Position description
Org. Setting and Reporting
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. This position is located in UNEP’s Executive Office (EO) at the Nairobi duty station. Under the direct supervision of the Executive Director, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:
Responsibilities
- Advises the Executive Director (ED) on programmatic, policy and managerial issues:
- Takes the lead to coordinate strategic prioritization of all communications addressed to the ED, directs review of relevant documents and reports.
- Identifies priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties and identifies and initiates follow-up actions.
- Monitors and identifies emerging policy and managerial issues in consultation with UNEP senior management.
- Supervises preparation of briefing materials for the ED.
- Maintains liaison with UNEP Divisions and serves as contact point between the ED, Executive Office (EO), Senior Management and UNEP Regional Offices:
- Establishes and maintains effective liaison with senior management on policy as well as programmatic issues relevant to the ED’s functions and responsibilities.
- Liaises closely with the Deputy Executive Director (DED), Chief of Staff and EO team, keeping abreast of key developments on strategic issues.
- Oversees the ED’s day-to-day commitments.
- Ensures prompt and efficient communication and coordination between the ED and UNEP Divisions/Offices.
- Reviews communication/correspondence for ED approval, together with the Chief of Staff.
- Drafts high level complex correspondence for and on behalf of the ED, including confidential correspondence, in close liaison with the UNEP’s Divisions and relevant staff.
- Takes a leading role in supervising the administration of technical support of the ED’s official travel.
- Leads or participates in technical cooperation missions with the ED and keep in close contact with EO with regard to the substantive and logistical preparations required.
- Ensures liaison with external partners by engaging with key officials at all levels outside the organization – advises and supports the ED with governments, delegations, senior UN officials, UN system organizations and non-governmental organizations:
- Facilitates effective communication and contacts between the ED and these bodies/organizations.
- Brings to ED, DED and Chief of Staff attention, issues relevant to UNEP’s bilateral relations with governments and interagency cooperation.
- Reviews confidential communication from governments and draft high level complex correspondence for and on behalf of the ED.
- Oversees the coordination of the ED’s meeting scheduling and communication:
- Directs substantive support to the ED’s meetings, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc. and coordinates follow-up actions.
- Coordinates the activities of UNEP-related participation in international conferences involving the ED.
- Advises the ED on internal and external communication of UNEP in close collaboration with the EO’s Communications Officer and UNEP’s Division of Communications and Public Information.
- Keeps abreast of follow-up from Senior Management Team meetings together with the Chief of Staff and the Senior Advisor.
- Data Management:
- Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.
- Undertakes ad hoc assignments at the request of the ED.
Competencies
- PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to UNEP’s environmental governance agenda, environmental management, GEF projects and relevant areas. 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. Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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.
- COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
- PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
- 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.
- 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 political science, economics, law, environmental science or public administration. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.
Work Experience
- A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in environmental management, environmental governance, programme/project management and sustainable development is required. Experience in international and multilateral relations is required. Experience within the international environment governance system is required. Experience in advising senior officials is required. Experience working in the front office of a UN Head of Entity or department is desirable. Experience with the United Nations common system is desirable. Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
Languages
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English language is required and knowledge of French is desirable. 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.
Application instructions
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