Programme Officer, Water and Wetlands

Vacancy #: 3908
Unit: Asia - Natural Resources Group
Organization: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location: Asia Regional Office, Bangkok, Thailand
Reporting to: Senior Programme Officer, Water and Wetlands
Work percentage: 100%
Grade: P2
Expected start date: 01 January 2019
Type of contract: Fixed-term (24 months with possibility of renewal)
Closing date: 20 November 2018

BACKGROUND

The Natural Resources Group, Asia (NRG) is considered one administrative entity, and has evolved from the previous Ecosystems and Livelihoods Group, Asia construct. It brings under one umbrella all component thematic programmes in IUCN.
The Natural Resources Group is involved in a growing number of wetlands-related projects within Asia. Some of the key initiatives are:

1. The “Mekong WET” project on climate change adaptation in the Lower Mekong Basin. Funded by the German Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI), “Mekong WET” seeks to build climate resilience by harnessing the benefits of wetlands in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam. In particular, the project aims to:
   • Conduct climate change vulnerability assessments and develop management plans in ten existing or potential new Ramsar sites in the Mekong Basin, with a focus on climate change adaptation and resilience building;
   • Improve regional collaboration on transboundary wetlands management.
   • Build the knowledge, skills and expertise of wetland management staff and community representatives on climate change adaptation in wetland socio-ecological systems.
2. The SDC supported programme, Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) is a global programme facilitated by IUCN and is being implemented in more than 14 transboundary river basins across Asia, Africa and Caribbean. The programme supports capacities of countries sharing river or lake basins to implement effective water management arrangements through development of shared vision and application of water diplomacy at multiple levels. In South East Asia, the programme is working in the Mekong with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
3. The OES funded project, Measuring, Understanding and Adapting to Nexus Trade-offs in the 3S River Basins supports the development of a Nexus assessment on water energy and food for the 3S Basins and its integration within local, national and regional planning. It also supports the promotion of Nexus approaches as a technical pillar of cooperation and diplomatic relationships between countries in the Mekong Basin.
4. The Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI) in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. The IBRRI was endorsed in June 2016 as one of 19 Ramsar Regional Initiatives globally. It has been designed to support the coordinated implementation of the Ramsar Strategic Plan in the five participating countries and to help improve the visibility and implementation of the Ramsar Convention through transboundary dialogues, capacity building, promotion of scientific and technical cooperation on wetland-related issues of common concern at the regional level, and the involvement of relevant national and regional stakeholders. To ensure oversight and transparency in the management of IBRRI, the initiative has established a governance structure with representatives from both government and non-governmental organisations and with IUCN acting as secretariat.
   In order to ensure that this growing portfolio of projects is effectively managed and coordinated, it will be important for NRG to enhance its staff capacity to address wetland-related issues. Additional technical capacity would also enable NRG to develop new initiatives, to strengthen its partnership with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, and to expand its work in this critical sector.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Major responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Officer, Water and Wetlands, the position’s main responsibilities are to:

• Act as the Project Manager for Mekong WET. This will entail managing all aspects of the project cycle, including: the planning and development of activities; implementation; monitoring and reporting; and budget management. The Manager will also be expected to represent IUCN in all project activities;
• Provide support to the implementation of the BRIDGE Mekong project, and ensure the effective implementation, monitoring and reporting of activities indicated under IUCN’s annual plan of operation. Responsibilities will also entail representing IUCN in project activities;
• In close coordination with the Indo-Burma Group, provide support to the implementation of the project “Measuring, Understanding and Adapting to Nexus Trade-offs in the 3S River Basins” and particularly provide support to outreach activities at 3S Basins and Regional levels by supporting the design and facilitation of trainings and awareness events and supporting liaison with key government partners;
• Provide the secretariat for IBRRI and ensure that all activities (meetings of the Steering Committee, workshops, trainings, field visits) are implemented according to plan.
  The position’s responsibilities will also include the following:
• Provide technical support to IUCN ARO and the IUCN Country Offices in implementing existing water and wetland-related projects,
• Provide support to NRG and the IUCN Country Offices in designing and developing new water and wetland-related project proposals, with a particular focus on securing additional funding for the Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative,
• Liaise with key stakeholders in the relevant countries as needed and represent IUCN at national, regional and international levels, as needed.

REQUIREMENTS

• Master's Degree (or higher) in wetlands management, integrated water resources management, environmental sciences, natural resource management, or a related field;
• Minimum five years of experience in related positions (natural resource management, wetlands conservation, IWRM, Ramsar site management);
• Comprehensive knowledge of the Ramsar Convention and Ramsar Secretariat processes and in-depth understanding of water and wetland management issues in Asia;
• Familiarity with institutional networks in the Asian region (including government agencies, CSOs, the private sector and the donor community);
• Previous experience of collaborating with Ramsar authorities in the Mekong Region would be an advantage;
• Proven experience of project proposal development and project management;
• Knowledge of climate change vulnerability in wetlands as well as an understanding of climate change adaptation principles and approaches in wetland ecosystems;
• Strong writing skills and a capacity to draft reports independently and to disseminate project outputs to a broad audience in the region;
• Fluency in both spoken and written English. Knowledge of an additional language from the Asia region would be an advantage;
• Proficient in using office applications (MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint) and other web-based management systems.
• Capacity to work autonomously and to take the initiative

Please visit the link below for application.
https://hrms.iucn.org/iresy/index.cfm?event=vac.show&vacId=3908&lang=en

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

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