Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates)

Tier 2: Staff holding UNDP temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts and Expert and Specialist UNVs with host entity UNDP

Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. The Fiji multi-country office covers ten countries including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as well as provides support to regional initiatives.

UNDP in the Pacific has developed its multi-country programme document (MCPD, 2023-2027) to guide its interventions in the next five years in full alignment and directly to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF, 2023–27). The Office covers 10 countries in the Pacific with an extensive portfolio which has grown over time. The UNSDCF and UNDP MCPD are designed in full alignment with the 2030 agenda, Samoa Pathway, and 2050 Blue Content Strategy, which is endorsed by the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) among others. The UNDP Pacific Office next five-year plan strategic priorities are encapsulated under three outcome areas: (i) Planet, (ii) Prosperity, and (iii) Peace. Resilience is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions – alongside poverty and inequality, environment, energy, governance, and gender equality - to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience. As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022- 2025, and the new MCPD (2023-2027), UNDP Pacific office aims to supporting countries and communities in building resilience to diverse shocks and crises, including conflict, climate change, disasters and epidemics.

Climate change is expected to bring Tonga serious impacts that include more heavy rainfall events, severe tropical cyclones and extreme sea level events, which will require adaptation for people, infrastructure, and coastal ecosystems. Low-lying, near shore areas in Tonga face long-term threat from permanent inundation and wave-driven flooding, with studies suggesting significant community displacement (World Bank, 2021a). Areas along the northern shore of Tongatapu,which holds around 74% of the population (74,320), faces significant frequent flooding risks and potential permanent losses from sea level rise (SLR) without future adaptation measures. This population is expected to grow as Tongans relocate from outlying islands to Tongatapu.. Geographic isolation and economic vulnerabilities, including dependence on remittance and foreign aid, exacerbate the challenges faced by communities and decision-makers, compounding the risks associated with climate change.

The project therefore seeks to address coastal inundation in critical areas through immediate coastal protection measures in the northeastern Hahake area of Tongatapu, while fostering long term adaptation measures through the provision of critical climate risk information and planning tools supported through key training, knowledge sharing and capacity. The project also proposes a transformative adaptation approach through the establishment and support for multi-stakeholder decision making on critical adaptation needs and land use planning. Ongoing climate change threats, risk, and impacts to date have challenged Tonga and brought the issue of transformative adaptation to the forefront. Therefore, the overall objective for the project is to support the transformative adaptation agenda setting through a participatory process; supporting development and spatial planning (community development plans, district plans and island strategic plans) to consider climate risks and promote appropriate and transformative adaptation options. Specifically, these are to be achieved through three key outputs:

• Output 1 Strengthened knowledge, capacity and engagement for incorporating climate risks into long-term adaptation planning supported through multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder engagement and dialogue platform.
• Output 2 Strengthened national and local capacities for effective monitoring and assessment of climate risks
• Output 3 Reduced vulnerabilities of coastal communities in Hahake to climate hazards through coastal protection measures

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work under the overall guidance of Project Manager, will work closely with the Lead Engineer (international) and also under the direct supervision of the RCC Team Leader.

The candidate will work with PMU staff and stakeholders at local and national levels

The National Coastal Engineer is expected to:

1. Technical Design and Construction Oversight

• Support detailed design development of coatal protection works, ensuring compliance with feasibility study recommendations, environmental and social safeguards, and Government of Tonga regulations. 
• Ensure alignment of designs with local aspirations and control local expectations given long term adaptation is extremely difficult to achieve in the Hahake nearshore environment.
• Work alongside the International Design and Supervision Engineer(s) to provide local context and technical inputs.
• Monitor day-to-day construction quality, materials, and adherence to technical specifications, reporting deviations promptly to the National Project Manager.
• Contribute to the Operations and Maintenance Plan, ensuring designs consider lifecycle sustainability (target lifespan ~40years).

2. Coastal Monitoring Data

• Provide technical support and local coordination for LiDAR surveys and coastal risk mapping activities.
• Support data collection, analysis, and interpretation of coastal processes, hydrodynamics, and erosion trends, in coordination with the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Planning and Natural Resources (MLSPNR) and the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC).
• Ensure engineering works are integrated into climate risk data and planning outputs under Output 2.

3. Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer

• Document and disseminate lessons learned from Hahake coastal protection works for national scale-up and regional sharing.

4. Compliance and Safeguards

• Ensure engineering works comply with design criteria and construction timelines are observed.
• Support lead Design Engineer (International) in the day to day monitoring of infrastructure work, collection of construction compliance information and monitoring of works, OH&S issues etc. Report and document on routine basis as agreed with Lead Engineer. 
• Support safeguarding efforts such as, ESIA approval, Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), and safeguards more broadly.
• Support the preparation of technical inputs to engineering and safeguard monitoring reports,grievance redress mechanisms, etc.

5. Project and Stakeholder Engagement

• In coordination with the Lead Engineer serve as the primary technical liaison with contractors, government agencies, communities, TCRP PMU and UNDP.
• Contribute to community consultations, ensuring engineering interventions are explained and meet with community understanding and approval. .
• Provide technical support, briefs and presentations to the PMU and stakeholders as required.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary forthe efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy    

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management    

• Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
• Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Business Development    

• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Partnership Management    

• Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Ethics    

• Legal Analysis and Report Writing: Ability to apply legal analysis to a diverse range of complex issues, and express themselves clearly; ability to communicate well, to all levels of staff and contractors/consultants, governments et.al.
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Coastal Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hydraulics, or related field is required; or 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in design, construction, and supervision of coastal infrastructure (revetments, seawalls, drainage, erosion control).

Required skills:

• Knowledge and experience in relevant thematic area (infrastructure design, construction supervision, environmental and social safeguards, project and stakeholder engagement)
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Having qualifications and experience in coastal engineering or civil engineering.
• Knowledge of procurement, tendering and contracting regulations, and requirements.
• Experience in operation and maintenance practices and in the planning and management of land use.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Tongan is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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