Marine Environment Management Planning Specialist at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

• Define the roles, responsibilities, and operating procedures for the Stakeholder Management Committee in Kwale and Lamu Counties, and map relevant actors. Build an online database of active stakeholders and initiatives in marine and coastal biodiversity in both countries, structuring fields to capture commitments linked to national targets and indicators.
• Document processes for meaningful participation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), ensuring inclusion of women and youth.
• Working with stakeholders to develop a coastal sector-based implementation plan (Marine Protected Area (MPA) managers, the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries under the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, County Fisheries and Environment Officers) include Management Plan activities in the annual workplans and budgets for the Kwale and Lamu Counties.
• Develop future plans and proposed areas for MSP to guide continued implementation and alignment with national and regional priorities.
• Facilitate the validation of the GMP through stakeholder consultations, coordination of review meetings, and incorporation of feedback to ensure approval and implementation.
• GBF target translation and indicator setup: Map marine evidence to GBF Targets 1–3 and linked targets; propose national targets with baselines, trajectories to 2030, and enabling actions (incl. finance/capacity needs).
• Select headline + component + complementary indicators (and optional disaggregation’s) relevant to marine/coastal domains; prepare indicator metadata (definitions, methods, custodians, update cycle) and data tables.
• Align proposed targets with existing sectoral plans (fisheries, protected areas, WASH/pollution control, climate/NDC), showing synergies and avoiding duplication.
• Capacity building and knowledge products: Develop training materials on GBF indicators (Regional Seas and CBD monitoring frameworks), marine OECMs, and CBD online tools (CHM, Online Reporting Tool, DaRT). - Deliver at least one national workshop per country and one joint technical clinic.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree in the field of Environmental economics, Marine Sciences, Environmental science, Coastal ecosystems management, or any related discipline is required.
• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in developing and/or implementing programmes on coastal ecosystems conservation, natural resources management (ecosystem management, community engagement, collaborative marine resource management plans and management measures, implementation of marine resource management activities with Governments etc.) is required.
• Experience working with coastal communities and different stakeholders at both strategic and technical levels and demonstrated quality and timely delivery is required.
• Working knowledge in Kenya and experience of working with Government and intergovernmental programme is desirable
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary set up with government, non-government stakeholders including local communities on natural resource management matters in Kenya region is desirable Working knowledge in Kenya and experience of working with Government and intergovernmental programme is desirable.