Senior Programme Officer

The Senior Programme Officer will be responsible for the overall management and coordination of the activities and outputs under the IF and will provide colleagues and the team with profound knowledge in the areas of intervention (biodiversity, carbon markets).

The Senior Programme Officer is responsible for the overall technical, content-related and organizational management of the IF. S/he will manage and coordinate the activities related to the IF and ensure their timely operational and financial planning, control, implementation, and monitoring, as well as compliance with all relevant project policies and commitments. S/he will proactively identify any potential need for adjustments during the planning and implementation stages and closely interact and liaise with the stakeholders of the IF. In addition, s/he will provide expert knowledge in the areas of international carbon methodologies (IFM, ARR, REDD), standards (CCBA. Verra, Gold Standard) and the process for issuance of carbon credits, as well as familiarity with the evolving topic of biodiversity credits, positioning funded projects to create demonstrable carbon and biodiversity benefits.

The Senior Programme Officer will report to the Senior Programme Coordinator, NbS Finance, Enterprise and Investment Team. The role will involve working closely with key IUCN thematic teams and with IUCN’s Regional and Country Offices, to articulate, complement and monitor the project’s implementation. In addition, s/he will coordinate and supervise the inputs of short-term consultants and/or other staff who may also be recruited under the IF. Lastly, the Senior Programme Officer will closely interact with the funding agency of the IF, the German Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of BMZ.

Key Responsibilities include:

Management and strategic coordination of the IF

• Assume overall responsibility for the management and strategic orientation of the project, providing expert knowledge in the areas of carbon credits…
• Maintain oversight of the initiative.
• Deliver effective project planning and control of implementation.
• Ensure effective, efficient, and adaptive management of project resources (financial, human, and intellectual).
• Coordinate the organisational development and implementation of all activities funded under the IF in close coordination with KfW.
• Take the lead in ensuring an efficient and successful inception and ensuing implementation of the IF.
• Design and shape the programme and its suite of projects to maximise positive impact.

Staff engagement and coordination

• Closely coordinate all IF activities with the donor agency
• Develop relationships and coordinate IF related tasks with other IUCN Teams and Centres, and staff within regions and country offices.
• Supervise staff and external consultants.
• Mobilise the expertise of relevant IUCN commissions, members and the IUCN Secretariat in the implementation of the IF.

Communication

• Serve as IUCN Secretariat IF representative at international fora.
• Present the aim and value of the IF at relevant conferences, fora, and events.
• Ensure the IF is promoted through various media channels and networks, ensuring high-quality project submissions and growing recognition of the IF.

The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a small organization such as IUCN, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee’s responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the employee and the Human Resources Management Group.

REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in Carbon Finance, Biodiversity and Conservation, Natural Resources Management, Sustainable/Conservation Finance, or another relevant field required.
• Minimum 10-12 years of Carbon Credits/Markets experience required.
• Strong grounding in biodiversity, conservation, sustainable development and social science concepts and theory, beyond immediate field of expertise.
• Technical understanding of international carbon methodologies (IFM, ARR, REDD), standards (CCBA. Verra, Gold Standard) and the process for issuance of carbon credits.
• Knowledgeable on the evolving topic of biodiversity credits, and how projects and developers can create and demonstrate biodiversity value.
• Proven ability to bring ideas from concept through to realisation and implementation.
• Ability to take initiative, exercise good judgment, think laterally and resolve complex issues in a dynamic and changing environment.
• Proven experience in all phases of programme/project development, management and implementation is essential, including planning, execution, monitoring & evaluation, technical and financial management and reporting. Experience with the management of grants programmes, strongly preferred.
• Experience in supervising staff and coordinating consultants.
• Works well under pressure, with the ability to prioritise and successfully optimise the allocation of time, people, and other resources.
• Skilfully prioritizes, manages, and balances operational task flows and can identify, anticipate and address critical operational dependencies. Successfully manages competing demands and deadlines
• Experience in planning and developing messaging in terms of effective knowledge uptake, understands and can adapt to target audience
• Professionalism and diplomacy in communicating cross-culturally and with diverse audiences.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Proficiency in written and spoken French and/or Spanish is desirable

Source: https://hrms.iucn.org/iresy/index.cfm?event=vac.show&vacId=10867&lang=en