Technical Senior Analyst - Environmental and Social Safeguards

Remote | Home Based - May require travel

Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
Location: Remote | Home Based - May require travel
Grade: Junior level - LICA-9, Local Individual Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Social Affairs
- Environment
- Poverty Reduction
- Nuclear Technology
Closing Date: Closed

Background Information - Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and sustainable development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of their 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 Water, Environment and Climate Portfolio (WEC)

Based in Vienna, the Water, Environment and Climate Portfolio (WEC), which is a part of the Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) supports global and regional environmental/sustainable development initiatives through financial and grant management, procurement, human resources and project management services.

The thematic focus of the cluster is marine and freshwater resources management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and transparency, energy and environmental conservation.

The UNDP/GEF AIO SIDS Project

The proposed new 3.5-year UNDP/GEF Project “Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in Atlantic and Indian Ocean Small Island Developing States (AIO SIDS)”, for which a concept note (“Project Identification Form, PIF”) was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council in December 2021, aims to support the development and realization of sustainable blue economies in 7 Atlantic and Indian Ocean SIDS through improved governance (Project Component 1), 7 national Blue Economy demonstrations and 1 Land Degradation Neutrality demonstration (Component 2), and knowledge management and experience sharing (Component 3). The 7 participating SIDS are: Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Maldives, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe and Seychelles.

Functional Responsibilities

As part of the preparatory process for the project, and in order to comply with UNDP and donor requirements preceding the release of the full project grant, UNOPS as the Implementing Partner for the project preparation (“PPG”) phase is now seeking to engage an experienced Senior Technical Analyst specialized in UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) (including gender considerations and environmental and social safeguards).

Within the settings of the UNOPS-managed Project Coordination Unit, the Technical Senior Analyst will work together with the Regional Project Coordinator (RPC), and other Project Unit staff and Project Partners and Stakeholders. He/She will be responsible for one or more of the following:

Provide up-to-date gender analysis and make recommendations to an action plan (with both a regional, and several more local components);
Conduct an up-to-date stakeholders analysis and make recommendations to an action plan (with both a regional, and several more local components)
Conduct a regional, as well as several more local assessments of environmental and social risks of selected project interventions, and, derived from these assessments, contribute to the development of a social and environmental management framework, when required,
Draft an updated UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Procedure
Perform any other assessments or recommend plans needed to comply with the UNDP Social and Environmental Standards.

He/She will then subsequently assist with the mainstreaming of the corresponding gender, social and environmental management activities into the selected project implementation efforts (details on the latter are to be provided at the onset of the consultancy, and to be further fine-tuned, based on initial findings and stakeholder inputs, throughout the consultancy).

Under the overall supervision and direction/guidance of the RPC, the Technical Senior Analyst will:

Liaise on matters of relevance to this consultancy with designated officials in the project countries, the Executing Agency, UNDP and prospective partners, donors, and other stakeholders, taking into consideration UNDP guidelines on Social and Environmental Standards (SES).
Review and analyse available documentation on the project initiative, other similar implementing efforts, and other information sources of relevance provided by the PCU, to develop analyses and management plans for implementation activities that follow the UNDP Social and Environmental Standards.
Prepare, and/or contribute to the preparation of reports, documents, technical content and analyses on the mainstreaming of gender and promotion of social and environmental standards in project implementation efforts, following UNDP guidelines and procedures as reference.
Ensure that the approach that will be deployed to give continuity and sustainability to the project outputs and outcomes will be compliant with mandatory GEF, UNDP and UNOPS requirements relative to gender, social and environmental safeguards and standards.
Present the prepared materials to the client, partners and stakeholders, as requested.
Other related duties, as requested

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

Master’s degree or higher is required, preferably in environment, sociology, economics, development, or a closely related field or a related field(s) relevant to the assignment.
A combination of a Bachelor's degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience to those mentioned above may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of 2 years relevant and progressive professional experience, related to social and environmental standards and impact assessment and/or gender studies in an international development context will be required;
Demonstrated prior (successful) experience conducting gender analyses and developing gender action plans for complex, multi-country, multi-stakeholder (marine) environmental and sustainable development projects/initiatives is desired;
Technical background and experience in developing safeguards for marine-related* environmental and socio-economic development projects (*including consideration of issues relating to the land-sea interface) is required;
Experience with Human rights (including human rights-based approach and human rights impact assessment),and/or gender equality and women’s empowerment (including gender mainstreaming and gender analysis) is an asset;
Experience with the gender dimension and gender considerations relative to the marine environment and the sustainable management and use of its resources for resilient, sustainable development is an asset;
Publications or field reports on gender issues in an environmental/socio-economic development context is an asset;
Practical work experience with SIDS/within the area of geographic scope of the assignment, in a function(s) relevant to this assignment and/or working in/for/with one or more of the AIO SIDS participating countries and/or organizations will be considered an asset

Language

Fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese will be considered an important asset.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA - retainer Contract level: ICS9 (as this is a home-based contract, the contract type will depend on the location of the selected candidate).
Contract duration: Up to 200 working days in 1 year, with possibility of extension depending on availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Considerations

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.
UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
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
For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, 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 recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.
UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us
We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity
With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Work life harmonization
UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.