This is a local recruitment. Only Indian nationals or individuals with residence status or the appropriate employment visa for India are eligible to apply. The remuneration and benefits package for this position is established with reference to the local labour market and in line with the IUCN conditions of service for India.

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, was founded in 1948 and brings together over 1,100 members (States, government agencies, NGOs and affiliates) and some 11,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. Its mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. Within the framework of global conventions IUCN has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. IUCN has approximately 1,100 staff, most of whom are located in its regional and country offices while some 150 work at its Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN is represented in India by IUCN India Country Programme Office with the Country Representative as its head. IUCN India assists the federal, provincial and district governments, civil society organisations, private sector and other stakeholders in promoting conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and overall sustainable development in the country.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Country Representative is the head of IUCN’s operations in India under the agreement between IUCN and the Government of India, and has the overall responsibility for of representing IUCN in India and for the management of IUCN’s Programme in India. S/he will be expected to work closely with the members – both governmental and non-governmental, and commission members to build relationships and collaborative arrangements with all appropriate partners.

The Country Representative will also be responsible to build a stronger organizational IUCN presence in India leading to strengthening of the Asia Region’s operations.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:
- Maintain an excellent relationship with the Government of India; and ensure that the Host Country Agreement is valid at any given time;
- Provide membership support and services including coordination, facilitation and support to the IUCN Indian National Committee;
- Actively work towards enhancing IUCN membership in India;
- Ensure effective relationships are developed, maintained and strengthened between IUCN, governmental, non-governmental, civil society, donors, private sector and other stakeholders, as well as with the international organisations based in India;
- Promote IUCN as the institution that assists Indian members and other partners in building bridges with the Government, IUCN members and other institutions elsewhere in the world;
- Facilitate IUCN membership and Commissions network meetings that link the IUCN constituency in India to the secretariat programmes and regional and global governance;
- Ensure that the IUCN programme in the country is in alignment with IUCN’s global and regional priorities as well as to the national priorities;
- Provide leadership in programme development aligned with the ‘One Programme’ approach and take responsibility for ensuring that funding for the programme is secured, and ensure that associated programme and project documentation is produced for fund-raising purposes. This will include supervision of country specific project development activities and contribution to the development of integrated inter-country, regional and transboundary projects where and when appropriate;
- Ensure that the IUCN India Programme achieves scientific and technical integration with the Regional Programme Support Unit and the Natural Resources Group and with other country programmes (particularly those in the South Asia Country Group) as appropriate in support of national and regional programme objectives;
- Provide overall direction to and ensure efficient and cost effective, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of IUCN’s programme in India and the delivery of the expected results which contribute to the achievement of the Asia Regional component of the IUCN Intersessional Programme; including the establishment of programme, financial, and administrative reporting schedules as required by relevant agreements and partners, and ensuring that these reporting schedules are adhered to;
- Ensure that information and learning at the local level is utilized to impact on national policy and is fed into IUCN’s Knowledge Management systems to enable impacts on regional and global policies; and make regional and global knowledge available to support and inform national and local debate and decision making;
- Maintain regular contacts with Members and other partners , with a view to exploring new areas of interest for the IUCN Programme and ensure effective coordination of all IUCN Secretariat contacts with all partners;
- Effectively deploy the administrative, financial and technical resources available to the IUCN Secretariat Programme in India, and ensure that these are used in conformity with relevant IUCN norms and standards, contributing to and benefiting from the integrated finance and technical resource model of the region, and provide or make available such support in this respect to IUCN units as may be necessary;
- Ensure that regular support and inputs are provided to IUCN staff in India through regular on-going performance management with a view to building up a diverse and integrated team of IUCN personnel in the country which is viewed and views itself as a component of a wider South Asia Group and regional team;
- Establish regular management ,administrative and programme reporting linkages through the South Asia Group to IUCN Asia Regional Office in Bangkok, and with other IUCN programmes and administrative units or offices as required;
- Lead in change management in the Country Office as and when new regional structures and systems adjustments are put in place to group or re-group Country Offices; and
- Perform any other duties as may be required by the Regional Director from time to time.