Overview
The Technical Project Specialist will lead the execution of GEF Mar 2, support coordination with Mamirauá, and contribute to the Better Environment agenda. The role also supports aquatic food systems and blue transformation initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate and support the daily implementation of all project activities, ensuring alignment with the approved work plan and budget, and expected results.
- Coordinate with the LTO, BH, and other teams, as appropriate, to ensure consistency across programs and strategic alignment with national and FAO priorities.
- Facilitate engagement and articulation with key stakeholders at national, state, and local levels, ensuring effective functioning of governance platforms and coherence between policies, programs, and projects.
- Ensuring a high level of collaboration among participating institutions and organizations at the national and local levels
- Ensure meaningful engagement of stakeholders in line with the Stakeholder Engagement Plan
- Maintain linkages with relevant national and international initiatives to promote synergies and avoid duplication.
- Perform other duties related to project management and institutional coordination, as required.
- Coordinate and update the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP/B), ensuring alignment with implementation progress and strategic priorities.
- Maintain and update the Results Framework in coordination with the Partners and technical teams.
- Track progress of all outputs, outcomes, and activities, ensuring timely delivery of inputs, milestones, and deliverables.
- Coordinate monitoring missions, data collection, and progress assessments.
- Register progress in corporate systems (e.g. FPMIS) and other monitoring tools.
- Prepare technical and financial progress reports (semi-annual and annual) following FAO and GEF requirements.
- Monitor project expenditures and support the financial team to ensure accuracy and compliance with FAO/GEF rules.
- Ensure consistency between reported progress, financial execution, and field evidence.
- Organize technical missions, workshops, training sessions, and consultations as required.
- Provide technical and administrative support to the Project Steering Committee / Management Committee, including preparation of briefing documents, action plans, agendas, and meeting minutes.
- Facilitate discussion and follow-up of findings from monitoring, field visits, audits, and evaluations within governance structures.
- Ensure that evidence from monitoring and assurance processes informs decision-making, adaptive management, and adjustments to planning instruments (e.g. POA/AWP).
- Ensure that project resources are used exclusively to achieve the project’s objectives and in compliance with FAO/GEF and national regulations.
- Provide technical and fiduciary oversight of the Operational Partner (OP) and Operational Partner Agreement (OPA), including verification of implementation progress and results.
- Review and validate narrative and financial reports from the OP, triangulating with field evidence.
- Ensure that project funds are used for intended purposes through appropriate verification mechanisms, including field visits.
- Plan and implement field visits as part of the Risk Mitigation and Assurance Plan (RMAP), in coordination with BH and LTO, with frequency defined based on risk (minimum annually).
- Supervise audits, spot checks, and other assurance activities.
- Identify operational, technical, and fiduciary risks, and propose corrective actions.
- Escalate critical issues and trigger additional assurance measures when needed.
- Ensure compliance with FAO, GEF, and national regulations.
- Oversee the implementation of the project Communication and Visibility Plan.
- Review and validate communication products developed by partners to ensure alignment with FAO and donor requirements.
- Provide overall technical leadership for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal/marine management, and ecological restoration activities in Brazil.
- Provide overall technical leadership for implementation of project outcomes and outputs.
- Ensure the scientific and methodological soundness of all technical activities.
- Provide technical guidance to executing partners, field specialists, consultants, and institutional partners.
- Review and approve technical deliverables and reports submitted by experts and consultants.
- Ensure alignment of project interventions with national policies, FAO methodologies, and GEF guidelines.
- Monitor scientific and policy developments related to marine conservation, fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal governance, integrating relevant updates into project implementation.
- Other tasks related to aquatic food systems as may be determined based on work needs.
- Support FAO Brazil in representing fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal/marine issues in inter-institutional dialogues, technical groups, and government-led initiatives.
- Promote technical synergies between GEF-funded and non-GEF initiatives and international cooperation programs within the project’s geographic scope.
- Provide technical input for new project proposals or strategic documents within FAO’s Better Environment portfolio.
Required Experience
- At least 8 years of experience in coordination of environmental, fisheries, aquaculture, natural resource management projects or public administration related to mentioned areas of which minimum 5 years of experience in natural resources project coordination
- Familiarity with FAO procedures or other UN agency processes.
- Familiarity with GEF project requirements and reporting.
- Experience in Communication and Knowledge Management
- Experience with monitoring and Evaluation
- Demonstrable experience in leading teams and preparing high quality technical documents
Qualifications
- University degree in public policy, environmental sciences, biology, fisheries/aquaculture, geography, forest engineering, or related fields.
- Advance degree in a related area, preferably with emphasis on restoration, coastal/marine management, fisheries, or aquatic systems.
