Chief Technical Specialist

The Chief Technical Specialist (CTS) provides overall technical leadership, strategic guidance, and quality assurance for the project aimed at strengthening the protection and sustainable use of coastal and marine ecosystems in Papua New Guinea. The CTS leads technical oversight, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships, and resource mobilization to ensure project success aligned with international best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide substantive technical leadership and oversight across all project outcomes, ensuring integrated approach to blue economy, MPA governance, NbS and NCA is coherent, evidence-based and aligned with international best practices.
• Prepare and/or review all major technical documents, terms of reference, analytical reports, baseline assessments and knowledge products produced under the project.
• Review and provide high-quality technical inputs on deliverables produced by consultants and sub-contractors, ensuring they meet UNDP, GEF and national government standards.
• Ensure consistency and coherence of technical approaches across the three target geographies, adapting approaches to local ecological and socioeconomic conditions while maintaining methodological consistency for results aggregation.
• Provide technical guidance on ecosystem assessment, MPA management effectiveness, MSP framework design, mangrove/coral reef/seagrass conservation and restoration strategies, and NbS business model development.
• Provide technical guidance on the design and implementation of natural capital accounting (NCA) exercises, including application of the UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounts framework to coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Guide project monitoring, risk management, reporting, and adaptive management processes including annual monitoring of indicators and inputs to GEF Project Implementation Reports (PIRs).
• Oversee and guide the implementation of the project M&E plan, including appraisal of the project's theory of change and results framework.
• Oversee and guide the design of surveys, assessments and monitoring protocols for evaluating project results, including GEF Core Indicators and METT/OECM tracking tools.
• Provide guidance to Technical Officers and Community Mobilizers for conducting field-level M&E activities and carry out project site visits to appraise progress and validate reports.
• Manage and monitor project risks, identifying critical issues and proposing mitigation measures; update the project risk register.
• Guide and assist the Project Manager in adaptive management processes and preparation for mid-term review and terminal evaluation of the project.
• Design and deliver on-the-job training for project staff and partners on technical and programmatic aspects including marine biodiversity monitoring, MPA governance, MSP frameworks, GEF reporting and UNDP programme management.
• Build national capacity in NCA methods, ecosystem-based fisheries management, marine spatial planning and sustainable blue economy business models.
• Provide strategic input to strengthen capacity of national partners to sustain project results post-GEF funding, including financing mechanisms and policy frameworks.
• Provide technical advocacy among key stakeholders at national and sub-national levels.
• Liaise with global coordination platforms, GEF-funded projects in PNG and Pacific region, and complementary initiatives to promote synergies and collaboration.
• Participate in national, regional and international fora including technical working groups, GEF community of practice platforms and UN inter-agency coordination mechanisms.
• Capture lessons learned and coordinate with Communications Officer to develop knowledge products and outreach materials.
• Participate in project board meetings, technical steering committees and other governance mechanisms as needed.
• Provide strategic guidance on resource mobilization and financing opportunities to support implementation and sustainability of project interventions.
• Support engagement with development partners, financial institutions, private sector actors and other investors to promote sustainable blue economy investments and partnerships.
• Provide technical inputs to development of concept notes, investment cases, funding proposals and blended finance opportunities linked to marine conservation, NbS and sustainable coastal livelihoods.
• Facilitate coordination with government agencies and partners to align project investments with national blue economy priorities and financing frameworks.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree) in Marine Biology, Ocean Governance, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a closely related discipline is required, or a first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in the above fields in combination with two additional years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced degree.
• Minimum of 7 years (with Master's degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor's degree) of progressively responsible experience in marine biodiversity conservation, Marine Protected Area (MPA) management, marine spatial planning and/or sustainable fisheries management, with demonstrated in-country experience in the Pacific Islands region and/or Papua New Guinea.
• Experience providing project advisory and backstopping support to GEF-funded or similar international development projects, including technical quality assurance, results-based management and PIR reporting.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and capacity building with government counterparts, civil society, indigenous and local communities, and private sector partners.
• At least 5 years of demonstrable experience in an advisory or CTS role with a major international organization.
• Proven experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling web-based management systems.
• Experience developing or implementing projects with financing from the GEF Trust Fund (including GEF-8 or equivalent generation) or Green Climate Fund, particularly in the biodiversity focal area.
• Experience with natural capital accounting (NCA) using the UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounts framework applied to coastal or marine ecosystems.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and/or blue economy business models in the Pacific Islands or comparable island developing state contexts.
• Prior experience working with or in Papua New Guinea or the Melanesian Pacific.
• Experience with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) engagement standards, UNDP Social and Environmental Standards (SES) and gender-responsive approaches in conservation programming.

Skills

• Marine Biodiversity Conservation
• Marine Protected Area Management
• Marine Spatial Planning
• Sustainable Fisheries Management
• Project Advisory Support
• Technical Quality Assurance
• Result-Based Management
• PIR Reporting
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Capacity Building
• GEF-Funded Project Management
• Green Climate Fund Proposals
• Natural Capital Accounting
• UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounts
• Nature-based Solutions Design
• Blue Economy Business Models
• Free Prior and Informed Consent
• Indigenous Engagement
• UNDP Social and Environmental Standards
• Gender-Responsive Conservation
• MS Word
• Excel
• Database Management
• Web-based Management Systems

Languages

English, Tok Pisin