Overview
Lead the implementation of the Blueing the Caspian Sea project, ensuring delivery of outputs and activities in line with national priorities, managing the Project Implementation Unit, and liaising with project stakeholders to achieve project objectives within budget and timeline.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitates the implementation and delivery of outputs and activities in line with national priorities.
- Leads the establishment and maintenance of implementation arrangements and associated legal agreements.
- Provides oversight and guidance for project activities.
- Provides technical advice and support to implementation partners.
- Coordinates with beneficiary governments and line ministries.
- Manages the organization and convening of national and multi-country meetings.
- Ensures monitoring of overall project implementation, facilitating reviews and evaluations, and completing reporting requirements.
- Acts as Secretary to the Steering Committee.
- Liaises regularly with government officials, national focal points, and other stakeholders.
- Develops and supports networks of participating individuals and institutions.
- Initiates collaborative arrangements with relevant projects.
- Oversees the publication and distribution of all substantive and technical reports.
- Organizes and supervises peer reviews of project outputs.
- Facilitates the identification of opportunities to expand project outcomes and outputs.
- Supervises and guides PIU personnel.
- Manages the learning, development, and performance of project personnel.
- Acts as the Project Manager in the UNOPS ERP system.
- Liaises regularly with project partners, including the World Bank, government counterparts, and line ministries.
- Solicits inputs from project partners in the preparation of project monitoring documents.
- Encourages capacity-building activities for personnel.
- Interacts with other Project Managers to share case studies, lessons learned, and best practices.
- Contributes to the oversight of lessons learned procedures.
- Participates in relevant Communities of Practice.
- Conducts research and logs lessons learned.
- Provides feedback to UNOPS internal Practice Groups on policy and supporting guidance.
Required Experience
- A minimum of 7 years of progressive working experience in environmental-related programme/projects is required.
- At least 5 years of this experience must involve overseeing or managing complex projects, implementation, managing teams and budgets, and engaging with senior stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience in liaising with ministries, and other national partners on project implementation.
- Experience in projects related to management of water resources and marine-coastal ecosystems, in particular the Caspian Sea, is desirable.
- Demonstrated experience in the management of multi-country and multi-disciplinary projects, such as GEF-funded projects, is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated experience in the region, and familiarity with its geopolitical, cultural, social and economic setting, including international treaties and environmental agreements, highly preferred.
- Expertise in managing multiple and high-level stakeholders and government partners, including production and dissemination of public awareness materials would be considered an asset.
- Knowledge of the United Nations system, working with World Bank and Global Environment Facility, including their administrative processes, is a strong asset.
Qualifications
• Required Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in a relevant field such as environmental sciences, natural resource management, sustainability, political science, public policy or another related discipline with 9 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience is required.
