Background
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was founded in 1948 and brings together over 1,400 members (States, government agencies, NGOs and affiliates) and some 15,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. Its mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. IUCN has approximately 950 staff, most of whom are located in its regional and country offices, and at its Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.
The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, based in Malaga, Spain is devoted to promoting sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation through cooperation and shared values and culture. During the past two years, the centre has developed a new strategy to address more effectively the Mediterranean conservation challenges and the position of the centre in the region. IUCN Med is actively managing a portfolio of key initiatives and projects aimed at ensuring conservation and sustainable development of the Mediterranean region.
IUCN Med is currently looking for a Marine and Coastal Project officer that will support the development and financing of key regional projects, under the supervision of senior staff of the organization.
In particular, IUCN is looking for a suitable candidate experienced in project management and skilled in coastal restoration, as well as marine and coastal conservation governance. Knowledge on the Blue economy will also be positively considered.
IUCN is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes applications from qualified women and men.
Job Description
The main tasks for the Marine and Coastal Project officer will include, but will not be limited to, the following:
- Under the supervision of the Ecosystem resilience and Spatial Planning manager, act as project manager for IUCN Med in the Horizon project Rest COAST, a project aimed at applying coastal restoration techniques for coast-river ecosystems and trying to identify governance and long-term financial viability. IUCN Med is responsible for the coordination of Work Package 5 about Governance as well as participating in other WP of the project. This is the major role of the Marine and Coastal Project officer and amounts to around 80% of his/her time dedication.
- Under the supervision of Nature-based Solutions and Climate change manager, support the office work on mainstreaming and capitalizing knowledge and tools to address adaptation and mitigation of marine and coastal environments to Climate Change. A specific focus will be on Nature Based Solutions and Blue economy initiatives and opportunities.
- Under the supervision of the Regional Programme Coordinator and/or the IUCN-Med Director, support the positioning and represent when requested IUCN marine programmes (at Global, Mediterranean and North African levels) in the Mediterranean Region through a close collaboration with the International Governance bodies present in the Region as well as through the active participation in appropriate regional and sub-regional fora and meetings on matters related to coastal restoration, nature-based solutions and climate change.
- Conducting the above technical responsibilities in full collaboration and cooperation with the other IUCN-Med programmes, IUCN Mediterranean Members, IUCN Commission experts groups, in particular, the World Commission of Protected Areas (WCPA), the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), and the World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL), and with IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme (GMPP) as well as with other IUCN regional offices.
SPECIFIC DUTIES:
In pursuing the above objectives, the Marine and Coastal Project Officer is responsible for supporting implementation, monitoring performance, and ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and quality outputs and will undertake the following duties:
- Contribute to the implementation and efficient technical and financial management of the above-mentioned projects as well as any other new associated initiative that might arise.
- Develop and administer project work plans, budgets, internal agreements, contracts and progress reports as required by collaborating partners, steering committees and donors, and be accountable for portfolio-related expenditures in accordance with IUCN procurement procedures.
- In collaboration with the IUCN-Med senior Staff, and with the Global Marine and Polar Programme (GMPP) team, support the fundraising effort from national and international donors to ensure the sustainability of the office marine’s portfolio
- Support the development of performance indicators to assess the success of the programme component in meeting its objectives and results.
- Assist the Centre’s Director in developing and maintaining local, national, regional and global working relationships with key partners and donors.
- Integrate principles of marine and coastal conservation, management and science into government policy and regional conventions.
The associate projects of the Marine Programme Portfolio should be managed in a way that will ensure the sustainability of the Marine Mediterranean Unit and contribute to the overall Mediterranean Programme and North Africa sub-Programme in coordination with Marine conservation work at the global level.
Please Note: The above TORs contain the main responsibilities and duties of this position. However, in an ever-evolving organisation 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 TORs. Where any task becomes a regular part of a staff member’s responsibilities, the TORs should be changed in consultation between the manager, the staff member and the HR Unit. Any one of the three may initiate the consultation.
Requirements
- Degree or higher-level qualification (Master) in coastal/marine biodiversity conservation or a related science/social science.
- Strong background in coastal/marine resources conservation, policy and management, in particular related to coastal restoration, governance, climate impacts on coastal and marine systems and blue economy, with at least 5 years’ experience preferably in the Mediterranean region.
- Extensive proven experience in all phases of project implementation and management is essential, including, planning, execution, monitoring, and technical and financial reporting.
- Experience in proposal writing/project development/management for InterregMed, LIFE and Horizon calls (or any major funds).
- Demonstrated fundraising capacity through bilateral or multilateral donors.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of French will be highly considered., Knowledge of any other Mediterranean languages (eg. Arabic, Spanish, Italian…) will be an asset.
- Experience and working record with a network of contacts and organizations for conservation of the marine environment in the Mediterranean region will be highly valued.
- A positive and proactive attitude: Ability to balance “analysis” with “doing” while setting high standards for self and committing to organisational goals.
- Cultural awareness and sensitivity to gender issues as well as people and performance management.
- Excellent managerial, analytical, interpersonal and team building skills.
- The annual gross salary for this position is 41.000 €. IUCN will cover a private medical insurance for the candidate and his/her direct family
Applications
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the “Apply” button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
For more information, please check this link.