Technical Specialist- Environmental (Marine Plastics), Retainer

South East Asia Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO)

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across  North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines.  EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: SEMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia, EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Lao PDR, EAPMCO Philippines and EAPMCO Cambodia.

In 2024, the UNOPS EAPMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 80 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services. The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight, and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself. 

UNOPS in Indonesia

UNOPS established its operations in Indonesia in 2005 in response to the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami. UNOPS has invested over $200 million in Indonesian projects, emphasizing advanced infrastructure development, sophisticated fund management, strategic procurement, and comprehensive capacity building. These projects address critical domains including environmental protection, climate resilience, energy transition, health system enhancement, educational facility reconstruction, and post-disaster recovery and management. UNOPS Indonesia also plays a vital role in enhancing post-COVID-19 economic resilience, advancing sustainable energy solutions, and providing advisory support, technical assistance, and transactional services to other UN agencies.

All Indonesian projects are delivered through the country teams based in Jakarta, Indonesia and backstopped by UNOPS South East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP Regional Project)

The Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP Regional Project) is a five-year program financed by the World Bank. Its objective is to aid the Member States (AMS) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in combating marine plastic pollution and mitigating its negative impacts. This aligns with implementing the ASEAN Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Combating Marine Debris.  The project is implemented by ASEAN through the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), with the structure comprising a Project Steering Committee (PSC), a Project Management Unit (PMU), and a Regional Implementation Support Unit (RISU) located within the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). More information on the project can be found in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD). 

The SEA-MaP Regional Project adopts a long-term, programmatic approach and is divided into two main components:

• Strengthening Policies and Institutions for Plastics Circularity.
  Through the development of regional guidelines, enhancement of plastics metrics and monitoring, and support for policy harmonization, the project aids in implementing the ASEAN RAP. The project's goals are designed to surpass its lifespan, aiming to strengthen regional actions and integrate them within the existing ASEAN structure, alongside fostering capacity building for decision-makers, private-sector champions, and other relevant stakeholders.
  
  

• Establishing Regional Platforms for Innovation, Knowledge Sharing, and Partnerships.
  The SEA-MaP Regional Project is committed to creating and institutionalizing two Platforms for 1) innovation and investment and 2) knowledge sharing and partnerships across ASEAN to address plastic pollution. These Platforms, aiming to bolster sustainability, will foster collaboration with regional private-sector champions and support existing data and research networks. They are designed to promote circular economy solutions and encourage plastic reduction partnerships. Further, they seek to catalyze private sector investment and support. The Platforms will provide technical assistance to plastics innovators, especially focusing on women-owned innovations, social enterprises, and NGOs, to help turn innovative ideas into proofs of concept, pilots, and bankable business solutions.
  
  Table 1 below outlines the deliverables under each component.

Result Orientation and Quality Assurance: 

• Assure the high-level technical quality of the activities planned under the SEA-MaP Regional programme.

• Provide regular technical support to assigned contractors for delivering their work with excellence

• Provide strategic inputs in the discussions among the RISU, the PMU, the ASEC and the World Bank. 

• Validate from the technical point of view the knowledge products of the project (documents, background papers, analyses, publications, etc.).

• Provide high-quality technical advisory inputs and advice to UNOPS on any marine plastics technical issues and queries as requested from stakeholders to ensure strong buy-in on proposed methodologies related to the project implementation.

• Provide high-level technical input and presentations on assigned topics/activities and the RISU at meetings, conferences, consultations, etc.

• Minimum advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) or higher degree in relevant disciplines such as Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management, Marine Biology, Marine Ecology, Natural resource management, Sustainability Studies, or another relevant discipline is required.
  
  
• A first university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in above-mentioned fields with two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree or higher degrees.

1. Contract type: International ICA , Retainer
2. Contract level: ICS 10 / IICA-2 / LICA 10
3. Contract duration: One year with the possibility of extension subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

• This is not a full-time position. Retainers may be requested to carry out tasks on an intermittent and need basis. There are no minimum hours or days guaranteed.
• In duty stations where the NPO category has been established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), a Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) must be issued for a home-based contract.
• For home-based position, it will be the responsibility of the selected candidate to make arrangements, to a standard deemed acceptable by UNOPS, for a secure internet connections, laptop and/or equipment necessary for work (as defined by UNOPS). 
• For home-based positions, candidates must have the necessary permissions to work in their home base location without sponsorship from UNOPS.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.