Openings at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The Education, Youth and Advocacy Unit oversees the education outreach and a series of youth projects for UNEP at its headquarters in Nairobi. This includes everything from engaging Universities through the Youth and Education Alliance tengaging with partners in the gaming industry and youth movements.

Reporting: The consultant will report tthe Chief of the Youth, Education and Advocacy Unit. The consultant will be located in UNEP / Ecosystems Division, Youth, Education & Advocacy Unit and the incumbent will report tthe Chief, Youth, Education and Advocacy Unit.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Under the supervision of the Chief, Youth, Education & Advocacy Unit, the part-time consultant's duties will include:
• Building out the work of UNEP’s Youth & Education Alliance (75% of time):
• Supporting members: Working with YEA members on a bilateral basis tsupport the setting of commitments, the follow up and offering support along the way.
• YEA summit: Working with the unit and the YEA members torganize an impactful and successful internal YEA meeting at the YEA summit in June 2022.
• Expanding: The consultant would work with the unit and the YEA members texpand the Alliance and bring in new networks, as well as work with the new networks tset their priorities and commitments as part of YEA.
• COP27: Work with YEA members tidentify an opportunity for higher ed and the Alliance at COP27.
• Ad hoc support for UNEP’s higher ed agenda (25% of time): The consultant would support the higher ed team in its efforts around other higher education related projects on an as need basis (could include developing a higher ed impact report and supporting work around the green jobs agenda, Race tZero, building out case studies for the Sustainable University Framework, etc.)

Qualifications/special skills

• Skills: Higher Education Sector: Experience working in the higher education sector and more specifically experience working in a higher education sustainability network for at least 5 years and with insight as thow twork with such entities around the tasks described in the job (Essential).
• Project management: Able tdeliver highly complex projects of a global nature efficiently and effectively. (Essential)
• Innovation: Ability tthink creatively about how tevolve pre-existing programmes thave maximum impact. (Essential)
• Communications: Able tbring a diverse group of individuals and partners together act on a common agenda and able twrite high quality texts and proposals as required. (Essential)
• Project design: A strong track record of designing projects that secure buy-in and generate results. (Desirable)
• Writing: Strong writer of stories and proposals that support the work (Desirable)
• Academic Qualifications: Master’s degree in the area of communications, international relations, political science, sustainable development, environmental science or related field required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Experience: A minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience required in the field of higher education/ sustainability field.
• Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in oral and written English is required

Closing: 18 June 2022

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The Environmental Governance and Conventions Branch focuses on strengthening institutional and governance mechanisms to bring greater efficiency and coherence to the way environmental issues are addressed in the pursuit of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The branch works in close cooperation with UNEP-administered Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Secretariats providing input to the preparations of the governing body meetings and following-up their decisions. The branch delivers programmatic support for coherent and synergistic implementation of MEAs within and across their thematic clusters. This includes provision of technical and capacity building support at regional and national level and development of tools and approaches for effective implementation of the MEAs. While activities are primarily linked to the Environmental Governance Subprogramme, they also contribute to the achievement of the expected accomplishment under other Subprogrammes of the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy (MTS).

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP's Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP in the field of environmental law and environmental governance. The Law Division promotes the contribution of environmental dimension of sustainable development through law, national and international governance and related policy issues, including those related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). This position is in the Environmental Governance and Conventions Branch of the Law Division at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The incumbent will report to the Programme Officer, Chemicals and Waste, Environmental Governance and Conventions Branch.

Task description

• The Programme Support Officer will support the day-to-day activities of the branch, as related to the chemicals and waste cluster activities as well as synergies among the chemicals and waste conventions, the biodiversity conventions as well as other related conventions.
• Under the overall guidance of the Programme Officer, who is acting as the divisional focal point for the Chemicals and Waste Conventions in the Environmental Governance and Conventions Branch, Law Division, the UN Volunteer, in close collaboration with the project managers in the Division, will ensure effective and timely implementation of the activities of the Environmental Governance and Conventions Branch by:
• Contributing to the preparation of diverse range of written outputs relating to strengthening environmental governance of chemicals/waste management at national, regional and international levels, e.g. drafting of background papers, analytical notes, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications and websites;
• Assisting in the preparation and holding of meetings of Conferences of Parties and their subsidiary bodies to the chemicals/waste related multilateral environmental agreements including preparation of background documents, side-events and presentations;
• Assisting in planning and facilitating workshops and other expert meetings and trainings on strengthening institutional frameworks and capacities for sound and coherent management of chemicals/waste. Assisting in the uptake of integrated approaches and tools for synergistic implementation of the MEAs both within and across the thematic clusters;
• Contributing to activities on project management including preparation of legal instruments and contracts, progress reports, financial statements. Analyzing specific aspects of programme/project development and implementation; review of relevant documents and reports; liaise with relevant parties; identify and track follow-up actions;
• Performing other duties as required.

Furthermore, UNV volunteers are encouraged to:

• Strengthening their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD);
• Getting acquainted with and building on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflecting on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contributing articles/write-ups on field experiences and submitting them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assisting with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UNV volunteers;
• Promoting or advising local groups in the use of online volunteering or encouraging relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Required experience

• 3 years of experience in project planning and management, outreach, analysis and research at the national or international level
•  Experience in the management of environmental projects, including monitoring and evaluation is a plus.
•  Knowledge of any other UN Official language, especially French is an asset.

Area(s) of expertise

• Administration, Business management

Languages

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

• Master degree or equivalent in international relations, law, environmental sciences, project management and administration or other related field or the equivalent combinations of education and experience in a related area.

Closing: 24 June 2022