View Vacancy – Andes Amazon Landscape Coordinator, Biodiverse Landscapes Fund – British Embassy Lima

Main purpose of job:

The £100m Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) is being delivered across 6 landscapes globally and is funded and managed by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The BLF will deliver biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction and climate outcomes across a range of biologically diverse, transboundary landscapes worldwide. In the Andes Amazon landscape, the BLF has three lines of work:

1. Strengthening biodiversity conservation, connectivity, and territories of life.
2. Strengthening Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in the landscape for the protection of their rights and the governance of their territories.
3. Strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of coffee, cocoa, banana, and bio-business value chains.

The post holder will work to support the implementation of BLF in the Andes Amazon landscape, which has project sites across Peru and Ecuador. The programme is currently being implemented by a consortium of international, national, and local delivery partners. An external Fund Manager (FM) is in place to administer and report on the BLF and an Independent Evaluator (IndEv) has been contracted to set up the monitoring, evaluation and learning for the programme. The post holder is expected to work with all these partners and provide an on the ground quality assurance and reporting function for the Defra programme team based in the UK. The post holder will also work to lead and promote wider UK climate and biodiversity objectives in the region and work with embassy staff and host governments in Ecuador and Peru on these matters. The post holder will be located at either the British Embassy in Quito or Lima (depending on the successful candidate’s preference) but will work closely with and deliver to the UK based Defra Programme team.

The post holder will develop and lead strong relationship management with the FM, IndEv, project delivery partners and regional, governmental, and non-governmental stakeholders with an interest in the BLF, in both Ecuador and Peru. This is to provide effective project oversight, capacity building, regional co-ordination and engagement activities. The post holder will act as Defra’s lead HMG contact for the BLF in the region to ensure it is implemented effectively and remains aligned to UK government interests and objectives, including oversight of the monitoring and evaluation of the programme. They will also coordinate a range of administrative, logistical, project management and communications activities. 

The post holder will have strong communication skills and must be fluent in written and spoken English and Spanish. They will have excellent programme management and coordination skills to meet complex operational and logistical deadlines. They must also be able to engage effectively and develop excellent working relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders at local, national, and international levels. The post holder will be experienced in managing reputational and political risks and be able to use their initiative to develop solutions to complex problems.

While the post will be based in Quito or Lima, the post holder will be required to work closely with others across the region and in the UK. Regular travel across the landscape (approximately 3-4 times a year) will be expected, as well as occasional visits to the UK.   

Roles and responsibilities:

Programme management – 40%

• Bring together and hold to account the Lead Delivery Partner (LDP), Defra, Fund Manager, Independent Evaluator and embassy staff to ensure the BLF is delivered in line with Defra’s requirements. This means building a good understanding of the embassies’ strategic priorities and wider programming, as well as Defra’s wider engagement with both countries.
• Monitor and assess risks and opportunities associated with the programme, work with delivery partners and embassy staff to develop mitigating strategies and report clearly to the programme team.
• Support consortiums to develop effective stakeholder engagement strategies which integrate the perspectives and approaches of the consortium partners, IPLCs, and the regional and national governments of Peru and Ecuador and facilitate meetings with partner governments to discuss BLF progress, issues, risks and opportunities.
• Contribute strategic advice from the Andes Amazon perspective to inform wider BLF and Defra policy and approach.
• Own, update, and continuously improve BLF Andes Amazon management documents and tools and feed into portfolio documents, including risk registers, due diligence trackers, and climate, fraud, and security risk assessments. Draft briefing on the BLF for Ministers, Heads of Missions, and other HMG seniors as needed. Review delivery partner documents, such as the workplan, budget, Theory of Change and log frame and provide regular updates to embassy staff.

Consortium engagement – 25%

• Provide ongoing support to the LDP and wider consortium where appropriate by communicating BLF objectives, the wider strategic objectives of Defra and the posts in a formal way and HMG standards, including around corruption, safeguarding and conflict sensitivity.
• Collaborate with LDP and wider consortium in planning of field visits, organisation of meetings with stakeholders, and other requests.
• Collaborate with LDP and other Defra landscape coordinators, as well as the FM and IndEv, to facilitate exchange of lessons learned and best practices amongst other landscapes (governance model, MEL, etc).

External engagement – 15%

• Support BLF consortium and embassy staff in leading engagement efforts with host governments in Ecuador and Peru by securing and sustaining buy-in from host governments and other governmental stakeholders. This will include supporting the consortium to develop a clear narrative of how the Fund contributes to priorities of the national governments which is sensitive to the bilateral relationship between Ecuador and Peru and IPLC territorial strategies and rights.
• Lead and oversee the governance structures for the effective implementation of the Fund in Ecuador and Peru.
• Monitor announcements, new projects, and wider initiatives from HMG and other projects to connect and collaborate with, promoting an effective and articulated contribution.

Communication and visibility – 10%

• Increase the visibility, recognition and the impact of BLF work in the landscape by closely collaborating with the BLF consortium, Defra, and posts to ensure BLF branding is upheld.
• Support the spreading of key messages and progress of activities to different stakeholders.
• Support Ministerial or/and Defra senior visits to Peru and Ecuador. Feed into briefings and communication materials.

The post holder will also be required to provide wider support to the Embassies on other priorities as needed – 10%

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Support the consortium and the Defra programme team in oversight of approx. £15 million over 5 years of programme funds.
• Potential line management of interns/associates.
• Manage travel and engagement expenditure in coordination with the BLF finance team and embassy staff.

Qualifications:      

• Degree qualification in climate change, biodiversity, environmental sciences, or similar fields.
• Training in, or equivalent on-the-job experience of, project/programme management.

Knowledge and experience:

• At least 3 years of experience in a similar role in project/programme management in the public sector or with bilateral/multilateral organisations.
• 3 years of experience working with local and international partners in project implementation and monitoring, including GESI approaches.
• Experience of building a network and managing effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, delivery partners and local and community groups.
• Experience drafting briefing papers, reports, and presentations tailored to different audiences.
• Experience organising events, conferences, field excursions and workshops with different target audiences.
• Understanding of biodiversity conservation, livelihoods including through innovative business models and with an emphasis on financial sustainability, the landscape approach and community-based development.

Skills: 

• Excellent written and oral communication in English and Spanish, on complex matters, often requiring persuasion and influencing skills.
• Ability to identify strategic opportunities and risks, underlying drivers, and connections, especially political and reputational implications.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team which is dispersed across the region and in the UK.
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the proven ability to navigate and resolve conflicts among diverse or challenging stakeholders.
• Effective organization, prioritization, and planning skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative and organize own workload without supervision, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to cope with uncertainty and change. Resilience to pro-actively develop solutions to complex problems.
• Ability to handle sensitive information from internal and external sources whilst always adhering to best practices of confidentiality.
• Computer literate and proficient user of Microsoft programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must have the legal status to live and work in Peru in their own right, from time of application, and hold the correct visa. The British Embassy cannot sponsor visa applications to work in Peru.
• Applicants must have no negative migration history (i.e. visa refusals) as this my affect their ability to travel outside Peru for work.
• Must be fluent in English and Spanish.