Job Opening

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between states. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP and is located at the Geneva duty station. Under the direct supervision of the Chief, the incumbent will perform the following functions:

Responsibilities

1. Assist to plan, organize and clear documentation related to enforcement required for meetings of CITES committees and the Conference of the Parties, to ensure quality and policy consistency; To assist in raising the profile of enforcement of the Convention in various fora; Assist to plan and formulate priority objectives for the work programme to ensure the implementation of enforcement-related decisions emanating from meetings of the Conference of the Parties and its Standing and technical committees; Identify and prioritize enforcement issues for discussion with Parties and prepare strategies for consideration by the Chief of the Team; Provide practical enforcement advice to Parties and relevant agencies; Liaise with, and provide advice and support to law enforcement agencies and networks, particularly officials of INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the World Customs; Assist in the gathering and analysis of information and intelligence and prepare CITES Alerts and other guidance to assist in targeting the illegal harvesting, smuggling and illegal trade of wildlife; Undertake technical missions to parties and non-Parties to assess or verify in situ general enforcement of the Convention and species-specific enforcement-and trade-related issues; Prepare and review reports including drafting recommendations for action; Assist in coordinating activities for CITES Enforcement Task Forces and other enforcement-related meetings, workshops and seminars. Assist in the delivery of training, related to enforcement of the Convention.

2. Assist in the review of the work programmes in the Team to ensure their conformity with the priorities established by the Conference of the Parties; Assist to develop work plans and implement the Performance Assessment Scheme, discuss and develop performance indicators with staff, and help ensure that deadlines are met.

3. Perform other duties as assigned: Deputizing for the Chief of the Team; Undertaking tasks at the request of the Secretary- General.

Competencies

Professionalism: knowledge and understanding of the theories, concepts and approaches relevant to wildlife law enforcement and border control; knowledge of criminal investigation management and administration; ability to gather, analyze and disseminate intelligence; good research, analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to identify and participate in the resolution of issues/problems; ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given; ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities.

Communication: Excellent writing skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, in a clear style tailored to match the audience, and proven ability to communicate effectively orally.

Creativity: ability to explore new ideas and emerging issues and to develop innovative approaches.

Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with: law enforcement officers in other agencies, specialists in other fields related to enforcement, representatives of national governments and the non-governmental community.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in criminal, environmental law, law enforcement or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in national law enforcement, particularly customs or police including investigation or prosecution activities is required. Experience in international law enforcement, together with a ppreciation of matters relating to criminal intelligence are desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

United Nations Considerations

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Assessment Method

Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

1. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided.

2. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please send an email to recruitment@unon.org, quoting the job opening number in the subject header of your email.