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Junior Professional

Vacancy #:   3926
Unit:   World Heritage Programme
Organisation:   International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:   Cambridge Office, Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Reporting to:   Senior Monitoring Officer (World Heritage Outlook Coordinator)
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   YP
Expected start date:   01 March 2019
Type of contract:   Max-term (22 months with possibility of renewal)
Closing date:   10 February 2019 (extended)
BACKGROUND
This position will be based in IUCN's Cambridge office. The successful candidate will be required to be stationed in our Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland for an initial period of up to one month of the assignment where training will be facilitated.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention is one of the most prestigious international agreements which aims to protect the world’s natural and cultural places of outstanding universal value (OUV). The World Heritage List comprises those sites which meet the rigorous criteria for OUV and should have the highest standards of care and management. Natural World Heritage sites are often considered as nature's “crown jewels” and include sites such as the Galapagos Islands, the Serengeti, and the Great Barrier Reef.

IUCN is the official advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. IUCN makes recommendations on sites proposed for inscription and on action to support sites facing threats. IUCN’s World Heritage Programme implements initiatives to enhance the role of the World Heritage Convention in protecting biodiversity, and to promote effective use of its mechanisms to strengthen the conservation, management and contribution to sustainable development of natural World Heritage sites.

Since 2011, a key area of IUCN’s work on World Heritage has been the development of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook (worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org), the first global assessment of natural World Heritage sites. The IUCN World Heritage Outlook aims to provide reliable, transparent and independent information on the present situation and future prospects of natural World Heritage through Conservation Outlook Assessments. The IUCN World Heritage Outlook aims to identify the most pressing conservation issues facing sites, recognise well-managed sites, show the benefits provided to people by these sites, and track the state of conservation of sites systematically through time. It was launched in 2014, with a first update released in 2017. The second update is scheduled for 2020.

The Junior Professional will be part of the IUCN World Heritage Programme, which comprises a small team of staff based at IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, at the IUCN Cambridge Office in the UK and in several other outposted offices.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The main area of responsibility for this Junior Professional position will be supporting the second update of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook, planned for 2020, with a particular focus on the processes related to the preparation of the updated Conservation Outlook Assessments (247 as of 2018). This includes, but is not limited to: literature review and compilation of relevant documents on all natural and mixed sites; management of these documents in the IUCN World Heritage Programme ‘knowledge bank’ (electronic document repository); liaison with knowledge-holders, as well as experts involved in the update of assessments (assessors and reviewers); management of a contacts database of World Heritage experts; support to internal quality assurance processes for Conservation Outlook Assessments; and editing content in the IUCN World Heritage Outlook website as relates to the 2020 update of assessments.
As a secondary order or responsibility this position will also provide administrative and logistical support to the Programme’s broader work on evaluating new natural and mixed properties which are proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List, and monitoring the state of conservation of existing natural and mixed World Heritage properties.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

1. Support the IUCN World Heritage Programme in the preparation of the second update of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook planned to be launched in November 2020. This will involve:
a. Literature review and compilation of relevant documents (technical reports, scientific articles, media articles, management plans, official World Heritage Convention documentation etc.) on all natural and mixed World Heritage sites (247 as of 2018), through online research and consultation with key knowledge-holders;
b. Support for maintenance and development of IUCN’s electronic file repositories and archiving systems, including management of the Programme’s electronic knowledge bank and Flickr photo repository;
c. Liaison with experts involved in the update of assessments (assessors and reviewers), providing technical support and relevant documentation to help them complete assessments via an online module.
d. Support to internal quality assurance processes for Conservation Outlook Assessments (e.g. completeness checks, coordinating proofreading, support with preparing documents for Regional Review Groups and the IUCN World Heritage Panel)
e. Support in the content management of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook website, as required.
f. Ongoing support in the management of the World Heritage Programme contacts database on IUCN’s internal system and in its development through the identification of relevant experts for different activities (e.g. assessors, reviewers, field mission experts, trainers, etc.).

2. Support World Heritage monitoring and evaluation processes
a. Support in the organisation of field missions (contractual arrangements and logistics) and management of World Heritage documentation, required for IUCN reports to the World Heritage Committee – both for nominations and State of Conservation monitoring;
b. Other administrative and logistical duties related to processing of contracts and other day-to-day running of the WHP.
REQUIREMENTS
  • Eligibility to live and work in UK;

• A degree in environmental management and/or natural resources conservation and management, and ideally a masters level qualification in a subject relevant to the position.

• At least 6 months’ relevant work or research experience, and ideally a longer period in a relevant field.

• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.

• Previous experience in file and data management.

• Experience in online research and literature reviews.

• Collegiate team worker.

• Excellent written and spoken English is essential for this position. A high standard of written and spoken French and/or Spanish is a strong advantage. English and French are the working languages of the World Heritage Convention and the majority of business is carried out in English.

• A demonstrable commitment to using the opportunity of the position as a platform for professional development.

• A strong aptitude and ability to communicate both informally (interpersonal skills and networking) and formally and ability to work with large networks of stakeholders.

• Ability to work independently and deliver quality products within agreed tight deadlines.

• Desired: Experience in international conservation policy and an understanding of the World Heritage Convention.

• Desired: Experience with website content management and management of large document repositories

• Desired: GIS and spatial analysis skills

• Desired: Experience working in a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment.

• Desired: Written and spoken skills in other languages is an advantage
APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/


About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government 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.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 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 peoples 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.

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