The Senior Waste Management Expert will operate under the direct supervision of the UN-Habitat project focal point in the Regional Office for Africa (ROAF). This role is crucial for providing technical oversight, project management, coordination, and knowledge sharing activities related to waste management programs, particularly focusing on project implementation in partner countries/cities in Africa. The UN Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the world's 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 environment.
Responsibilities
Technical Oversight and Quality Control
- Provide necessary technical oversight and guidance to the project.
- Offer technical advice for project decision-making processes.
- Ensure technical quality control across all project components.
Project Management and Coordination
- Assist in leading key project implementation steps, including procurement, team setup, and onboarding of technical consultancy firms.
- Supervise consultancy firms, inception of preliminary feasibility studies.
- Undertake in-country missions, including organizing kick-off meetings.
- Consult on the findings and review draft reports, in close collaboration with UN-Habitat country offices and development partners.
- Assist in coordination of project implementation at the regional level, ensuring harmonization of approaches across country activities and facilitating communication between regional and country offices.
- Technically supervise project personnel in country project offices for the implementation of project activities at the country level, covering work planning, activity coordination, quality control, and trouble shooting, among others.
- Oversee procurement, budget and financial management, recruitment, and onboarding of project staff and consultants.
- Coordinate project monitoring and project reporting.
Establish Country-Level Government Coordination Mechanisms in Partner Countries/Cities
- Map relevant stakeholders in coordination with the government counterpart.
- Assist in the establishment of country-level coordination committees involving government ministries, local departments, Universities, Civil Society Organizations, and other stakeholders.
- Provide technical support to facilitate the effective functioning of the country-level coordination committees.
Partnership Building
- Assist in partnership building and liaison with development partners at the regional level.
- Develop and maintain partnerships with development partners, relevant UN agencies, and other stakeholders (e.g., academic communities, civil society) at the country level in coordination with the UN-Habitat project focal point in ROAF.
- Assist in the participation of UN-Habitat in conferences, workshops, and meetings, including preparing talking points, presentations, and other necessary materials.
- Coordinate with UN-Habitat HQ branches and other regional offices as required.
Knowledge Sharing
- Coordinate the compilation of lessons learned from project implementation at the country level.
- Assist in the organization of national, regional, and interregional knowledge sharing workshops and events, leveraging existing platforms such as the World Urban Forum, African Urban Forum, and national urban forums.
- Assist in the development of visibility and communication materials in support of knowledge sharing nationally, regionally, and internationally.
Other Duties
- Perform any other related duties as assigned by the UN-Habitat project focal point in ROAF.
Qualifications/Special Skills
- Education: An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental/Civil Engineering/Waste Management, Environmental Sciences or a related field is required. A first-level university degree combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in waste management and related areas is required.
- Experience in implementing development programmes/projects, particularly in Africa, is desirable.
- Experience working with the United Nations system or an international organization is desirable.
