Technical Officer

The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is the ninth largest body of water in the world and the largest semi-enclosed coastal sea in the Western Atlantic. Its eastern, northern, and north-western shores span 2,700 km and touch on five U.S. states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas); south-western and southern shores span 2,243 km and lie along five Mexican states (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and the northernmost tip of Quintana Roo). On its southeast quadrant the Gulf is bordered by Cuba. The distinctive geographic and biophysical characteristics of the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem (GoM-LME) makes it an important global reservoir of biodiversity and one of the most productive of the 66 LMEs in the world. The GoM-LME provides economic wealth, products, food, services, cultural heritage, and energy directly to the countries that share it and contributes to oceanic biodiversity as a whole. The GoM currently supports approximately 55 million people, 40 million in U.S. coastal states and 15 million in the Mexican ones. Of the numerous rivers draining into the GoM, the Mississippi and Rio Grande rivers in the northern GoM, the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers in the southern Gulf are the most notable. The GoM-LME is a major asset to its coastal countries in terms of fisheries and seafood processing, tourism, agriculture, oil infrastructure, trade, and shipping.

The UNEP/GEF Project “Implementation of the Strategic Action Program of the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem” (GEF ID 6952; 2020-2024 – GoM SAP Implementation Project) is a 4-year project specifically aimed at facilitating the implementation of the Mexico/U.S. endorsed Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA – 2011) and Strategic Action Plan (SAP – 2013) for the integrated management of the GoM-LME.

Goal: The goal of the project is to address the three main challenges identified by the SAP, i.e., controlling and reducing pollution; recovering living marine resources; and rehabilitating marine and coastal ecosystems. This will result in improved water quality, rehabilitation of the coastal and marine ecosystems, and avoid depletion of marine resources in the GoM-LME.

Objective: The project is specifically aimed at facilitating the implementation of the Mexico/U.S. endorsed Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA – 2011) and Strategic Action Plan (SAP – 2013) for the integrated management of the GoM-LME. The Project will achieve this by prioritizing the implementation of coordinated and integrated sustainable ecosystem-based management approaches (EBM) to address the transboundary concerns of countries bordering the GoM. It involves actions around the following four components:

• Improve Water Quality
• Avoid depletion and recover living marine resources (LMR – Fish and shellfish)
• Conserve and restore the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems through community involvement and enhanced bilateral cooperation
• Monitoring, Evaluation and, Knowledge Management

The GoM-LME project is seeking to hire a Technical Officer, Hydrology for its Project Coordination Unit (PCU) to be based in Mexico (Mexico City or Merida, Yucatan, TBC). The Technical Officer will work together with the GoM-LME Project Coordinator and other PCU Staff to support the overall coordination and day-to-day management of the Project. Close collaboration with other PCU staff members is expected to ensure coherence in the execution of project activities under the different components.

The Technical Officer, Hydrology will support the technical delivery of the Project’s Component 1: “Improve Water Quality”, in close coordination with the selected Implementation Partners (IPs) and other project partners, and in line with UNOPS project management standards and UNEP’s technical requirements. The Technical Officer will work within a team to support the smooth running of the GoM-LME Project for the timely delivery of high quality technical outputs and ensure that the project’s targets under Component 1 are met and fully compliant with applicable donor/client/UNOPS rules and regulations.

Component 1 considers the following outputs:

• Assess water pollution indicators and reinforce quality monitoring mechanisms
• Strengthen the dialogue between government and industry
• Implementation of the UNIDO TEST methodology in priority hot spots identified in the SAP
• Implementation of the Environmental Monitoring Programme
• Several IPs will be engaged as co-executing agencies to carry-out the planned activities under each output. The Technical Officer, Hydrology, will act as the main liaison with the IPs for the successful delivery of the outputs under Component 1.
• The position is a full-time assignment for six months (September 2024 – March 2025), subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds.

Functional Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision and guidance of the GoM-LME Project Coordinator, the Technical Officer, Hydrology, will have the following main functions: 

Technical Support for Project Implementation:

Support the delivery of technical activities directly implemented by the PCU, IPs, consultants and/or other contractors under Component 1. The planned activities under Component 1 will support the development and/or improvement of ​​water quality monitoring stations and wastewater treatment plants, building capacities for implementing and strengthening mechanisms for water quality control and monitoring, identifying priorities for the reduction of industrial pollution and piloting pollution reduction strategies in selected industries, and implementing an environmental monitoring programme. 

Prepare and contribute to the preparation, translation and quality control of project outputs under Component 1, including technical and progress reports, technical content for meetings, experience notes and advocacy materials. 

Collaboration with Key Project Partners: 

• Liaise regularly with IPs, including the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as government counterparts, to ensure the effective implementation of the project, in line with the project agreement between UNOPS and UNEP, and as per UNOPS project management standards.
• Develop and support communications and dialogue with other project partners and institutions involved in the implementation of project activities.
• Represent the project at relevant meetings and present technical materials related to the Project at these events.
• Support collaboration with other relevant projects in the region and globally with a view to further support the implementation of the GoM-LME Project.
• Identify opportunities and secure additional stakeholder buy-in and support for the GoM-LME Project.

Project Management Support: 

• Provide technical input for the recruitment and/or procurement of goods and services to the project team and in coordination with relevant UNOPS units.
• Oversee, provide technical advice and support, exercise technical quality control and compliance checks for project activities executed by IPs, consultants and other contractors.
• Assist with the dissemination of results achieved by IPs, consultants and other contractors through the Project’s established communication channels.
• Support the development and management of a GoM Project communication strategy, providing the technical elements for Component 1.
• Support the convening of meetings for the Project; including the preparation and distribution of the relevant background documents; and preparation and dissemination of official meeting reports.
• Provide technical inputs in the development and periodic revisions of the project budgets, work plans and project reports.
• Assist the PCU in ensuring project compliance with mandatory GEF, UNEP and UNOPS requirements (including requirements under the UNOPS Project Management Manual)
• Solicit inputs for and review project monitoring documents such as annual work plans, progress reports, reports on risks and challenges in line with UNOPS, UNEP and Global Environment Facility (GEF) requirements. Ensure quality control and conduct final editorial work on the submitted reports.
• Other related duties, as requested by the Project Coordinator

Education/Experience/Language requirements:

Education: 

• A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Hydrobiology, Hydrology, Oceanography, Oceanology, Marine Science, Marine Ecology, Biology, Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Marine Biology, Environmental Engineering, or a related field(s) relevant to the assignment is required.
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in the above-mentioned areas of specialization is an asset.

Experience: 

Required:

• A minimum of two (2) years of progressive working experience in an international project setting is required. Project implementation experience in Mexico is a strong asset.
• A minimum of two (2) years of  experience in one or more of the following technical fields: hydrobiology, hydrology, oceanography, oceanology, marine and coastal ecology, aquatic ecosystems, fisheries, marine protected areas management, climate change, environmental education, watershed management and water quality enhancement, is required.

Assets:

• Experience with the monitoring and evaluation of relevant projects/programs is highly desirable.
• Experience in the coordination of complex, multi-faceted projects is desired.
• Knowledge of GEF funded projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in managing relations with environmental authorities in governmental institutions in Mexico is a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with Mexico context and professional experience with its geopolitical, cultural, social and economic setting, including international treaties and environmental agreements is highly preferred.
• Expertise in engaging with 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 and/or the GEF, including their administrative processes, is an asset.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Office 2003 and/or newer versions) and experience in handling web-based systems is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish is required.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=28477#2