National Project Coordinator

​Requisition ID: 1463 
Grade: SB4 - Local Professional (Junior & Mid Level) 
Country: Colombia 
Duty Station: Bogota 
Category: National Consultant 
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Application deadline: 19-Dec-2022  

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL

Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible. 
Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate houses the Divisions of Coordination and Integration Support (IET/CIS), Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST)

Under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST) develops and implements an innovative service package in response to UNIDO's mandate for fair and responsible local industrial production and trade with a particular focus on building the required skills and capacities and foster a conducive business operating environment to ensure that such production and trade are as inclusive as possible, promoting – among others – the development of human capital through vocational training and industrial skills development. In collaboration with IET/IFI, IET/PPP, TCS/SME, TCS/CPA, and GLO/MSR, the Division will conceptualize and negotiate such services and raise funds from Member States, development partners, IFIs, and the private sector to coordinate their effective implementation and devise ways in which their implementation can be brought to scale.

This will include cross-cutting and sector-specific initiatives for sustainable supply/value chain and skills development in industrial sectors where UNIDO has, over the years, accumulated expertise, such as agro-industries, fisheries, textiles, leather, light manufacturing, health, mining, automotive and pharma and others. It will do so through close engagement with Member States, private sector associations, industrial enterprises, international quality, standards and trade-related governing bodies, other UN Agencies (e.g. ILO), development partners, NGOs and consumer associations, as appropriate, ensuring solid and operational partnerships.

Skills Development and Fair Production Unit (IET/PST/SFP)

The Skills Development and Fair Production Unit supports Member States in integrating into the emerging global systems of fair and sustainable trade. To this end, it leverages partnerships with the private sector to enhance employees' skill sets to become the sources driving the sustainable transition. The Unit also promotes learning, concepts and norms to augment the attractiveness of industrial employment for youth and women under transparent, fair and social working conditions. The Unit also deploys foresight and planning instruments to guide Member States in developing the industrial skills in future cohorts of industrial employees and respond to re- and up-skilling requirements of actors in a sustainable value chain.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Project 210168 - Strengthening productive technical skills of families under the national programme for the substitution of illicit crops

As part of the Colombian Final Peace Agreement, specifically its fourth point, the National Comprehensive Program for the Substitution of Illicit Crops (PNIS) was consolidated under the Directorate of Illicit Use Substitution DSCI, created by Decree 896 of May 2017. The PNIS recognizes that many regions and communities in the country, especially those in conditions of poverty and abandonment, have been directly affected by the cultivation, production, and commercialization of illicit drugs, which has had a direct impact on their marginalization, inequality, gender-based violence and limited development.

In this context the PNIS offers socio-economic development opportunities to populations affected by activities associated with illicit crops, to achieve this, the PNIS promotes the voluntary substitution of illicit crops, encourages the development of alternative productive projects, and strengthens the presence of the State. The scope of the PNIS is national, but its implementation has been prioritized in the territories with the highest presence of illicit crops, one of which is the region of El Catatumbo, with a focus on the municipalities of Tibú and Sardinata.

Under this context, a joint project was developed with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in which UNIDO implements the output “Strengthening productive technical skills of families under the national programme for the substitution of illicit crops”, that aims to facilitate the supported families access to new markets with the surplus production of their productive projects and increase the income of the communities through the implementation of Farmers' Field Schools to strengthening the productive technical skills and the compliance with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards of the Colombian Agricultural Institute.

The activities of this output are as follows

1. Implement at least two FFEs[1]  or other training processes for each production line to transfer knowledge of crop handling to families linked to the agricultural organizations. This activity will also include the development of the environmental management plans for each production line
2. Carry out the selection and characterization of the 150 properties from the agricultural organizations of the social commercialization company and provide periodic technical assistance to comply with the ICA standard [2].
3. Establish an alliance for the training in food handling practices for at least 50 beneficiaries involved with the transformation or collection processes of the agricultural organizations

In accordance with the project document, a Project Management Unit (PMU) has been established in the UNIDO country office at the start of the project and is responsible for the day-to-day implementation and monitoring of all project activities, including the direct supervision of activities contracted to external parties on behalf of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and in coordination with UNIDO.

Under the supervision of the UNIDO Representative based in Bogotá , and with the guidance of the UNIDO technical officers in HQ and other personnel in the Field Office in Bogotá, the NPC will be responsible for the following specific duties:

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree in economics, engineering, environment, social/natural sciences, business administration or other relevant discipline with a specialization in chemical or mining engineering is required.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years practical experience in coordinating/implementing technical cooperation projects at national level is required.
• Experience in the field of environment is desirable.
• Experience/exposure to evaluate the needs and conditions in the country or region is desirable.
• Familiarity/knowledge of the procedures of development agencies such as UN and international organizations is desirable.
• Familiarity/knowledge of  government procedures and processes is desirable.
• Proven communication/drafting skills is required.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish is required. Fluency and/or working knowledge of another official UN language, is desirable.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside.
Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org

NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.

Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org