Responsibilities

• Formulate and implement the substantive work programme of the Division, determine priorities, and allocate resources for the completion of outputs/results and their timely delivery, in co-operation and co-ordination with other UN Environment Programme divisions and offices.
• Oversee activities undertaken by the Division as a contribution to the UNEP Programme of Work and Medium-Term Strategy (MTS), including preparation, execution and monitoring of office budget, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators and other administrative tasks.
• Ensure that programmed activities are carried out in a timely manner and co-ordinate work in the different areas both within the Division and other UN Environment divisions and offices, in accordance with UNEP’s ‘delivery model’ and with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate, working closely with UNEP Regional Offices to support the UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams, as per the UNEP Delivery Model and adherence to the principles of “One UNEP”.
• Co-ordinate and oversee the preparation of reports for presentation to donors, UNEP Environment Assembly, United Nations intergovernmental bodies and other scientific inter-governmental forums as appropriate.
• Manage, guide, develop, encourage and train staff under his/her supervision; foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across UNEP;
• Chair meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues; represent the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences; provide programmatic/substantive expertise and, when appropriate, hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Reports to UNEP Senior Management Team, intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance and on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Works collaboratively with Regional Offices to mobilize resources from global and regional sources for project funding. Clears the allocation of the necessary financial and human resources for the delivery of results related to the strategic objectives set by the UNEP leadership and its senior management team.
• Ensures close and effective engagement with Regional Offices to co-design projects that contain regional and national components. Ensures accountability for delivery of project results that fall within their division’s expertise and mandate.
• Works collaboratively with the Chief Scientist and office to ensure credibility and quality of data, information and knowledge and products are aligned with organisational goals.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Education

• Advanced University Degree (Masters Degree or equivalent degree) in natural sciences, social sciences, environmental management, economics or other related area is required.
• A first-level degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in the specified fields with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• PhD in environmental science and or any related environment field is desired.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is an advantage.

Work Experience

• A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of environmental science, environment engineering, environmental geography or development economics is required.
• Experience in programme and organizational management (human resources, budget, law, etc) in government, intergovernmental entities and/or United Nations, universities and research institutions and non-governmental organizations at a senior-level is required.
• Experience in environmental policy analysis, formulation and implementation, and/or providing technical assistance on environment/or economics to policy makers on the environment is required.
• Working experience in a management and leadership position at senior level is required.
• Experience in the area of the environmental science-policy interface is required.

Responsibilities

• Programme Coordination Science-Policy:
• Serve as regional focal point for the science-policy programme as per the UNEP medium-term strategy and coordinate UNEP’s science-policy related programmes, projects and other interventions in the region and ensure their coherence and visibility;
• Coordinate UNEP’s support to member countries in region and produce appropriate brief to inform strategic positioning by the Regional Office. United Nations Country Team engagement: Provide technical support and guidance to UNEP Country Focal Points to facilitate effective engagement with UN Country Teams on subprogramme-related matters. Partnerships: Support the implementation of the UNEP’s Programme of Work in cooperation with regional partners to strengthen the Science – Policy interface in environmental planning and decision-making in the Region to meet regional/national priorities concerning Climate, Nature, and Pollution agenda.
• Capacity building and technical support: Design and implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance the understanding and application of subprogramme concepts and tools among regional stakeholders, including UN United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Assistance Frameworks (UNSDCF) processes.
• Reporting and Communication: Prepare progress reports, briefs, and other communication materials to inform strategic positioning and decision-making by UNEP’s Regional Office.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with national governments, regional bodies, civil society organizations, and the private sector to promote the objectives of the assigned subprogramme and facilitate collaboration. Advocacy: Promote integrating scientific knowledge into environmental policy and decision-making processes at the regional level by supporting evidence-based policies and communicating UNEP’s work in regional/ministerial fora. Data analysis and information for decision-making:
• Gather, analyze, and package relevant data and information to inform decision-making processes and identify emerging issues impacting the subprogramme’s objectives.
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Perform other duties as may assigned by the Senior Management.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a discipline related to environment and sustainable development, with knowledge of environmental assessment, management, economics or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with 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 seven (7) years of working experience in environmental assessment and early warning at national/regional levels in Africa is required.
• Experience in capacity building for strategic environmental packaging for decision support and networking is required.
• Progressive responsible experience in project or programme formulation, management and implementation is required .
• Experience and knowledge of environmental issues acquired through work with expert institutions in Africa is required .
• Experience at the international organizations is desirable. Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable