Regional Coordinator

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), Headquartered in London, is a specialized agency of the United Nations with global responsibility for the technical regulation of maritime transport. The Organization also provides mechanisms for cooperation among Governments. The IMO Council approved the establishment of a scheme for the promotion of IMO’s Regional Presence in selected developing regions, as a strategy of facilitating IMO’s input into national and regional development policies and providing active field-level participation in the development and execution of IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP). The Government of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and UNDP have offered to support the operations of IMO’s regional presence for West and Central Africa (Francophone)*. The Regional Coordinator will be temporarily located within the Cote d’Ivoire Maritime Authority compound in Abidjan while UNDP Cote d’Ivoire shall provide administrative support for the IMO Regional Presence office.

The incumbent will report to the Head, Africa and the Middle East Section under the immediate supervision of the Deputy Director, Subdivision for Maritime Development, Technical Co-operation Division and will undertake any duties assigned to him/her in connection with IMO's Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme (ITCP). This will include, inter alia:

1. To identify maritime needs and priorities in conjunction with the relevant countries, institutions or networks for subsequent review and consideration by the Geographical Head of the Section for integration into the ITCP;

2. To plan, coordinate in conjunction with the Principal Programme Assistant and ensure the delivery of IMO’s ITCP in the subregion under the direct supervision of the GFP;

3. To cooperate in capacity building programmes so as to achieve national/subregional execution of projects in the maritime sector;

4. To promote IMO’s technical competence, experience and comparative advantage during the formulation of country-specific United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) through active participation in the UN Country Teams (UNCT) activities with a view to aligning the delivery of the ITCP with relevant programmes in collaboration with UNDP

5. To assist in identifying potential funding sources at bilateral and multilateral levels;

6. Promote IMO’s Capacity Building Decade 2021-2030 Strategy, the Country Maritime Profiles (CMP) as a tools for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and its alignment with national policies and strategies taking into account cross-cutting issues, UNCT’s work and the work of the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF)

7. To identify and establish good working relationships with key organizations and individuals in the subregion that deal with IMO and other maritime matters;

8. To represent the Organization as directed, at national, subregional and international meetings and conferences, to advice on relevant aspects of the work of IMO and of IMO’s ITCP;

9. To provide information for inclusion in documents on matters related to technical cooperation for presentation to the Assembly, Council, Technical Cooperation Committee, Economic Commissions, donor meetings, etc.;

10. To report on a regular basis to the Head of the Section, including submission of quarterly and annual progress reports; and

11. Undertake any other tasks assigned either by the Director, TCD, Deputy Director, Subdivision for Maritime Development and Head, Africa and the Middle East Section.

*Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.

Required competencies: 

1.   Pragmatic attitude and sensitivity to the region’s cultural, political, and other characteristics.

2.   Thoroughness and excellent attention to detail in all responsibilities, ensuring consistency in delivery and implementation.

3.   Ability to build consensus, collaboration, effective communication and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, at all levels including in an international, cross-cultural context.

4.   Skills in facilitation and coordination of regional and national level technical assistance activities, resource mobilization and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner.

5.   Effective oral and written communication skills in French and English, ability to provide guidance and explain positions to a variety of audiences.

6.   Excellent planning skills and a high degree of initiative together with the ability to work under pressure and manage conflicting priorities to deliver high-quality outputs within prescribed time and costs.

7.   Demonstrates sound judgement and analysis of situation and a solution-oriented approach.

Professional Experience:

Minimum seven years progressively responsible experience in the maritime field and demonstrated experience in project/programme implementation in developing countries. 

Education:

Complete proficiency in French and English, including excellent drafting, presentation and communication skills.

Other skills:

Project management skills and proficiency in MS Office applications. Wide knowledge of IMO’s regulatory framework and of its technical assistance programmes. Familiarity with the challenges faced by developing countries in the implementation of IMO instruments and in the establishment, functioning and development of efficient maritime administrations, shipping and port services, marine pollution prevention and response, and United Nations 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2050 Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy).

Contract information:

This is a Project post. It is fixed term (first year is probationary) with the possibility of further extensions subject to satisfactory performance and project funding/requirements. Please note that this vacancy is open only to nationals of Cote d'Ivoire

For this position, IMO has retained Impactpool to manage the recruitment process. Please note that we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidates.