Greener Cities Specialist at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Task description
Under the direction of and reporting to the Cities Lead within the Cities Unit of the Climate Change Division, the Greener Cities Specialist will undertake the following activities:

• Support the development of tools, methodologies, and knowledge products to help cities increase knowledge and capacity of local and national governments on existing NbS solutions, urban cooling, and best practices in urban contexts.
• Assists in capacity building of cities in the design and implementation of NbS interventions to reduce water risks in urban areas.
• Supports UNEP’s work on nature and climate with research and fundraising tasks in the context of green cities.
• Contributes to the development of a training package for the use of the NbS tool under development in partnership with UNEP-DHI.
• In undertaking these duties, the Greener Cities Specialist will establish and maintain relationships to support collaboration with biodiversity, urban planning, and water management, experts, as well as technical staff across UNEP and in UN as well as representatives in national governments, international organizations, consultants, and NGOs.

Requirements
Required experience

• 3 years of experience in statistical information management and applied statistical analytics is required. With at least two years of progressively responsible experience
• Proven experience in urban planning, water, and/or biodiversity management is required.
• Candidates must be able to demonstrate they are organized, reliable, and efficient. An understanding of how to work effectively as part of a team, and a willingness to learn and grow professionally by taking on new competencies and remaining abreast of developments in the statistical analytics field is essential.
• Proven ability to work effectively with a wide range of various actors is also required. As well, UNEP highly values creativity and innovative thinking, coupled with a problem-solving mindset

Required education level

• Bachelor degree or equivalent in Urban planning, environmental sciences, water management, biodiversity management/conservation, statistical analysis, data analysis. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Competencies and values

Professionalism:

• Ability to identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and rec-ommendations; shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional com-petence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commit-ments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspec-tives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Planning and organizing:

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appro-priate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Communication:

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly inter-prets messages from others and responds appropriately; proven interpersonal skills; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors lan-guage, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing infor-mation and keeping people informed; good spoken and written communication skills, in-cluding ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, artic-ulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, vol-unteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of differ-ent target groups.
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes sol-idarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.

Dealine: 08/08/2024