Senior Programme Management Officer at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

This post is located in UNEP’s Corporate Services Division at the Nairobi duty station. The post is responsible for leading the UNEP Private Sector engagement, Corporate Research & Due Diligence, and the Global Philanthropy outreach. The Senior Programme Officer will report to the Special Advisor for UNEP Resource Mobilization, Donors & Private Sector Cluster. Within delegated authority, the Senior Programme Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

1. Lead and manage the Private Sector unit:
   1. Work closely and diplomatically with the relevant UNEP divisions.
   2. Support the Executive Office with forward planning, strategic analysis on private sector involvement.
   3. Prepare planning papers and monitor the work of the UNEP key Private Sector issues as requested.
   4. Coordinate the drafting of the Annual Report on the Private Sector engagement work for the UNEP Committee of Permanent Representatives.
   5. Ensures effective utilization, supervision and development of staff.
   6. Guides, evaluates and mentors staff.
2. Coordinate and facilitate the work by UNEP:
   1. Building relationships, partnerships, coalitions and new alliances with the private sector.
   2. Develop a realistic prospect list of new partnerships and long-term opportunities with Ultra High New Worth (UHNW) philanthropists and Family Foundations globally, bearing in mind the core expertise and mandate of UNEP.
   3. Conduct research and create research products that will help UNEP engage, solicit and steward Ultra High New Worth (UHNW) philanthropists and Family Foundations.
   4. Use own network to identify and drive forward approaches to Ultra High New Worth (UHNW) philanthropists and Family Foundations prospects.
   5. Work with the UNEP Resource Mobilization unit and other specialists in crafting cultivation plans and offerings for Ultra High New Worth (UHNW) philanthropists and Family Foundations.
3. Provide technical support to:
   1. UNEP’s private sector engagement, guidance on ethical issues and advice on reputational risks that may derive from: any inconsistencies related to UNEP core mandate.
   2. Ensure an efficient internal due diligence mechanism of high quality, by reviewing companies and activities considered by UNEP for potential interaction against specific parameters for engagement, leading to approval or rejection of potential partners.
   3. Maintain and improve an internal customer relationship management (CRM) for the private sector engagement, by ensuring efficient internal digital tools and a modern databank.
   4. Stay abreast of key developments in the external donor environment as they affect philanthropic fundraising.
   5. Ensure that a risk management approach is taken in relation to philanthropic fundraising, working with the UNEP legal unit and the UNEP communications division, maintaining appropriate due diligence processes.
   6. Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies

1. PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
2. TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
3. ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
4. LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
5. JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, business administration, management, law or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in resource mobilization, partnership management or programme coordination or related area is required.
• Experience in leading and coordinating engagement with the private sector is required.
• Experience in developing new strategies, change management initiatives or unit reform activities is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

NOTE: "Fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of "confident" in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is open for recruitment for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.