OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences (ADG/SC) and the functional supervision of the Director of the Liaison Office in Addis Ababa, in close collaboration with the Directors of Division of Water Sciences, Policy and Capacity Building and Earth and Ecological sciences at Headquarters, the incumbent will act as focal point and in-house expert for Natural Sciences and coordinate the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) applications for natural resources management to contribute to the Africa union Agenda 2063. S/he will work within the framework of UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy (C/4), the approved Programme and Budget (C/5) and global development plans.

In particular, the incumbent shall perform the following tasks:

• Represent the Natural Sciences Sector in UNESCO’s contribution to STEM education and STI applications in Natural Resources management and environmental resilience as intersectoral programme with the Africa Union.
• Develop and implement programme activities, work plans and funding proposals for major areas of the Natural Sciences Sector’s strategy and its corresponding programmes, projects and activities, including those conducted with partners, and oversee agreements and contracts.
• Identify and pursue improvements to scientific systems, services, processes, networks and cooperation for Natural Sciences.
• Ensure cooperation with other programme sectors for the formulation of interdisciplinary activities and assist Member States in needs identification, provide advice on cooperation between regional and international centres, on technical support to networks on the establishment of natural science programmes and the preparation of studies, collection, analysis and dissemination of information and peer reviews.

• Advise peers, colleagues, partners and governments on policy formulation, programmes, projects and agreements, developments, best practices and emerging trends in area.
• Strengthen networks, their activity, and the performance of relevant institutions for improved services and knowledge sharing, increased partnerships, joint programming, and integration into regional and international infrastructures.
• Facilitate communications and their interactions among themselves and with decision-makers, provide scientific guidance and technical advice, propose and implement joint activities, establish centres for exchange and monitor, evaluate and report.
• Supervise the preparation of scientific material based on research and training findings and coordinate the editing and publication of subject matter specific technical notes, guidelines and emerging models.
• Mobilise extra-budgetary resources to support sector-wide planning, science policy analysis, Natural Sciences sector assessment and management among Member States in line with country policy priorities and develop a funding and communication strategy for an assigned area within the SC programme and engage with donors to generate additional extra-budgetary resources.
• Supervise project consultants, experts, and other service providers and follow through on disseminating results.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education
• Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in the field of Natural Sciences (Environment, Ecology, Hydrology, Earth Sciences and Basic Sciences) and Engineering.

Work Experience
• A minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible and relevant professional experience in the natural sciences field, of which preferably 2 years acquired at the international level.
• Proven professional experience in international scientific cooperation in the area of natural sciences, including the development of programmes and projects.
• Working knowledge of the EU and institutions.
• Experience in fund-raising and other resource mobilization mechanisms and building partnerships for international science programmes.

Skills/Competencies
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to advocate for UNESCO’s natural science priorities.
• Ability to quickly understand new concepts, approaches and practices in the field of natural sciences.
• Ability to provide technical and thematic contributions to expert meetings and working groups, as well as to consultative processes related to EU policy-making in the field of natural sciences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work in a multicultural environment, and ability to foster and contribute to teamwork.
• Ability to work under pressure in a complex and changing environment.

Languages
• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English and good knowledge of French.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education
• PhD in Natural Sciences, engineering or a related field.

Work Experience
• Experience in the organisation and coordination of international workshops, meetings and events.
• Experience within government in the field of Natural Sciences.
• Experience with specialised agencies of the UN system and/or professional NGOs and/or organisations for international technical cooperation.
• Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining professional networks.
• Experience in promoting South-South cooperation in capacity building in natural sciences applications at the national and regional levels.

Skills/Competencies
• Experience in communication and raising visibility through different media.
• Experience in working in the UN system.
• Knowledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Good knowledge and understanding of the UNESCO SC Natural Sciences Programmes

Languages
• Knowledge of other official UNESCO languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).