-based solutions that help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at local, national, and international levels. The work of the Global Programme on Nature for Development contributes to UNDP's Strategic Plan 2018-2021 by charting sustainable development pathways through the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems; and by promoting inclusive and effective democratic governance in the area of natural resources.

The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. The Equator Initiative seeks to:

• Identify and recognize the success of Indigenous and local initiatives,
• Create opportunities and platforms to share knowledge and good practice,
• Inform policy to foster an enabling environment for Indigenous and local community action, and
• Develop the capacity of Indigenous peoples and local communities to scale-up their impact.

The National Biodiversity Initiative supports countries to manage their ecosystems and biodiversity to improve national planning and governance of biodiversity and ecosystems, and to promote resilience for sustainable development. The initative’s GEF Enabling Activities work supports developing, middle income, and small island nations in their commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): early action on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), National Reporting. The use of spatial data for spatial planning is an important cross-cutting theme across these project areas, including through our flagship platform UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL) and to map Essential Life Support Areas (ELSAs). The UNBL, created in partnership with UN Environment (UNEP) and the CBD Secretariat provides policymakers with access to 100 of the world’s best spatial datasets on nature, climate, and sustainable development for planning, monitoring, and reporting. Building on this base, our work to map ELSAs brings together the world’s best scientists and governments in 11 pilot countries to use spatial data to identify where nature-based actions to protect, manage, or restore ELSAs can deliver efficiently across national priorities for biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development. A nascent area of work is building the spatial literacy of Indigenous peoples and local communities and ensuring their participation in spatial planning.

Learning for Nature is a capacity-building offer provided by the Global Programme on Nature for Development, cutting across the three areas of work. This programme connects biodiversity policymakers, change-makers, and on-the-ground subject matter experts to facilitate the delivery of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Access to the global multi-stakeholder networks mobilized by the Equator Initiative and the National Biodiversity Initiative allows Learning for Nature to circulate knowledge while promoting best practices. Building on our learnings on the ground, we seek synergies, build linkages, and engage thousands of course participants on their journey towards sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities. Learning for Nature builds capacity to scale up efforts for nature-based sustainable development through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), webinars, self-paced e-learning modules, podcasts, and private training courses.

Knowledge Sharing is a main goal of the Equator Initiative, the National Biodiversity Initiative, and Learning for Nature. The Equator Initiative has a large series of research papers, books, and other publications focusing on local approaches to poverty reduction and conservation, informed by community-based initiatives. 180 case studies in over 30 languages have documented the Equator Prize winners’ innovative practices that deliver the win-win-win solutions that ensure social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The National Biodiversity Initiative works with partners to share knowledge on the role of spatial data in biodiversity planning, policymaking, and reporting through story maps, blogs, Google Earth stories, articles etc.

The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led initiative launched by the governments of Germany and Colombia to accelerate the implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership was established to bolster global, regional, and national ambition and political support for NBSAP implementation, catalyzing accelerated biodiversity action. It is a country-led initiative to accelerate ambitious NBSAP implementation through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, achieving the vision of living in harmony with Nature by 2050. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership comprises four interconnected areas of work aimed at engaging supporting countries to accelerate the implementation of ambitious NBSAPs: a matchmaking mechanism, a facilitator programme, a knowledge and learning arm, and a global communications and advocacy arm.

Under the supervision of the Senior Technical Manager, the Technical Senior Officer – Environmental supports the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Accelerator Partnership. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led initiative that aims to bolster global, regional, and national ambition and political support for NBSAP implementation, catalyzing accelerated biodiversity action. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership comprises four interconnected areas of work aimed at engaging supporting countries to accelerate the implementation of ambitious NBSAPs: a matchmaking mechanism, a facilitator programme, a knowledge and learning arm, and a global communications and advocacy arm. The role of the Technical Senior Officer – Environmental is to provide technical support to the matchmaking work programs under the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Accelerator Partnership.

This role focuses on supporting the delivery of the matchmaking mechanism of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, supporting the assessment and identification of technical and financial support, and data analysis of trends in country requests. The role also involves report writing (research, data analysis, writing), and researching technical and technological features and functionalities for the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership’s matchmaking mechanism.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Support Services to the Technical Team

• Assist the technical team in identifying gaps and opportunities in the countries’ 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 training sessions or workshops to strengthen national capacities for project implementation and reporting.
• Support the establishment of a feedback loop to refine technical support based on country-specific needs and progress.
• Facilitate connections with subregional technical and scientific cooperation support centers, to enhance regional collaboration.
• Engage with national technical teams to provide tailored assistance and share relevant resources.
• Review and provide feedback on the structure and content of the NBSAP and 7NR documents.

Project Support

• Support the alignment of project activities with biodiversity goals and priorities at national, regional levels.
• Assist in organizing meetings with national focal points to review progress, address challenges, and plan next steps.
• Conduct literature reviews, knowledge management activities, and data compilation on topics relevant to the project.
• Help in preparing and submitting required reports to donors and stakeholders in a timely manner.
• 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.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of a centralized database for all project-related documents, data, and communications.

Training and Knowledge Support

• Assist in integrating biodiversity targets into national development plans through training sessions.
• Support the use of innovative tools and technologies for biodiversity planning and reporting.
• Support the evaluation of 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.
• Work with the technical team to ensure capacity-building materials are up-to-date and aligned with global biodiversity goals.
• Encourage participation of underrepresented groups, such as women and Indigenous Peoples, in capacity-building efforts.
• Document best practices, experiences, and lessons learned from participating countries.
• Assist in organizing follow-up sessions post-training to address queries and provide ongoing support.

Communications

• 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.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The assignment is supervised by the Senior Technical Manager.

*CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED NATIONS OR UNOPS EXPERIENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY*

a. Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in international relations, sustainable development, agriculture, project management, environmental management/sciences, economic development, science, social/political science, business, management, and/or other relevant field with two (2) years of relevant experience is required ; OR
• A first level university degree (Bachelor's degree) preferably in international relations, sustainable development, agriculture, project management, environmental management/sciences, economics, science, social/political science, business, management, and/or other relevant field with Four (4) years of relevant experience.

Work Experience

• Relevant experience is defined as experience on at least one 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; civil society engagement and education.

Languages

• Fluency in English (read, write, speak) is required.
• Knowledge of additional UN languages is an advantage.

• Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
• Contract level: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA-1) or Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA-9) - ICS9
• Contract duration: 6 months with the possibility of extension subject to good performance, availability of funds, organizational requirements and project duration.

Even though the level of the position is indicated as IICA-1, depending on the incumbent's personal situation (candidate with national ID or resident permit), a local fee scale (LICA-9) might be applied in determining the contractor's fee.

A retainer contract is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor are required intermittently. The individual contractor agreement on retainer basis will specify a “unit price” per day worked. For budgetary purposes, a monetary cap will be determined when the contract is awarded and issued. Please note that the retainer contract will not provide for a minimum, and payment will be made only after completion of work.

• 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.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.

Terms and Conditions

• 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.