Peatland and Knowledge Management Specialist

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

THOH

Thailand Operations Hub (THOH) is a UNOPS business unit under the UNOPS Asia Regional Office and it was established to better support, develop and oversee the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific.

The Hub comprises three main portfolios –THOH Thailand, THOH Indonesia and THOH Pacific and provides a wide range of services including Project Management, Transactional HR, Financial, and Procurement to clients that include other UN entities, INGOs and governments/government agencies donors.

BRG Results Enabling Facility (BRG REF)

Seasonal peatland fires are now compromising Indonesia’s economic and social development by creating considerable threats to health, the environment, and the economy. In 2015 peat fires and their related haze resulted in the hospitalization of more than half a million people due to acute respiratory infections. These fires that raged through 2.6 million hectares of forest and peatland areas in the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra released 1.6 Gts of CO2e, surpassing the annual CO2 emissions of advanced industrialized nations such as Germany, France, and others. Direct and indirect damages cost the Indonesian national economy an estimated USD 16 billion, about 2% of its annual GDP.

In recognition of the importance of peatlands for biodiversity conservation, water resource management, reducing forest and land fires, livelihood support for local communities and carbon storage, the Government of Indonesia through Presidential Regulation No 1/2016 constituted the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG). BRG has an important mandate: prevent forest fires, especially in peatland areas, as well as restore 2 million hectares of peatlands devastated by forest and land fires. The Agency identified 7 target provinces for peatland restoration and fire prevention activities in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Papua.

Since its establishment in 2016, Norway has been supporting BRG, as current support to the BRG by the Norwegian Government falls within the wider partnership between Norway and Indonesia established in 2010 through the Letter of Intent (LOI) to reduce emissions from deforestation and land degradation of forests and peatlands. The support is part of an international climate mitigation initiative (UNFCCC) supported programme that uses international aid to counter forest degradation in various parts of the world, and this is one of the largest ever contribution made to reduce deforestation.

In the framework of this background, Norway and BRG have asked UNOPS to develop a flexible multiyear administrative support mechanism for managing Norway’s financial support to BRG through the establishment of the BRG Results Enabling Facility (BRG REF). The mechanism has within its scope an Implementation Support Mechanism that focuses internally within BRG, providing a technical and advisory support mechanism aimed at strengthening BRG’s capacities to deliver on its mandate.

UNOPS THOH is hiring for the position of Peatland and Knowledge Management Specialist. Reporting to the Head of the Implementation Support Unit (ISU), the Peatland and Knowledge Management Specialist shall ensure that advice and support provided by the ISU will be technically sound, aligned with BRG’s mandate and ensure that technical peatland knowledge is well managed and accessible within the ISU and BRG.   

Reporting to the Head of the Implementation Support Unit (ISU), the Peatland and Knowledge Management Specialist is responsible for the following:

• Assist the Head of ISU to ensure that all and advice and support provided by the ISU is technically sound from a sustainable peatland management point of view
• Assist the Head of ISU to ensure coherence and alignment of support activities undertaken within the BRG REF programme
• Provide high quality technical support and advice as required by the BRG-REF programme, either by UNOPS or by BRG
• Work closely with the M&E Advisor and the Reporting Officer to ensure their reports and products are technically correct and in line with state-of-the-art knowledge on sustainable peatland management
• Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in peatland restoration and management
• Collaborate on content and data management to store, institutionalise and disseminate peatland management knowledge within BRG (and UNOPS, as far as needed)
• Support BRG to enhance its status as the leading institution on peatland restoration in Indonesia
• Provide quality assurance from a technical point of view on reports and information products produced by the BRG – REF programme
• Facilitate meetings with stakeholders as required
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Head of ISU.

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master's Degree or equivalent) in natural resource management, hydrology, forestry, environmental science or other relevant field
• A Ph.D. in any of above field would be an advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum seven (7) years of experience in sustainable peatland, natural resources management, water resources and/or forest management in combination with a Master degree is required.
• Conceptual, analytical and advisory knowledge and/or experience in the assessment or review of plans, projects and progress is an asset.
• Experience with assessment and review of peatland restoration approaches and methodologies is desirable
• Experience in the usage of computers and in office software packages (MS Office 2010 and/or newer versions) is required
• Knowledge and experience with mapping software (GIS) is considered an advantage
• Practical experience in knowledge management is desirable.

Language:

• Intermediate in English language and fluency in Indonesian language is required. Indonesian language includes "Bahasa".

• 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.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

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

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.