Technical Advisor REDD+ and Forests

Result of Service

Expected results include effective delivery and strengthened technical quality of regional REDD+, Social Forestry, and SAFE initiatives, coordination support of programme implementation including partnership engagement, enhanced reporting and knowledge sharing from programme implementation, and strategic inputs on forest finance and investment and private sector engagement to scale up impact across Asia Pacific.

Work Location

Office-based (Bangkok, Thailand)

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The UN-REDD programme plays a pivotal role in delivering this ambition. In this regard, UN-REDD aims to achieve four outcomes: • Outcome 1. Demonstrating High‑Integrity REDD+ Results • Outcome 2. Unlocking Finance for REDD+ Results • Outcome 3. Enhancing Climate Ambition • Outcome 4. Addressing Drivers of Deforestation Under outcome 4, UNEP are implementing two regional initiatives: 1) Social Forestry (2026-2030), with a specific ASEAN Component. This is funded by the Swiss Government and UNEPs role is to scale up social forestry enterprises access to market and finance in Cambodia and Indonesia, while working closely with the ASEAN Secretariat, in line with Nature based Solutions principles and national policies, and 2) Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Initiative (2023-2030), funded by the Korean Forest Service where UNEP leads the implementation of activities in Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam by combining large-scale restoration with business incubation for forest-dependent entrepreneurs. A technical consultant on REDD+ and Forestry is needed within UNEP‘s expanding Nature & Market-based Solutions Section to provide technical support and strategic guidance to enhance the effectiveness and impact of UNEP and UN-REDD activities in Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Viet Nam, and across the Asia Pacific region. The consultant will play a crucial role in ensuring the successful delivery of UNEP activities outlined in UN-REDD country workplans, with a focus on policy uptake, financial scalability and quality assurance. The consultant will manage and oversee Social Forestry and SAFE within the UNEP and UN-REDD Asia Pacific portfolio, including coordination with government, forest enterprises, and development partners. Additionally, it is expected that the consultant provide support in identifying new opportunities while engaging with strategic partners to support the broader climate action and nature solutions efforts in the Asia Pacific region. This consultancy is Bangkok-based, with travel to the countries in the region, and reports to the Asia Pacific Team Lead & UN-REDD Coordinator, Nature & Market-Based Solutions Section, based in Bangkok, Programme Management Officer, based in Geneva. In accordance with the annual country work plans of the UN-REDD programme, Social Forestry and the SAFE initiative, the consultant’s expected results include the following services: 1. Deliver programme implementation, monitoring and reporting of UNEP and UN-REDD activities in Asia Pacific on the basis of work plans • Provide technical backstopping to the delivery of UNEP activities in UN-REDD country workplans • Manage the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Social Forestry Initiative, ASEAN component • Manage the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the SAFE Initiative • Ensure quality assurance in the execution of legal agreements with technical partners and consultants • Contribute with information on results and progress to annual, semi-annual UN-REDD reports as well as internal monthly reports • Work with communications specialists to review and make contributions to meeting reports, communications and information briefs and other materials related to the regional initiatives 2. Technical inputs provided and facilitation supported to Asia Pacific team on REDD+ and scaling up investments • Technical contribution to UN-REDD 2026-2030 execution on behalf of UNEP in all countries, • Comprehensive technical review of key documents and initiatives, analyzed through the lenses of REDD+ implementation and sustainable investment opportunities. • Contribute to advancing the connection between forest enterprises, REDD+ finance and private sector investment. • Support knowledge management events providing technical input on topics such as forest enterprise development, REDD+ and forest finance. 3. Contribute to the development of geographic and thematic expansion across Asia Pacific, including liaison with key partners in the region • Develop project ideas to transform the successes of the initiatives implemented into concrete project ideas. • Identify resource mobilization opportunities and present UNEPs strategic added value specially for Asia Pacific • Expand the network of private sector and investors to support the scaling up efforts supporting forest enterprises to access finance. • Strengthen the coordination with UNEP regional office and identify areas for collaboration • Maintain and strengthen partnerships with strategic stakeholders in the region for expansion and improved delivery

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in natural resources management, forest conservation, climate finance, social sciences, or environmental studies is required. • A first-level university degree level in the above-mentioned fields, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: • A minimum of five years of progressively responsible working experience in forest finance, climate change, and REDD+ is required. • Experience of project management in development sector is an advantage. • Experience of working at country level in the Asia Pacific region is an advantage, including collaboration with governments, engaging with stakeholders at the local level and partnering with diverse public and civil society stakeholders • Prior work experience with an international organization is an advantage. Skills: • Strong analytical skills, understanding of socio-political complexities of developing countries, and experience in communicating complex sustainable development issues is required. • A demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations, knowledge of the United Nations system and a personal commitment to the ideals of the United Nations Charter is desirable. • Ability to identify priorities and to work under tight deadlines is desirable. • Standard computer software application literacy is required. A minimum of five years of progressively responsible working experience in forest finance, climate change, and REDD+ is required. Experience of working at country level in the Asia Pacific region is an advantage, including collaboration with governments, engaging with stakeholders at the local level and partnering with diverse public and civil society stakeholders.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consulting position, fluency in oral and written English is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.