TECHNICAL ANALYST - ENVIRONMENTAL (SPATIAL DATA AND PLANNING) - RETAINER

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.
Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.
The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.
The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC)  supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations.
It was formed by combining the following portfolios.
Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York.
SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.
UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement the project activities for the Global Programme on Nature for Development.
UNDP’s Global Programme on Nature for Development brings together three different initiatives -- the Equator Initiative, Learning for Nature, and the National Biodiversity Initiative under one program in order to identify, foster, showcase and celebrate nature-based solutions that help achieve the Agenda for Sustainable Development at local, national, and international levels.
The work of the Global Programme on Nature for Development contributes to UNDP's Strategic Plan by charting sustainable development pathways through the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems; and by promoting inclusive and effective democratic governance in the area of natural resources.
The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities.
The Equator Initiative seeks to.
Recognize the success of local and indigenous initiatives; Create opportunities and platforms to share knowledge and good practice; Inform policy to foster an enabling environment for local and indigenous community action; and Develop the capacity of indigenous peoples and local communities to scale-up their impact.
The National Biodiversity Initiative supports countries to manage their ecosystems and biodiversity in order to improve national planning and governance of biodiversity, ecosystems, and development, and to promote resilience for sustainable development.
The National Biodiversity Initiative works in three project areas.
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) Support, National Reporting, and Capacity Building.
The use of spatial data for spatial planning is a cross-cutting theme across these project areas, including work through our flagship platform UN Biodiversity Lab, created in partnership with UN Environment and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Knowledge Sharing is a main goal of the Equator Initiative, Learning for Nature and the National Biodiversity Initiative.
The Equator Initiative has a large series of research papers, books, and other publications focusing on local approaches to poverty reduction and conservation, informed by community- based initiatives.
case studies in over 30 languages have documented the Equator Prize winners’ innovative practices that deliver the win-win-win solutions that ensure social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
The National Biodiversity Initiative share knowledge on the role of spatial data in biodiversity planning, policymaking, and reporting through blogs, case studies, and story maps.
Learning for Nature is a capacity-building offer provided by the Global Programme on Nature for Development, cutting across the three areas of work.
This program connects biodiversity policymakers, change-makers, and on-the-ground subject matter experts to facilitate the delivery of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Access to the global multi-stakeholder networks mobilized by the Equator Initiative, Learning for Nature, and the National Biodiversity Initiative allows Learning for Nature to circulate knowledge while promoting best practices.
Building on our learnings on the ground, Learning for Nature seeks synergies, builds linkages, and engages thousands of course participants through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), webinars, self-paced e-learning modules, and private training courses.
For further information please go to.
www.
quatorinitiative.
rg, www.
bsapforum.
et, www.
earningfornature.
rg, www.
nbiodiversitylab.
rg This is a position to support a project which UNOPS is implementing for the United Nations Development Programme.
The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.
Functional Responsibilities UNOPS is seeking the support of a Technical Analyst - Environmental (Spatial Dat...
UNOPS is seeking the support of a Technical Analyst - Environmental (Spatial Data and Planning) to advance the Global Programme on Nature for Development’s work to support governments to use spatial data and systematic conservation planning in their efforts to plan, implement, monitor, and report on their commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the other Rio Conventions, and the nature-based elements of the UN Agenda on Sustainable Development.
The goal of the assignment is to provide GIS and coding support, contribute to the development of technical documents, guidance materials, and other related resources for the UN Biodiversity Lab and a variety of projects and initiatives that bring together the world’s governments, UN agencies, and leading scientists to develop and implement approaches around the globe to identify where nature-based actions to protect, manage, or restore biodiversity and ecosystems can more effectively and efficiently meet national commitments and priorities for biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development.
Under the supervision of the Senior Technical Manager the duties and responsibilities include.
Data Management Review data on UN Biodiversity Lab (UNBL) against UNBL data standards.
Maintain an inventory of current data that is available in the UNBL platform.
Provide recommendations to project leads on how frequently each dataset needs to be updated and develop/implement a timeline for data updates.
Assess Monitoring Framework of the UN Biodiversity Convention’s Global Biodiversity Framework to identify global reference data indicated for calculation of headline, component, and complementary indicators.
Support the development of any necessary data sharing agreements with data providers.
Gather, process, and uploading datasets, or correct data access parameters and configurations, into the UN Biodiversity Lab platform, including correct available metadata.
Conduct GIS processing needed to render data into the formats required by the UN Biodiversity Lab platform.
These may include, but are not limited to, data projection issues and web optimization of data.
Support the project team to carry out geoprocessing and analyses of data layers to create data stacks needed for analyses to identify ELSAs, combining global and national data as relevant.
Create ELSA collections in countries’ private workspaces on the UN Biodiversity Lab and upload data for ELSA countries.
Support the developers with beta testing of new UN Biodiversity Lab features and functions.
Monitor requests from UN Biodiversity Lab users, including data, success stories and feedback submission forms.
Support the policy team in data gathering, cleaning, and analysis for projects supporting countries in their commitments to the UN Biodiversity Convention.
Coding As directed by spatial planner, assist in the development of scripts and general code using the R programming language, as well as implementation of analysis needed to scale up ELSA analyses for more countries.
Support in the development of scripts and general code using Python programming language to support the policy analysis work related to national work under the UN Biodiversity Convention.
Project Management & Administrative Support Attend team meetings as necessary via Zoom or other online services.
Provide general administrative support including taking meeting minutes, setting up meetings, etc.
Support project leads in task and product management by creating, updating, and tracking team tasks.
Capacity Building & Communications Draft relevant capacity building materials, including guidance documents, presentations for live trainings, and lab exercises.
Support training and virtual capacity building events UN Biodiversity Lab and ELSA, including providing advice and input on data-related questions.
Support knowledge management efforts and gathering and dissemination of best practices, including data analysis.
Support with UN Biodiversity Lab communications efforts, including drafting user stories and impact information.
Coordinate translations to five languages (English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish).
Information on Working Arrangements The contractor will work remotely.
The contractor will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.
Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the contractor is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.
Monitoring and Progress Control The contractor will be supervised by the Senior Technical Manager of the Global Programme on Nature for Development, and the contractor and supervisor will determine progress and next step in mutual communication.
Education/Experience/Language requirements *FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY *CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED...
*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY *CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED NATIONS OR UNOPS EXPERIENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY Education First-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) preferably in environmental management/sciences, sustainable development, GIS, remote sensing, computer science, or research around topics prioritized by the Global Programme on Nature for Development is required.
Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) will be considered a strong asset.
Required Experience A minimum of two (2) years’ work or academic experience preferably in at least one of the following topics at a conceptual and/or practical level is required.
international environmental policy, natural resource management, biodiversity/climate change; spatial planning; GIS analyses; remote sensing; computer science.
Desirable experience  (the following experience  is optional  candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply).
Experience using spatial data/Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/remote sensing for biodiversity conservation implementation, monitoring, and/or reporting is an asset.
Experience in geospatial processing and analytics using R, QGIS, PostGIS is an asset.
Experience coding in R and/or Python is an asset.
Language Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required.
Fluency in a second official UN language is desired.
Competencies Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and enc...
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same.
Upholds organizational and ethical norms.
Maintains high standards of trustworthiness.
Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit.
Collaborates and supports the development of others.
For people managers only.
Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.
Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first.
Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal.
Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas.
Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them.
Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.
Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment.
Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements.
Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior.
Performance is consistent, even under pressure.
Always pursues continuous improvements.
Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions.
Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks.
Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner.
Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others.
Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge.
Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.
Contract type, level and duration Contract type.
Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) Retainer - A reta...
Contract type.
Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) Retainer - A retainer contract is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor are required intermittently.
The individual contractor agreement on retainer basis will specify a “unit price” per day worked.
For budgetary purposes, a monetary cap will be determined when the contract is awarded and issued.
Please note that the retainer contract will not provide for a minimum, and payment will be made only after completion of work Contract level.
International Individual Contractor Agreement (I-ICA 1) or Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA-8) Even if the level of the position is indicated as IICA-1 depending on the incumbent's personal situation (candidate with national ID or resident permit), a local fee scale (LICA-8) might be applied in determining the contractor's fee.
Contract duration.
6 months with possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance, availability of funds and necessity of services.
For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link.
https://www.
nops.
rg/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.
spx Additional Information Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
Applications rec...
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 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.