IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government agencies and civil society organisations. It provides public, private, and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development, and nature conservation to take place together. Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 950 staff in more than 50 countries. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,500 Member organisations and some 18,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments, and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools, and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous people’s organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems, and improve people’s well-being.

The IUCN Ocean Team is comprised of staff committed to effectively addressing key global challenges in the marine and polar environment. The Ocean Team cooperates with other IUCN thematic and regional Teams programmes and with IUCN Commission experts to ensure that marine and polar ecosystems are maintained and restored in their biodiversity and productivity, and that any use of the resources is sustainable and equitable. The Ocean team has been engaging on the Global plastic pollution agenda for 10 years and developing and implementing initiatives in 20 plus countries across the plastic life cycles on methodologies for assessment, policy and solutions to reducing waste. As part of IUCN’s plastic pollution portfolio, IUCN signed an agreement with United States State Department to host the End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC) in September 2023. The programme will galvanize global action that builds on the momentum from the ongoing negotiations for an international, legally binding instrument to halt plastic pollution to complement actions taken by national governments and offers innovative solutions to advance plastic circularity through public-private partnerships.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES

This position will serve in the role of Chief of Party for the End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC) Project that is supported by the US State Department and managed by a consortium led by IUCN and includes The Aspen Institute, The Ocean Foundation, and Searious Business.

Specific Tasks

1. Project portfolio management, development, and resource mobilisation

i.Ensure effective and efficient project management, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, in coordination with key stakeholders of each of the participating countries and regions and consortium partners, in compliance with IUCN and donor guidelines throughout implementation of the project.

a.Project management delivery – Serve as the lead for EPPIC– which blends both project management and technical knowledge and/or experience – including budget control and donor reporting.

b.Oversight and management of implementation EPPIC partners programme of work and budget review and coordinating project review meetings with partners and IUCN global and regional offices engaging in delivery of project outputs.

ii.Serve as lead for preparation for steering committee meetings and ensuring meetings follow procedures and protocols established under the project governance structure.

iii.Ensure project is aligned to IUCN Global Plastics portfolio and leverages those resources and knowledge where appropriate.

iv.Support programme development through IUCN representation, networking, and fundraising.

v.Support a collaborative approach to programme delivery that capitalizes on the Union’s expertise.

vi.In the implementation of the project portfolio, work collaboratively with other IUCN Centres and Regions, IUCN Commissions and Members.

vii.Maintain and establish high quality relationships with donors ensuring that donor expectations and requirements, including all aspects of reporting and communications, are fully met.

viii.Ensure that project is managed are delivered according to established procedures and protocols, following IUCN guidelines (legal, financial procurement, etc) and oversee the development of Terms of Reference for consultants and support services.


2. Policy and representation

i.Representing EPPIC at global, regional and national level and engaging with institutions addressing plastic pollution and prospective partners. This includes the drafting of text and quality-control on policy-related submissions on behalf of the consortium.

ii.Support IUCN’s plastic pollution programme integrating learning and expertise, in conjunction with the IUCN International Policy Centre, into relevant policy mechanisms related to plastic pollution, with specific focus on the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution under negotiations.


3. Communication

iii.Represent IUCN, where appropriate, at high-level international fora and global networks in an advisory role on with key knowledge areas of plastic pollution and ocean conservation.

iv.Contribute to IUCN international engagements with partners and institutions on ocean matters related to plastic pollution and its management.

v.Contribute to the implementation of the communications strategy for plastic pollution, as guided by the Head, Ocean Team, and with the support of the Knowledge Management and Library Team, and Global Communications Unit.

vi.Contribute to the promotion and implementation of outreach activities to publicise the work carried out under the project through relevant media and in collaboration with the Global Communication Unit.


The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a small organization such as 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 job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee's responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the employee and the Human Resources Management Group.