The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The overall objective of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. The Division promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities.
The position is located in the Economic and Fiscal Policy Unit of the Finance and Economics Branch, which is part of the Industry and Economy Division at the Geneva Duty Station.
Under the Chief of Branch’s supervision, the Head of the Economic and Fiscal Policy Unit will lead the formulation and implementation of the Branch’s substantive work programme under his/her direct responsibility, and will undertake the following tasks:
1. Leading and developing UNEP’s analytical, outreach and advocacy efforts on economic and fiscal policy as key drivers of environmental sustainability:- a. strategizing, developing and implementing analytical, outreach and advocacy activities on economic and fiscal policies for environmental sustainability. b. spearheading economic policy analysis and recommendations to align with climate, nature and pollution outcomes the UNEP medium term strategy.
2. Leading UNEP’s work on public finance and fiscal policy, including outreach to major international financial institutions and multilateral development banks for the purpose of directing financing into transitioning high impact sectors of the economy:- a. responsible for formulating and implementing outreach strategies to major international financial institutions and multilateral development banks for the purpose of directing financing into transitioning high impact sectors of the economy, including export credit agencies, the Green Climate Fund, the GEF and other concessional and non-concessional financing entities. b. leading analytical and country support on public finance, macroeconomic and fiscal policies, including through partnerships such as PAGE, GGKP and Green Fiscal Policy Network, among others. c. ensuring coordination and complementarity with private finance including with work done by UNEP Finance Initiative in private sector as well as on the regulatory framework.
3. Management and administrative aspects:- a. oversee the programmatic/administrative tasks including budget preparation, reporting on budget/ programme performance, evaluation of the supervised staff’s performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates, and preparation of inputs for results- based budgeting. b. manage, guide, and train staff under supervision and foster team work and communication among supervised staff and across organisational boundaries. c. mobilise resources to implement the substantive programmes and ensure that the outputs produced from the substantive work programmes maintain high-quality standards and that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data, in compliance with the relevant mandates.
4. Advise Branch Chief, Division Director, and Senior Management and develop strategies and policies with regard to the substantive work programmes under his/her responsibility:- a. assist the Branch Chief in preparing the Branch’s work programmes, determining priorities, and allocating resources for completing the defined outputs in a timely manner. b. consult with international/regional/national institutions especially other UN organisations to interpret the needs, opportunities, and requirements for UNEP, provide programmatic /substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by other institutions, and provide programmatic and substantive reports for review by Branch Chief, Division Director and UNEP Senior Management. c. coordinate and oversee the preparation of reports for presentation to inter-governmental bodies such as the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly, and other policymaking organs, as appropriate. d. lead and supervise the organisation of meetings, seminars, and workshops on substantive issues and manage the substantive preparation and organisation of such events.
5. Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.