Chief of Environment and Development Policy

*Chief of Environment and Development Policy Section, P5
• :
• UN ESCAP - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Org. Setting and Reporting
The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP's role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

The Environment and Development Division assists developing countries in the region through providing advisory services, organizing capacity building activities, carrying out research and analysis and supporting intergovernmental cooperation in support of sustainable development.

This position is located in the Environment and Development Policy Section, in the Environment and Development Division. The incumbent reports to the Director, Environment and Development Division.
• Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Director, Environment and Development Division, the incumbent is required to perform the following functions:
• Provides policy guidance to the section on the development and implementation of overall strategies and intra and inter-divisional policies and procedures;
• Plans and oversees the management of section activities on including climate change, clean air, ecosystem management, marine environment, and environmental rights; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section and Division, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate;
• Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Section under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the Section; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others;
• Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Committee on Environment and Development, Commission Session and other policy-making organs, as appropriate;
• Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports;
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Section under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates;
• Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Section and Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery;
• Recruits staff for Section taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values;
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision;
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries;
• Represents the Organization at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues;
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Competencies
• Core competencies
• Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently;
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• Managerial competencies
• Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; propos