Duties and Responsibilities
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The overall objective of the UNEP’s Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities, and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices, and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) works with its network of more than 450 banks, insurers and investors to help shape the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global norms and contributing to changing the financial system. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI promotes sustainable finance and helps the financial industry align with and contribute to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP FI supports the development and implementation of frameworks including the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB), now committed to by more than 310 banks collectively holding USD 89 trillion in assets, representing almost half of global banking assets, and the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), established 2012 by UNEP FI and today applied by one-quarter of the world’s insurers (25% of world premium). UNEP-FI works closely with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to engage financial institutions on the net zero transition. Founded in 2021, GFANZ is a coalition of leading financial institutions committed to supporting the decarbonization of the global economy. GFANZ currently supports over 675 financial institutions from 50 countries within the sector-specific net zero Alliances (the Alliances). GFANZ and the financial sector-specific net-zero Alliances are dedicated to helping financial institutions to play a key role in supporting the global transition to net zero. Members of the net-zero sector specific Alliance have each made ambitious science-based commitments by their own initiative to support the transition to net zero and GFANZ has developed the tools and methodologies needed to turn financial institutions’ net-zero commitments into action. The GFANZ Africa Network and its Advisory Board is focused on 3 key flagship initiatives for transformative impacts in Africa. The flagships are (i) Supporting the development of de-risking instruments and project pipelines into investable opportunities, (ii) providing capacity building support to mainstream climate risks regulation, net-zero transition planning and transition finance and (iii) maximizing carbon currency benefits to Africa. The 3 flagships will also be integrated with activities focusing on nature and biodiversity. UNEP-FI and GFANZ are also founding participants of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC), launched at COP28. The Coalition will bring together some of the world’s leading climate finance organizations – including an unprecedented group of UN agencies, multilateral development banks (MDBs), standard setters, and the private sector – to enhance collaboration and respond to growing requests for capacity building support from financial institutions in EMDEs. This position will support the administration, management and communication elements of the capacity building work of UNEP-FI, working with GFANZ and the GCBC. UNEP FI needs a consultant to support activities as team coordinator to strengthen the administrative, management, liaison, and communication components of the UNEP FI & GFANZ Africa regional networks. The consultant will work with GFANZ to plan and accelerate such activities. Objectives: This position would support the coordination of activities with the Advisory Board, Working Group Chairs, the Regional Director, and the Africa technical team as well as with the GFANZ Secretariat, partners, and key stakeholders in Africa. It would help strengthen the administrative, management, documentation, liaison, and communication components of the Africa Network. Specific tasks and responsibilities: The team coordinator will perform the following tasks: ● Coordinate activities and meetings of the Advisory Board, Working Groups, Regional Director, and the technical team. ● Support the Advisory Board Chair and the Regional Director in developing the annual regional workplans and strategic priorities consistent with the approved flagships and relevant workstreams from the GFANZ Secretariat and UNEP-FI. ● Develop and coordinate the briefing, background materials and presentations for Advisory Board and Working Group meetings. ● Coordinate the documentation, archiving and management of key materials including Advisory Board minutes, presentations, concept notes, reports, and databases. ● Support the Africa Network in managing onboarding, staff capacity enhancements, performance evaluation and offboarding formalities. ● Supervise and follow up on routine administrative correspondence and tasks, review and prioritize important correspondence and tasks for execution within the expected deadlines. ● Liaise on a regular basis with UNEP-FI and the GFANZ Secretariat for management and administrative issues including events, budget etc. Outputs and Deliverables: ● Successful coordination of the quarterly advisory board and working group meetings. ● Efficient scheduling, follow-ups, and coordination for operational efficiency of the Network. ● Support for timely delivery of outcomes and impacts of activities. ● Cost-effective management of events with expected impacts. The consultant shall be under the overall supervision of Mr. Eric Usher, Head of UNEP FI and report to the GFANZ Africa Regional Director and climate lead UNEP FI.
Qualifications/special skills
Education: A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in economics, development studies, business management, Commerce, Administration, or related discipline. Professional Experience: 5 years of relevant and practical experience in coordination and communication roles in a regional or an international organization or similar institution focusing on development and/or finance issues.
Additional Information
Skills & Knowledge: ● Excellent leadership and technical skills with interpersonal qualities for team management. ● Demonstrate the ability to manage simultaneous, diverse, and varying tasks and priorities in a dynamic team environment to meet expected deadlines and milestones. ● Ability to work and cooperate with others from diverse backgrounds in a dynamic, international, and multicultural setting. ● Working knowledge of UNEP-FI and GFANZ objectives, flagships, policies and operations, administrative procedures and practices will be an added advantage. ● Demonstrate commitment to delivering excellent coordination and communication with diverse teams, partners, and stakeholders in an international organization. ● Demonstrate excellent reasoning and problem-solving skills with feasible outcomes and resolutions to challenging problems. ● Commitment to ensuring the efficient use of systems, technologies, procedures, and tools of the organization to enhance performance and operational efficiency of the organization. ● Strong analytical, operational, conceptual, and strategic skills. High degree of initiative and strong record of performance with low supervisory requirements to function effectively. ● Effective communication; highly stakeholder-oriented, good team- working relations. ● Competence in the use of standard software (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) and standard equipment such as computer, scanner, photocopies. Desirable: Previous working experience in Africa.