Biologist

The Biologist reports to the Head of Brazil Office. He/She shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under these Terms of Reference. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams.

São Paulo (SP), Brazil

Eight (8) months

Background The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. The city of São Paulo is the largest city in the Americas and one of the largest metropolises in the world. The municipality has a population of 12 million, of which approximately 3.6 million live in precarious areas or informal settlements, experiencing socioeconomic and climate vulnerability, and with little or no access to green spaces. The Municipality of São Paulo approached UN-Habitat to help address the uneven distribution of public green spaces and social inequality in the city's urban space. Thus, in September 2022, a Contribution Agreement was signed to improve access, inclusion, and sustainability of public green spaces in the city to improve climate adaptation and resilience in the long term. The project, named Viva o Verde SP, concluded in September 2025. A second phase of Viva o Verde SP was established to implement the main recommendations raised in the first phase and promote inclusive park governance, management and design. The two phases of Viva o Verde SP aim to support the Secretariat of Green and Environment (SVMA) of São Paulo Municipality in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda regarding green public spaces. As part of the second phase, a key expected output is the development of management and financing plans for the ten (10) parks, which were assessed in the first phase of Viva o Verde SP. The objective is to provide these facilities with a strategic tool for their long-term sustainability. To properly develop the environment-related content for the ten (10) park management plans, a Biologist is required. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Biologist reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Biologist will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Plan the activities of the consultancy. b) Review and analyze existing documents related to ten (10) parks in São Paulo. c) Participate in all meetings and in ten (10) workshops with civil society and specialists organized by the Viva o Verde SP team to support the development of action plans for the park management plans. d) Conduct field work in ten (10) parks in São Paulo. e) Evaluate available secondary data on the ten (10) parks, identify missing required data, and assess the feasibility of primary data collection. f) Collect and analyze primary and secondary data. g) Develop environment-related content including texts, diagrams, graphics and images. The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. Outputs/Work Assignment The Biologist will assist the implementation of the project, according to the stated responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: Product 1 – Workplan and diagnostic indicators framework Description: Product 1 must contain: (i) a detailed workplan containing purposes, goals and a preliminary description and schedule of activities; (ii) schedule and methodology for fieldwork in the ten (10) parks; (iii) proposition of diagnostic indicators for the parks; (iv) methodology for data collection, including variables. The indicators must contemplate the following themes: a) Relief and slopes of the park and surroundings. b) Soil characterization of the park and surroundings. c) Hydrographic basin, water bodies, and their integration with the surroundings. d) Vegetation of the park and surroundings. e) Fauna of the park and surroundings. f) Ecosystemic services provided by the parks (support, regulation, provision, cultural). g) Potential for connectivity with other green areas and fragments. h) Solid waste collection and treatment. i) Rainwater harvesting and filtration systems. j) Any other relevant information related to urban environmental dynamics. Expected delivery date: 30 days after signing the contract. Product 2 – Pilot assessment of the environmental aspects of two (2) parks Description: Product 2 must contain: two (2) reports, corresponding to two (2) selected parks, each containing: (i) environmental legal framework affecting the parks; (ii) park zoning maps and norms; (iii) existing environmental education initiatives; (iv) fieldwork notes; and (v) an assessment of the themes indicated on Product 1. The name of the two (2) selected pilot parks will be provided by the Viva o Verde SP team at the initial stage of the consultancy. Identified fauna and flora species must be classified as threatened, rare, endemic, migratory, exotic, invasive, hunted, synanthropic, economically valuable and/or flag species. The reports must assess the environmental conservation conditions and possibilities of regeneration of degraded areas. This includes assessing the impact of human uses and activities on the parks’ environment and their areas of influence. The report for each park must use indicators and contents from the specific park assessments developed in the project’s first phase. Assessment indicators will be used for monitoring and evaluation in Product 4 of this consultancy. In case one or more themes cannot be fully assessed because of unavailable data or the unfeasibility of primary data collection, the consultant must justify it in the reports, listing the collection of such data as an action in Product 4 of this consultancy. Expected delivery date: 60 days after signing the contract. Product 3 – Assessment of the environmental aspects of eight (8) parks Description: Product 3 must contain: eight (8) reports, one for each remaining park, with the same structure and content as Product 2 of this consultancy. Each report must contain: (i) environmental legal framework affecting the park; (ii) park zoning maps and norms; (iii) existing environmental education initiatives; (iv) fieldwork notes; and (v) an assessment of all themes listed in Product 2. Identified fauna and flora species must be classified as threatened, rare, endemic, migratory, exotic, invasive, hunted, synanthropic, economically valuable and/or flag species. The reports must assess the environmental conservation conditions and possibilities of regeneration of degraded areas. This includes assessing the impact of human uses and activities on the parks’ environment and their areas of influence. The report for each park must use indicators and contents from the specific park assessments developed in the project’s first phase. Assessment indicators will be used for monitoring and evaluation in Product 4 of this consultancy. In case one or more themes cannot be fully assessed because of unavailable data or the unfeasibility of primary data collection, the consultant must justify it in the reports, listing the collection of such data as an action in Product 4 of this consultancy. Any change in the structure or content of the reports of Product 3 must be agreed in advance with the Viva o Verde SP team after reviewing Product 2. The consultant must submit one separate report for each park, with one week between one park and another to allow sufficient time for reviews. Expected delivery date: 180 days after signing the contract. Product 4 – Environmental action plans Description: Product 4 must contain: Ten (10) environmental action plans, one for each park, containing, for each theme, the findings from Products 2 and 3, spatial scope, expected results, indicators, targets, activities and timeframe (short, medium or long term). The environmental action plans must respond to the findings and analyses from the assessments of the ten (10) parks submitted in Product 2 and Product 3 so that proposed actions are evidence-based and that implementation progress can be monitored. The consultant must adjust preliminary action plans according to participants’ inputs in workshops with park management councils. The submission of the environmental action plans of the ten (10) parks will be divided into two (2) or more groups to allow sufficient time for product review. Expected delivery date of the action plans for all ten parks: 210 days after signing the contract.

Education Required: • Bachelor's degree in Biology or related fields is required. • Postgraduate degree (Lato or stricto sensu) in Biology or in any field related to social and environmental issues in protected areas, or additional four (4) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Work experience • A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in urban biology and environmental assessment, protected areas or park management or urban environmental planning in Brazil is required. • Experience in organizing and leading fieldwork is required. • Experience in implementing participatory workshops and its methodologies is desirable. • Professional or academic experience in themes related to environmental public policies and administration, urban sustainability and green public spaces is desirable. • Previous experience within the UN System is desirable. Skills • Good handling of technological tools, including Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, is required. • Knowledge and experience with data collection and analysis is desirable. • Professional or academic experience handling geospatial data and software (ArcGIS or QGIS) is desirable. Competencies • Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good urban governance and local and regional development. • Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsibility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines. • Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret messages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capacity to write documents for diverse audiences. • Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guarantee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementation of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency. • The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Spanish is the working language of the Regional Office. • For the post advertised, fluency in Portuguese is required. Working knowledge of Spanish and English is desirable.

Travel details: Applicable The consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office. Missions will be coordinated and financed by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines. Remuneration LICA 4 (part-time 85%) – BRL: 82.000 (Total net amount). UNOPS Salary Scale. The consultant will receive a total amount of BRL: 82.000, according to the following schedule: • Payment 1 [20%]: Upon delivery and approval of Product 1 (BRL: 16.400) • Payment 2 [20%]: Upon delivery and approval of Product 2 (BRL: 16.400) • Payment 3 [30%]: Upon delivery and approval of Product 3 (BRL: 24.600) • Payment 4 [30%]: Upon delivery and approval of Product 4 (BRL: 24.600) Notes Appointment against this post is on local basis and only nationals from Brazil or external candidates who hold a permanent visa in Brazil may apply. The extension of this contract is subject to availability of funds and/or performance. Any contract extension is not automatic.    It is required for all the curricular information to be inserted in the system, which may take a few hours. Only complete applications in English will be considered.    All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Due to the volume of applications received, receipt of applications cannot be acknowledged individually. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.  Applications should be submitted through INSPIRA and must include all documents required at the system, please be ready to include the following information at the “Candidate Profile” (CP) at Inspira:    • Cover memo (maximum 1 page)  • Educational Background (incl. dates)  • Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)  • Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments  • Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)*   * Please note that Internships, voluntary work and part-time count as 50%. In addition to it, note experience not relevant to the position will not be considered.    All applications should be submitted to: Inspira    UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning people or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.