United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre

Programme Assistant
Terms of Reference

Job Purpose
To support the Centre’s programme of work in the Latin American and the Caribbean region.
Key Functions
Under the supervision of the Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Programme Assistant will perform the following activities:
 Undertake the day-to-day administrative and secretarial tasks, such as gathering information, drafting documents, handling office communication, travel arrangements, etc
 Assist in the elaboration of documents and analysis
 Assist in project management, monitoring and reporting
 Assist with the development of new project concepts and proposals
 Liaise with partners (projects, UN agencies and other counterparts) on the development of the programme activities
 Preparation and attendance to meetings, missions and any related events accompanied by the Regional Coordinator or on their behalf; registration and dissemination of results of meetings, missions and events
 Perform any other duties as might be required for the success and effective co-ordination of the Centre’s activities in the region and internationally
Qualifications/Education
Masters degree in environmental science or other related field.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Essential
 3 years of relevant experience in conservation or environmental projects
 Demonstrated competence in undertaking organisational, administrative and financial administration tasks
 Demonstrated competence in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages
 Demonstrated interest and understanding of key biodiversity and environmental issues and concepts, in particular those related to Brazil and Latin America and the Caribbean more generally
Desirable
 Working knowledge with databases and geographic information systems
 Experience in project proposal development and fundraising
 Experience working with governmental and UN agencies
 Experience working internationally
PARTICULAR SKILLS REQUIRED
 Fluency in written and spoken Portuguese and English – Spanish or other UN languages desirable
 Highly developed tact and diplomatic skills
 Strong organisational and administrative skills
 Attention to detail
 Ability to work to tight deadlines
We are looking for a person who is enthusiastic and is able to work well both independently and as part of a team. The successful applicant is expected to demonstrate both flexibility and team skills.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
The successful applicant will be based at the UNEP Brazil office in Brasilia, Brazil, but may be required to travel nationally and internationally to fulfil the requirements of this position.
The contract will be issued as a consultancy with the Charity WCMC 2000 based in Cambridge, UK.
HOW TO APPLY
Qualified candidates may submit their applications to: recruitmentbrazil@unep-wcmc.org quoting reference “programmeassistantBR01”.
Applications should be sent in English and must include: (a) detailed curriculum vitae (b) covering letter and (c) salary expectations.
Deadline for applying: 17th February 2010
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Only short-listed qualified candidates will receive an acknowledgement.