Under the general authority of the Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences (ADG/SC) and the direct supervision of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa based in Yaoundé, the incumbent will be responsible to contribute to the design, coordination and implementation of activities carried out within the framework of Major Program II – Exact and Natural Sciences in Cameroon with a view to supporting the Member State in its efforts to implement its Plan National Development Plan (NDP) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063.

The incumbent will be responsible for providing professional and technical support, research and analysis, with emphasis on the national context to develop, implement and evaluate program initiatives aimed at promoting learning and sustainable societies and to support the Member State in advancing science, technology, innovation, research and engineering to address contemporary environmental and societal challenges and build back better after the pandemic towards the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. 
The post holder will work within the interdisciplinary team at the UNESCO Yaoundé Office, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders and with technical advice from the Natural Sciences program divisions at UNESCO Headquarters. UNESCO. 

In this context, the position holder must:

Participate in Regular Program (C/5) work plans, policy formulation discussions and other sectoral strategy formulation activities.

Coordinate, supervise and monitor the development, implementation and evaluation of programs and projects relating to the exact and natural sciences, encompassing the areas of Ecological and Earth Sciences, the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (IHP) as well as science policies and basic sciences in these areas.

Support the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary efforts of the UNESCO Yaoundé office, notably by developing concept notes and developing projects for extra-budgetary funding.

Actively participate in cross-sectoral programs and activities relating to the environment, biodiversity, climate change, disaster risk reduction, science education, education for sustainable development, world natural heritage and biodiversity programs of the world heritage, as well as local and indigenous knowledge.

Maintain strategic partnerships with UN agencies and multilateral and bilateral development partners, in collaboration with colleagues from headquarters and field offices, Category I and II natural sciences centers and institutes, to foster opportunities joint programming of activities linked to the exact and natural sciences.

Identify and contribute to the formulation of the Office’s resource mobilization strategy and its implementation plan for the 2024-2025 biennium, and in particular, develop in collaboration with other program managers interdisciplinary concepts and proposals for projects aimed at consolidating and complementing the activities of the program financed by the regular budget in natural sciences. In addition, he/she will formulate the resource mobilization and alternative financing mechanisms, partnership strategies and plans necessary for this purpose.

Prepare and submit quarterly work plans for regular budget programs and extra-budgetary projects in accordance with approved project documents. 

SKILLS (Fundamental / Managerial)

For more information, please consult the UNESCO Skills Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education 

• Higher university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in the field of disciplines linked to the exact and natural sciences (environment, earth sciences, hydrology, fundamental sciences and science policy).

Professional experience

• At least 4 (four) years of relevant professional experience in the field of sciences such as environment, water resources and science, technology and innovation (STI).
• Proven experience in scientific coordination and program management, in the design and implementation of programs/projects, as well as expertise in science policy.

Skills and competences

• Good program and project management skills.
• Good analytical skills. 
• Excellent organizational and coordination skills. 
• Good computer skills, including knowledge of standard office software

Language

• Excellent knowledge of French and good knowledge of English.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Professional experience

• Experience in government or private sector in the natural sciences.
• Experience with specialized agencies of the United Nations system, professional non-governmental organizations and/or international technical cooperation organizations.
• Experience in promoting regional cooperation within Central Africa.
• Knowledge of the geopolitical context within Central Africa.

Skills and competences

• Ability to work effectively in a complex and changing environment.
• Ability to work in close partnership with a wide range of national, regional and international scientific organizations, professional organizations and civil society organizations.
• Good knowledge of UNESCO’s work and programs in the field of natural sciences. 

Language

• Knowledge of other official UNESCO languages ​​(Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Russian).