Communications Specialist (Partnerships Specialist) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Retainer, Homebased)

WEC Background: 

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally, is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. 

WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

The NDC Partnership: 

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each country’s strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnership’s work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnership’s work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).

Country Context

In 2021, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) joined the NDC Partnership and designated the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), within the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture, and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology as the Focal Point Entities.

Given the plethora of climate change and environment programmes and projects being implemented by the SDU, there is need to increase the visibility of the Unit and showcase its work on NDC implementation and other related environmental challenges affecting SVG.  There is also the specific need to support the implementation of the NDC Partnership Plan in the areas of, inter alia, education, capacity building and increasing the knowledge of the general public to climate change and other relevant topics, in order to broaden the engagement and support for this work in  SVG. There are a number of important stakeholders that will be targeted through this outreach effort including, government ministries and agencies, civil society organisations, and vulnerable groups such as women and youth, all of whom are critical to the fight against climate change and contributing to the implementation of the NDC Partnership Plan for SVG.

The Communications and Outreach Specialist will be assigned to work with the SDU for at least a year and will collaborate closely with the Director of the SDU, formally reporting to the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Communications and Outreach Specialist will require periodic meetings with the SDU Team, the sequence of the meetings will be defined and agreed upon later. 

The initial duration will be one year, with a possibility of extension in case of request and availability of finances. It is primarily a work-from-home assignment, either from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines or from another CARICOM country, with periodic online meetings with the SDU and other relevant stakeholders.  If based outside Kingstown, the consultant is expected to travel to Kingstown approximately up to 4 times per year, and no more than 5 working days duration per travel. In this case, travel expenses will be covered by UNOPS. 

This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, a maximum of 220 working days.

* This is a Homebased position, meaning that the incumbent will not work from a UNOPS office or government facilities. Therefore, the incumbent will need to use his/her own laptop and software.

** In order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines or have a valid residence permit in the Country or for the CARICOM region.  

*** Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

****  The contract modality (Local ICA or International ICA) will be evaluated based on the nationality of the preferred candidate. 

• Master Degree preferably in Mass Communications, Journalism, or related field.

• Bachelor's degree in in related discipline in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree

Required

• At least 5 years’ experience working in communication, journalism and/or print media.

• At least 2 years’ experience related to climate change, adaptation/mitigation planning and/or implementation, environmental management, natural Resource Management/ public policy, or social Sciences in relevant field.

Asset 

• Good knowledge of the UNFCCC, its Paris Agreement, and the NDC.

• Excellent record of accomplishment in implementing strategic communication and advocacy campaigns.

• Familiarity with national media practices, local media, social media platforms, and a well established network of concepts with local journalists.

• Experience working in developing countries, including small island developing states (SIDS), on climate change and other development issues.

• Experience organizing and facilitating engagements, events, and stakeholder dialogues.

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.  

• Proficiency in Spanish is an asset. 

• 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.