Job no: 593679
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Duty Station: Brussels
Level: P-3
Location: Belgium
Categories: Operations, Administration

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

Recognizing the threat to children’s rights posed by climate change and environmental degradation, UNICEF is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its global operations by 45% by 2030 in-line with the UN Climate Action Plan and the UN Strategy for Sustainability Management in the UN System 2020-2030, through reducing greenhouse gas emissions from facilities, air travel, vehicle fleets and through reductions in water consumption, paper use, single-use plastic, and waste.

Sustainability has been formally endorsed as a core organizational value, reaffirming UNICEF’s commitment to operating in an environmentally responsible, inclusive, and accessible manner. It reflects our shared belief in the importance of environmental responsibility in the way we work to support a sustainable future for every child.

In alignment with our commitment, UNICEF launched its Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP) 2023 - 2030, striving to mainstream sustainability via SCAP Objective 3: reduce emissions and environmental footprint within UNICEF, support its global network of partners to do the same, and advocate for the fulfilment of ambitious international sustainability and climate change agreements

Job organizational context

Under the supervision of the Administrative Manager, Eco-Efficiency, in DFAM’s Field Strategy and Support Unit, the Administrative Specialist (Environmental) will support the integration of sustainability across UNICEF operations by contributing to policies, guiding UNICEF offices on environmental reporting, and greenhouse gas (GHG) data, and driving performance improvements. S/he will also support SCAP implementation, sustainability initiatives, target setting, and capacity building, while contributing to the broader organizational agenda of sustainability.

Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks:

1. Provide support to ensure that sustainability objectives, principles, metrics, and indicators are integrated into the office management plans across global offices.
2. Support the shaping and development of organizational policies and guidance related to sustainability, and the SCAP implementation.
3. Provide guidance to all UNICEF offices on the environmental inventory process, and data review of GHG emissions and resource consumption from facilities and operations (electricity, air travel, vehicle fuel use, water and waste) to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with reporting standards.
4. Enhance environmental performance using reporting outcomes to identify areas for improvements in GHG emissions, waste, water and wastewater as well as sustainability management, and environmental governance in line with global best practices.
5. Support the ongoing Sustainability Assessment and Science-Based Targets development and operationalization of targets.
6. Organize and deliver trainings, presentations and workshops that focus on promoting UNICEF’s sustainability objectives and guide offices on their critical role to mainstream the UNICEF environmental sustainability agenda.
7. Support ongoing sustainability initiatives, smart energy monitoring, green building certifications, and eco-efficiency projects implementation across UNICEF facilities.
8. Promote knowledge sharing and innovation, through effective capacity building for internal and external stakeholders.
9. Actively participate in internal and external meetings, contributing insights to discussions pertaining to UNICEF’s environmental sustainability agenda.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Administrative Specialist (Environmental)_P3

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Sustainability and any other related fields.
Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience at both national and/or international level with specific experience in environmental impact assessment, sustainability policy/ social safeguards, and projects implementation to reduce emissions is required.

Skills:

Demonstrated experience implementing sustainability initiatives, innovation, risk assessment, data analysis and making recommendations to inform policies, improve sustainability and compliance.

Demonstrated technical knowledge of environmental issues and sustainability strategies including decarbonization, net-zero and renewable energy.

Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.

Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Proficiency in sustainability/environmental reporting tools, and database management is an asset.
Active participation in professional organizations leading sustainability initiatives is an asset.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged