Stellenbeschreibung

WMO – World Meteorological Organization

Junior Professional Officer Programme (JPO)

Terms of Reference Chiffre Nr. 2025-1-15

I. General Information

Title: JPO Associate Programme Officer

Organization: WMO – World Meteorological Organization

Sector of Assignment: Drought and Flood Management/ Early Warnings For All (EW4All)

Organization/Office: Services Department (S) / Applied Climate Services Division, Climate Services Branch

Country and Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland

Duration: 2 years with possibility of extension for another year. The extension of appointment is subject to yearly review concerning priorities, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance

Please note that for participants of the JPO-Programme two years work experience are mandatory! Relevant work experience can be counted. In order to assess the eligibility of the candidates, we review the relevant experience acquired after obtaining the first university degree (usually bachelor’s degree).

II. Supervision

Title of Supervisor: Head of the Applied Climate Services

Content and methodology of supervision:

• Bi-weekly meetings with supervisor
• establishment of a work plan, with clear key results
• participation in meetings including managerial level to ensure integration and operational effectiveness
• guidance and advice in relation to learning and training opportunities within the field of expertise

III. Duties, Responsibilities and Output Expectations

1. Provide technical support to the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) and the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) with focus on contributions to the UN Early Warnings For All Initiative (EW4All);
2. Assist in liaising and developing projects and activities with key WMO partners including FAO, UNCCD, UNESCO, CBD, WFP, and other UN and International organizations related with drought, water scarcity, flood, agriculture and/or food security;
3. Provide technical support in the implementation of various extrabudgetary projects on drought and/or flood in various countries in Africa, Asia, Latin and Central America and the Pacific Islands;
4. Coordinate the preparation and implementation of capacity building and knowledge management activities;
5. Support communication activities for IDMP and APFM;
6. Assist in editing and writing technical reports and documents;
7. Carry out other relevant duties as required.

IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree from a recognized university or technical institute in meteorology, hydrology, climatology, geography, agriculture, physics or engineering.

Work experience:

• 2 years of experience in the field of climate change, drought, water scarcity, flood, agriculture or similar. 
• Knowledge on biological systems especially agriculture is an advantage.
• High sense of integrity, responsibility, and maturity of judgment; ability to work autonomously; good level of initiative and creativity; demonstrated ability to plan, organize and manage multiple workloads; ability to draft reports, and position papers clearly and succinctly.

Languages:

Excellent knowledge of English (both oral and written). Knowledge of other official languages of the Organization would be an advantage. (Note: The official languages of the Organization are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.)

Other skills:   

• Ability to work efficiently in a multicultural environment.
• Interest in societal, technical and policy-related issues pertaining to weather and climate extremes.
• Good communication skills.

V. Learning Elements

On completion of the assignment, the JPO will have

• A deep understanding and comprehend applicable practice of integrated drought and flood management
• Comprehend applicable practice in drought and flood management with a focus on Early Warning Systems and a general understanding of related international organization practices.
• Complete WMO mandatory trainings.
• Carry out the main activities in support of the a drought and flood work programme processes and understand the challenges of the function area in a multicultural environment of an international specialized UN Organization.
• Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills, and opportunity to attend UN language training organized by UNOG.
• Develop and maintain relations with various stakeholders and develop networks with considerable insight into drought and agricultural meteorology etc practices within the UN system.

VI. Background Information

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with 191 Member States and Territories. It is the UN system’s authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

The mission of WMO is to:

• Facilitate worldwide cooperation in the establishment of networks of stations for the making of meteorological observations as well as hydrological and other geophysical observations related to meteorology, and to promote the establishment and maintenance of centres charged with the provision of meteorological and related services.
• Promote the establishment and maintenance of systems for the rapid exchange of meteorological and related information.
• Promote standardization of meteorological and related observations and to ensure the uniform publication of observations and statistics.
• Further the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping, water problems, agriculture and other human activities.
• Promote activities in operational hydrology and to further close cooperation between Meteorological and Hydrological Services.
• Encourage research and training in meteorology and, as appropriate, in related fields, and to assist in coordinating the international aspects of such research and training.

Sector of Assignment:

Floods and droughts have major impacts on societies, economies and ecosystems, and those impacts are increasing, particularly in developing countries. The magnitude and frequency of droughts and floods are rising under climate change, whilst at the same time a growing population is becoming more exposed to those hazards. Moreover, it is the most vulnerable who are hit hardest by climatic extremes.

Tackling these challenges requires shifting from crisis management to risk management. To support this shift and drive action, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) are spearheading integrated and prospective flood and drought management through two major programmes:, the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM), established in 2002, and the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP), established in 2013. The programmes combine the excellence of WMO in technical solutions like end-to-end Early Warning Systems and their structures of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services with the networks of GWP and their whole-of society approach to reduce risks of floods and droughts at local, national and regional level. The programmes also draw on a strong partners base with over 70 partners from all relevant sectors including international organizations, academia, national and regional organizations and private sector, all contributing with their specific knowledge and expertise in Integrated Flood Management (IFM) and/or Integrated Drought Management (IDM) to the programmes and guiding their activities.

UN competencies:

Professionalism: Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis on environment and climate issues, particularly as they relate to business. Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2025-1-15 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

Alle Informationen finden Sie unter www.bfio.de