National Expert on Electronics Management

​Requisition ID: 4139 
Grade: SB5 – Local Professional (Mid-Level & Senior) 
Country: Philippines 
Duty Station: Manila 
Category: National Consultant 
Type of Job Posting: 
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Contract Duration: When Actually Employed (40 working days)
Application deadline: 16-Jul-2024, 11:59 PM (CEST)  

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, oversees the Organization’s development of capacities for industrial development as well as industrial policy advice, statistics and research activities and the Organization’s normative contribution to Member States and global development community in achieving the SDGs. The Directorate also ensures the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to Environment, Energy, SMEs, Competitiveness and Job creation, as well as Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute toward effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results and on realizing any potential for scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Division of Circular Economy and Environmental Protection (TCS/CEP) contributes to greener and more circular industries and products by minimizing both resource use along value chains and the emission of pollutants to the environment. The Division promotes just transitions to circular economies, reduced release of pollutants into the environment and other green industrial and economic approaches to help Member States to grow economically while simultaneously addressing the three planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It does so by supporting resource efficiency increases in the manufacturing and use of products along value chains and during the life cycle of the product; by reducing or eliminating the emission of non-fuel-related greenhouse gas emissions; and by assisting in achieving the objectives of and compliance with multilateral environmental agreements. In doing so, its activities further improve competitiveness, as well as the development of and access to markets, particularly for SMEs. This contributes to climate-neutral, resilient, pollution-free industrial development, supporting co-existence that is in harmony with nature.

The Division acts as the focal point in UNIDO for various multilateral environmental agreements and multilateral co-operation in the field of the environment, including the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and emerging international, legally binding instruments such as the instrument to End Plastic Pollution; the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and other partnerships such as the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), the Partnership for Action for Green Economy (PAGE), the Green Industry Platform (GIP) and other relevant international initiatives and conventions. The Division coordinates its advisory and service delivery with the services offered by other technical departments, and other relevant organizational entities of UNIDO.

This position is located under the Responsible Materials and Chemicals Management Unit which is responsible for supporting Member States to implement the chemicals and wastes obligations and requirements under the Basel, Minamata, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions and other emerging relevant agreements, in particular where it relates to larger and formalized industries and sectors, and to leverage its experience to address industrial pollution mitigation in general as well as other emerging compliance mechanisms. With novel approaches to materials and chemicals management and to innovation, with training and education, and with implementing circular economy approaches in particular related to the extension of product life by maintenance, the Unit further leverages its experience to facilitate responsible materials sourcing and to support smaller enterprises and entrepreneurs in greening their businesses.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The Global Electronics Management (GEM) Program aims to significantly reduce the generation of electronic waste (e-waste) and increase circularity and resource recovery in the electronics sector of developing countries, through the creation of an enabling environment, including access to finance, technology and policy and legislative change that fosters responsible electronics management.

GEM marks an inaugural endeavor to transition environmentally unsound practices within the electronics value chain towards a cleaner, more sustainable and resource-efficient supply chain and lifecycle. With the global electronics market increasingly reliant on digitalization and modern conveniences, the program systematically addresses the substantial environmental impacts associated with this sector, including resource depletion, chemical pollution, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Embracing an inclusive value-chain approach, GEM seeks to foster cleaner production methods and promote sustainable consumption patterns along the entire lifecycle of products, from design to re-use. This encompasses reducing hazardous chemicals in production processes, innovating designs for resource and energy-efficient electronic components and products and establishing markets for durable and repairable goods. Furthermore, GEM aims to cultivate a resource-efficient value chain by facilitating the reuse, repair, and material recycling of valuable electronic components, while mitigating hazardous waste streams through environmentally sound resource recovery initiatives. Achieving transformational change in the electronics industry will be incentivized through policies and fostering multi-stakeholder cooperation, demonstrating customized strategies to replace resource-intensive processes and materials with more sustainable alternatives and creating a more circular and transparent value chain.

The program expects to achieve significant Global Environmental Benefits (GEBs) through upstream measures, including extending the life of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment through better design, facilitated repair, increasing the reuse of functional components, preventing the manufacturing, import, and placing on the market of equipment containing POPs and mercury. GEM also includes downstream initiatives aimed at segregating POPs waste from the overall e-waste stream, environmentally safe management of such waste, and safe processing of e-waste to ensure the recovery of valuable metals and other materials. The program intends to boost the after-sale services business in the ICT sector by promoting the transition from informal (or semi-formal) to formal status of several small repair shops, through cooperation with local and global ICT manufacturers and retailers, thereby creating a significant number of qualified job positions in the sector. Overall, the project expects to achieve a GHG avoidance of 109 thousand Mt, prevent or environmentally safely dispose of around 125 thousand Mt of hazardous waste containing POPs, mercury, lead, and medium-chained chlorinated paraffins (MCCP), dispose of 52 kg of mercury through environmentally sound management, and avoid 33gTeq of U-POPs over the project duration. The project envisages the anticipated avoidance or environmentally sound management of around 481 Mt of waste containing medium chain chlorinated paraffins, which are a class of substances with POPs features, currently a candidate for listing under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention.

The Program is led by UNIDO and implemented by the AfDB, UNDP and UNEP and involves 16 countries, including the Philippines.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under direct supervision and guidance of the UNIDO project manager and in close collaboration with industry/sector experts, the national expert will assume the following tasks in the table below.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree in environmental science/engineering, chemistry, environmental economics and sustainability, or qualified chemical technologist, environmental scientist, or other relevant discipline with a specialization in health and POPs related issue is required.

Technical and Functional Experience:  

• A minimum of 7 years practical experience in the field of electronics management (including chemicals in electronics and e-wastes) and knowledge of the electronics sector and its value chain in the Philippines is required.
• Experience at the international level involving development and implementation of technical cooperation projects  in developing countries is desirable.
• Experience with and knowledge of the Global Environment Facility and the Stockholm Convention on POPS are desirable.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken in English is required. Working knowledge of or fluency in another UN official language is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core values:

WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key competencies:

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.