United Nations Development Programme1d ago

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Programme Specialist – Environment and Climate Change (Open to internal and external applicants)

Suriname·Paramariboentry

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Overview

Tiered Approach In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization,

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In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP has been a key development partner of the Surinamese Government and its people since 1994. Under the current Country Program 2022-2026, UNDP supports Suriname in a number of programmatic areas such as Democratic Governance, Social Development and Inclusion, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management.

These programmatic areas are interlinked, integrating nature-based solutions, digitalization, innovation, justice and social services with the engagement of stakeholders that are relevant to all programmatic areas, including the Indigenous and Tirbal peoples, local communities, NGOs, academia and others. The UNDP Suriname is embarking on the formulation of the new CPD 2027-2031, building on the results and lessons from the current cycle.

Position Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative/Head of Office and the overall leadership of the Resident Representative, the Programme Specialist (Environment and Climate) is responsible for managing and developing a substantive programme portfolio encompassing a range of topics related to the environment, climate change, resilience, natural resource management and other related areas. Among others, the role includes both - executing and accelerating delivery of results and building a solid pipeline of new initiatives that are aligned with Suriname’s national priorities, NDC3.0 commitments, and the UNDP’s policies, programmatic and operational offer globally and in the region.

Importantly, the incumbent will be responsible for maintaining and expanding UNDP’s partnerships with the Government, bilateral donors, UN agencies, vertical funds (GEF, GCF, others), the EU, IFIs and other partner organizations.

Given the substantive scale of the portfolio and its interlinkages with other areas of work within UNDP Suriname, including the inclusion of the Indigenous and Tribal people, livelihoods development, effective governance, digitalization, gender and alike, the Program Specialist will be expected to foster collaboration through a portfolio approach, maximizing opportunities, capacities and resources within the office.

As a member of the senior management team, the incumbent will support the Resident Representative and the Deputy Resident Representative/Head of Office of the UNDP Suriname in the design and execution of thematic and sectoral strategies, knowledge management, policy, partnerships, and other strategic areas.

The Programme Specialist is expected to lead and supervise the Environment and Climate Change team and work in close collaboration with the Inclusive Growth and Governance Programme team, and the Operations team. As a member of a part of a multidisciplinary team, the incumbent will also cooperate, liaise and coordinate the support and oversight from the Regional Bureau for LAC, the Regional Hub in Panama and the technical and operational teams across the organization.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.) Ensure the formulation and implementation of UNDP programme strategies and policies

Contribute to the thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country; and contribute collaborative inputs to the UN Common Country Assessment and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNCCA and UNMSDCF) as well as to the preparation/revision of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Integrated Work Plan (IWP) and other strategic documents.
Ensure that Environment and Climate Change programmes and strategy formulation consider economic, social and environmental risks and identify potential risks and opportunities and other future signals.
Act as the UNDP Suriname Focal Point on Social and Environmental Standards and Policy (SESP).
Operationalize UNSDCF/ CPD in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies.
Establish relevant programme Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the effectiveness of CO business processes. Oversee workflows and ensure cross collaboration in the Programme Unit.
Review and sign-off on proposals at programme level.
Analyze, present, and implement UNDP policies in the CO.

2.) Effectively manage the Environment and Climate Change programme, lead and supervise team focusing on quality assurance and risk management of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation

Design and formulate CO programme and translate UNDP priorities into local interventions. Oversee programme implementation with the implementing partners.
Lead, organize and coordinate the implementation of all Environment and Climate Change activities in close collaboration with other units within UNDP Suriname as well as with RBLAC and the Regional Hub in Panama as required.
Provide leadership in strategically utilizing portfolio management tools and practices to keep resources aligned to actual and evolving priorities rather than rigid, preset planning targets.
Provides strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. The Programme Specialist performs the function of Manager Level 2 in Quantum for development projects transactions approval.
Manage team members and relationships with donors, government and al counterparts.
Identify the ability of the CO to conduct specific design engagements and recommend sourcing of necessary capacity, facilitating the design and scoping of engagements and their deliverables.Provide practical guidance to team members and clients on UNDPs evolution from a programme towards a dynamic portfolio approach that links outreach to new collaborators and non-conventional actors with both useful ideas and fee-based services and investments.
Promote peer learning within the team and between colleagues and adapt to new thinking and approaches.
Coordinate the daily activities of UNDP activities/programme/ projects in close coordination with national and international stakeholders.
Liaise with Government counterparts, funding and development partners and other partners for the smooth implementation of activities.
Manages the Portfolio team and provides proper guidance to and supervision of staff, employees and consultants ensuring compliance with all UNDP rules and regulations.
Prepare/produce a variety of written outputs, such as background papers, correspondence with governments, working papers, mission reports, analyses, briefings, communication/visibility material, presentations, policy proposals and documents, regular and ad hoc reports.
Conduct timely projects, budget and grant reviews, revisions and monitoring, and complete related reporting obligations, in accordance with UNDP policies, UN rules and regulations as well as applicable donors’ requirements.
Undertake other tasks as required for the smooth implementation of the programme.
Organize cost-recovery system for the services provided by the CO to projects in close collaboration with Operations Manager.

3.) Establish and maintain strategic Country Office partnerships and support resource mobilization efforts to achieve programme outcomes

Implement CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategies for the Environment and Climate Change Portfolio, with a particular focus on the cooperation with vertical funds such as Global Environmental Facility, Adaptation Fund, Green Climate Fund and others.
Develop partnerships with the UN Agencies, international financial institutions (IFIs), government institutions, donors, private sector, civil society, think tanks, community-based organizations, Indigenous and Tribal community organizations in assigned programme/thematic areas.
Determine strategic programmatic areas of cooperation, including joint programming, in line with agreed global, regional and national priorities.
Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and ensure due cost recovery.
Lead development pipeline and portfolio components that includes designing Programme/Project documents, concept notes, proposals and cross-sectoral coordination to bring resources for projects.

4.) Ensure provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management

Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to Suriname’s priorities, including Suriname’s NDC3.0, Green Development Strategy and other relevant frameworks.
Establish/strengthen national and international advocacy networks. Implement relevant, high -impact advocacy with key partners.
Coordinate and ensure integrated support in development of policies and institutions to address Environment and Climate Change challenges and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
Contribute substantively to UNDP knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
Organize and deliver training for the operations/ projects staff on programme-related matters.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Lead and Supervise Environment and Climate Change team.

Competencies

Core Competencies

ACHIEVE RESULTS - LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
THINK INNOVATEVELY - LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
LEARN CONTINUOUSLY - LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
ADAPT WITH AGILITY - LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
ACT WITH DETERMINATION - LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
ENGAGE AND PARTNER - LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
ENABLE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION - LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional Competencies

BUSINESS DIRECTION & STRATEGY
- SYSTEMS THINKING: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
- HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN: Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process Knowledge and understanding of human centred design principles and practices.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
- RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT: Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.
- PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
- PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Technical Competencies

OPERATIONS
- FINANCE - BUDGET MANAGEMENT: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
2030 AGENDA: PEOPLE
- GENDER: Gender Mainstreaming.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in sustainable development, environmental management/sciences, international relations, conservation biology/ecology geography, natural resource management, or in another related field OR
A first level university degree (Bachelor's degree) preferably in the above fields combined with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in policy support on environmental, climate change, forestry, natural resource management, geology, water management or other related fields gained at the national level, regional or international level.
Experience with and understanding of government institutions in Suriname is required.
Proven experience in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development portfolios and projects in relevant thematic areas; and establishing inter-relationships among international organizations and national governments is required.
Strong and proven ability to establish partnerships and mobilize resources among international organizations, governments, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders is required.
Excellent leadership, team management, and collaboration skills/experience, fostering high-performing teams and achieving results is required.
Expertise in project and programme management, including design, planning, monitoring, and evaluation is required.

Additional desirable criteria:

Strong understanding of international frameworks and conventions related to climate and environment e.g COP, NDC, NBSAP, BioFin, and other frameworks, is a strong asset. Familiarity with the UN, GEF, GCF and other climate financing instruments is a strong asset.
Demonstrated track record in middle/upper management roles, leading teams and budgets of comparable complexity and scope is desired.
Familiarity with integrated programming and cross-sectoral initiatives, ensuring holistic development approaches is an asset.
Proven experience in delivering technical and policy advisory services at the national or international level is desired.
Experience in strategic planning and identifying entry points for targeted interventions to maximize impact and leverage programme resources is desired.
Strong analytical and policy advisory skills, particularly in addressing complex development challenges is an asset.
Proficiency in data-driven decision-making, innovative climate financing, and programme management is an asset.
Experience with UNDP/UN, government institutions, or international organizations is an asset.
Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP is desired.
Experience working with government institutions, civil society, vulnerable groups, including Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ITPs), and international development partners active in Suriname is an advantage.

Languages:

Fluency in Dutch and English is required.

Important applicant information

All posts in the NO categories are subject to local recruitment.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.