GEF STAP Strategic Advisor

This Vacancy Announcement is being published by the Water & Energy Cluster on behalf of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) to the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Background information: Water and Energy Cluster (WEC)

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and as part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Group, 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.

STAP Secretariat 

The STAP is supported by a Secretariat comprising UNEP staff members, which provides substantive and operational support in delivering the STAP mandate to the GEF Partnership.

Background information: UNEP

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 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. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Science Division, which hosts the STAP Secretariat, is responsible for analyzing the state of the global environment, providing early warning information, and assessing global and regional environmental trends to catalyze and promote international cooperation and action on the environment. UNEP is an equal opportunity employer.

Background information: GEF

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established 30 years ago on the eve of the Rio Earth Summit to tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. They have a unique mandate as a financing mechanism for a number of MEAs: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the Minamata Convention on Mercury; and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The GEF also supports global and regional agreements on international waters, and transboundary water management. The GEF’s mission is to safeguard the global environment by supporting developing countries to meet their commitments under these agreements. The GEF’s sectoral responsibilities are often mutually supportive, which enables the synergies between them to be harnessed in a more holistic way. 

The Strategic Advisor will perform the following functions:

Lead, under the guidance of the STAP Chair, and in coordination with the STAP Secretary, STAP engagement with the GEF Secretariat to develop and operationalize the GEF Risk Appetite Framework.
Specifically:
• Support the refining of guidance for project and program-level risk identification and monitoring, ensuring that STAP strategic advice on innovation and risks is well reflected, including preparing a STAP paper on how to reflect innovation and related risk identification in design.
• Contribute to developing portfolio-level monitoring and reporting on risk-reward linking with STAP’s work on metrics and indicators of transformational change.
• Contribute to dialogue with the GEF IEO on how to evaluate the implementation of the risk appetite framework, linking innovation, risk, and results.
• Support the development of mechanisms for learning within and across program areas to better identify and manage risks and to learn where and how innovative approaches are yielding results (and where they are hitting barriers) and how to leverage this learning in strategic decision-making to improve the overall investment portfolio and accelerate progress towards GEBs.

Lead, under the guidance of the STAP Chair, and in coordination with the STAP Secretary, the development of STAP advice to the GEF on its Ninth Replenishment (GEF-9).
Specifically:
• Lead initial discussions with STAP Panel Members and Secretariat on the focus of STAP strategic advice to the GEF on GEF-9.
• Design, in collaboration with the Panel and moderate STAP convening of external experts and scientific societies, as well as the GEF Family, on the focus of STAP strategic advice to the GEF on GEF-9.
• Co-lead the drafting of STAP strategic advice to the GEF pre-GEF-9 replenishment.

Provide strategic advice on other related topics as requested by the STAP Chair.

• An advanced university degree (e.g., Masters) in a relevant field, e.g., environmental science, environmental policy, economics, systems analysis, environmental law, political science, institutional analysis, or sustainability studies is required. 
• A first-level university degree (e.g., Bachelor) in combination with two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

• A minimum of 7 years of experience in research on sustainability issues, including in developing countries, is required.
• A peer-reviewed publication record on issues of relevance to the GEF is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated, interdisciplinary manner across the GEF’s focal areas, with solid experience in systems thinking is required.
• The capacity to bridge scientific, technological, economic, social, and policy issues in the public and private sectors is required.
• Active engagement with scientific networks and partnerships on environmentally sustainable development in developed and developing countries is required.
• Exceptional analytical, research, writing, and communication skills are required.
• Familiarity with and understanding of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and knowledge management is desirable.

Contract type: International ICA Retainer 

Contract level: IICA-3 (ICS-11) 

Duration: 1 year with possibility of extension based on performance and needs of the organization.

Remuneration: Quarterly, based on actual days reported and approved.

Time Commitment 

For this role, the Strategic Advisor will be expected to provide the number of days required to meet the specific responsibilities for this position up to 65 days per year. The Strategic Advisor will also participate in STAP Panel Members meetings and may be requested to attend meetings and undertake trips, for example, workshops or meetings related to the topics covered. Most STAP business is transacted online and by teleconference.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link.

• 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. 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.