Posting Title: Innovative Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Coordinator, P5

Department/Office: Convention to Combat Desertification

Duty Station: BONN

Posting Period: 21 August 2023 - 04 October 2023

Job Opening Number: 216705

Staffing Exercise: N/A

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Org. Setting and Reporting

The objective of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification around the world, particularly in Africa, through effective action at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), one of the three “Rio conventions” is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.

The Global Mechanism (GM) is an institution of the UNCCD, mandated to assist countries in the mobilization of financial resources from the public and private sector for activities that prevent, control or reverse desertification, land degradation and drought. As the operational arm of the convention, the GM supports countries to translate the Convention into action.

With that in mind, the Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNCCD at COP15 in Abidjan in May 2022 has requested the Global Mechanism to:

• Develop a methodology and conduct a needs assessment to determine the financial requirements for the implementation of the Convention, building on national reporting and on a voluntary targeting-setting exercise.
• Develop and deliver a time-bound strategy to continue and increase fund mobilization from all sources in support of the implementation of the Convention based on the comprehensive needs assessment.
• Promote the involvement of the private sector, including the private financial sector, to support countries in combating desertification/land degradation and drought (DLDD) and achieving their voluntary land degradation neutrality targets.
• Identify options for promoting greater participation of the private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, in the development and mainstreaming of innovative and sustainable solutions for combating DLDD and achieving land degradation neutrality, including through a multi-sector approach engaging agriculture, agricultural technology, food systems, water, rangelands, mining, forestry and renewable energy.
• Promote a shift in the way drought and SDS are managed and to forge specific partnerships to mobilize technical and financial support for transformative projects and programmes on drought.
• Develop and promote models for technology transfer, including in the area of productive capacity for sustainable land management.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Managing Director of the GM, the incumbent is responsible for the following specific duties:

1. Leads the design, development and implementation of a resource mobilization strategy for implementation of the Convention and related plans of action at national level; ensures ongoing analysis of national resource mobilization needs and opportunities; stays abreast of latest donor and funding trends; adapts the resource mobilization strategy, as may be required, and monitors and reports results against it.
a. Coordinate, with other relevant staff of the UNCCD/GM, the preparation of required periodic donor reports as reflected in applicable legal documents.
2. Leads the design, development and implementation of the GM’s innovative financing and private sector strategies in close coordination with relevant units of the UNCCD secretariat. Elements of these strategies:

a. Identify strategic financial, technical, and advocacy partners of relevance for innovative financing and private sector engagement and develop targeted approaches to deepen existing and create new partnerships arrangements to advance the objectives of the GM and the implementation of decisions made by the UNCCD COP
b. Prepare periodic analysis of existing innovative financing and private sector partnerships to identify gaps and areas of success and incorporate this analysis into the overall GM partnership strategy.

3. Identifies opportunities to promote the development of innovative and blended financial instruments to address DLDD and coordinate, along with relevant UNCCD/GM staff, the engagement with partners ensures such instruments are aligned with the objectives of the Convention.
4. Identifies opportunities to promote private sector engagement on UNCCD issues and in coordination with relevant UNCCD/GM staff ensures the application of a rigorous system of due diligence.
5. Manages outreach activities designs and conducts training workshops, seminars, consultation meetings and makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
6. Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (program/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and ensures preparation of related documents/reports (pledging, work program, program budget, etc.).
7. Serves as an effective senior-level spokesperson for the UNCCD/GM and represents the organization at major meetings.
8. Performs any other job-related activity required to achieve the goals and objectives of the UNCCD and as required by the Executive Secretary and/or the GM Managing Director.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to particular sector, functional area or another specialized field. Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, 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 perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate 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.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Judgment/Decision-making: Identifies key issues in complex situations, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, public administration, management, finance, economics, international relations, social science or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in programme design, project planning and management, economics, international relations, social science or related area is required.
• Experience in managing a sizeable multi-cultural team at country, regional or global level is required.
• Experience working in the financial sector or with the private sector in the field of sustainability is desirable
• Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization as well as field experience in implementing development cooperation projects is desirable.

Languages

• For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. A knowledge of other official UN languages would be an asset.

Assessment

• Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension.

Internal Applicants – When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual Contractors and Consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Apply at: https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=216705&Lang=en-US