United Nations Development Program Office is seeking highly qualified professional to fill in position of

Brief description

The Carpathian region of Ukraine plays a crucial ecological and environmental role in Central Europe. The region is a mountainous isthmus linking the northern Carpathian mountain chain in Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia with the Southern Carpathian chain in Romania and Hungary. This has profound importance for such ecosystem processes as seed dispersal, bird migration, large mammal migration, and predator -prey relationships. The region also provides crucial environmental services for downstream countries by way of safeguarding the headwaters of the Tisza River, a major tributary to the Danube.

The Global Objective of the project is the conservation of the globally significant biodiversity of Ukraine’s Carpathian region. The Project Objective is to mainstream biodiversity conservation in Ukraine’s forest sector by assisting the Government to transform Soviet era forestry and land management practices. The new forest sector policies and practices established through the project will be consistent with the dynamics of a market economy, the values of democratic governance that UNDP is helping to establish in the Ukraine, and the principles of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use embodied in the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which Ukraine is a Party.

The project’s strategic approach will be to strengthen "traditional" conservation in selected protected areas while establishing new and innovative conservation action in the productive landscape.

To start of the implementation of the project we are looking for a national expert to fill in the post of Forest Management/Forest Certification expert.

In close collaboration with the International GEF Project Formulation Expert and the UNDP Office, the duties of incumbent will include:

• Analysis of forest sector trends in the Carpathian region, including all aspects of forest
  management and exploitation;
• Consultations with key sectoral figures, including government and non-governmental agents;
• Direct reconnaissance of the project sites;
• Analysis of institutional capacities for forest management at all relevant levels and identification
  of capacity gaps;
• Analysis of policy and legislation related to forest management and comparison with progressive
  policy frameworks currently in place in North America and Europe;
• Analysis of forest certification potential in the project area, including all aspects related to
  markets, certification enterprises, legislation and incentives, etc.
• Analysis of the relation of forest management in the project area with biodiversity conservation
  across the landscape (including protected areas), as well as with integrated water resources
  management within the Tisza River Basin.
• Analysis of the relation of forest management trends and prospects in the project area and the
  fulfillment of Ukraine’s commitments under the Carpathian Convention.
• Preparation of synthetic report on the status and trends of current forest management in the
  project area and prospects for sustainable forestry;
• Preparation of the forestry-related aspects of the Concept and PDF B.
• Other duties as required.

• Proactive, energetic approach to problem solving; excellent interpersonal and
  communication skills; strong organizational and time management skills; resourceful in
  finding solutions.
• More than five years of relevant operational experience/practical expertise.
• Knowledge of GEF project eligibility criteria and other issues.
• Ability to work with a wide cross-section of partners: Government, NGO’s, communities,
  media and international donors.
• Knowledge of Ukrainian legislative, policy and human resource issues desirable, as they
  apply to the project development area.
• Minimum of a Master’s degree in forestry, forest economics, or similar field.
• Fluent English, Ukrainian and Russian.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Knowledge of and complete comfort with computer applications is essential (including
  organization of public presentations on PowerPoint).

Applications (most recent CVs) in English language with the reference to this position are to be submitted:

to e-mail address: vegorov@un.kiev.ua, or fax (044) 253-26-07.

UNDP will use a transparent and competitive screening process, though will only contact those applicants in whom there is further interest. Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

THIS POST IS FOR UKRAINIAN NATIONALS ONLY