Project Coordinator at African Union(AU)

Requisition ID: 524
Location: Douala, Cameroon
Reports to: ClimSA/GFCS Project Coordinator (line reporting) & ECCAS Regional Coordinator for DRM/CCA (local reporting)
Directorate / Department: Sustainable Environment & Blue Economy
Division: Sustainable Environment
Number of Direct Reports: 6
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P3

Purpose of Job

• The African Union Commission (AUC) has secured funding from the European Union for the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) through the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Application (ClimSA) programme.
• The programme addresses the issue of climate information throughout the entire supply chain of climate services covering generation and provision of climate services, access to information, user interface platforms, and capacity enhancement of critical players including, but not limited to, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of Member States, and Regional Climate Centres (RCCs).
• It aims to enable Member States to develop and incorporate science-based climate information and prediction into development planning and decision-making at all levels, and to better manage risks of climate variability and change, Furthermore, it enhances policy and decision-making at continental, regional, national, community, and individual levels.
• The AUC is responsible for the overall continental coordination of the programme implementation, which includes the development and application of weather and climate information services; facilitation of capacity building for RECs and Member States; fostering sharing of best practices and coordinating knowledge management; procurement and supply of equipment for Member States and Regional Climate Centres; establishing and operationalization of the continental monitoring and reporting framework; facilitation of preparation of Africa State of Climate Reports and Outlooks; prudent management of financial resources; and monitoring and evaluation.
• The AUC is also directly responsible for the management and implementation of the project in the ECCAS region.
• The Coordinator needs to demonstrate high level of knowledge in fields of meteorology, climate, environmental science, disaster risk reduction, natural sciences, and related filed.
• S/he possesses substantial and proven experience in coordination and management of related programmes.
• S/he should be able to provide both technical and managerial advice to the team.
• The Coordinator will be called upon to model data for weather forecasts and make simulations of climate change with regional and global climate models, make forecasts, management and analysis of impacts related to anthropogenic climate change in all priority sectors identified.

Main Functions

• Under the line supervision of the AUC (ClimSA/GFCS Project Coordinator) and that of the local supervision of the ECCAS Commission, the Coordinator will head the project unit in ECCAS and be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation as well as the coherence of its actions with the policies and strategic orientations of the Economic Community of the Central African States (ECCAS).
• S/he will provide technical supervision of the Project Team in the region. The Coordinator ensures effective generation of weather and climate products and services in accordance with the needs of the ECCAS region following technical requirements and standards of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
• The Coordinator will establish and ensure effective functioning of Sectoral User Interface Platforms (UIPs), Regional Climate Services Information Systems (CSIS), Climate Data Management Systems (CDMS), infrastructure and others. S/he will also provide technical support and methodologies to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of the ECCAS Member States.
• The Coordinator will maintain effective working relations with relevant focal points based at the ECCAS Secretariat in Libreville, Gabon particularly in sectors of agriculture, disaster risk management, forest, health, and water and also establish partnerships with other regional institutions working in these sectors.
• The Coordinator will ensure that the ECCAS Regional Climate Centre (CAPC-AC) gets certified by WMO as a Regional Climate Centre.

Specific Responsibilities

• Develop a strategic plan for the designation of ECCAS Regional Climate Centre (CAPC-AC) by WMO by 2025;
• Prudent day-to-day management of project staff and resources and ensure that implementation of all project outputs are on tract;
• Develop methodologies and instruments necessary for the production and dissemination of climate services for the agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and health and other sectors such as forests and water;
• Ensure the establishment and effective functioning of sectoral User Interface Platforms (UIPs), regional Climate Services Information Systems (CSIS), Climate Data Management Systems (CDMS), infrastructure and other systems.
• Identify production and dissemination tools for climate services for priority sectors of agriculture, disaster risk reduction, health, forests and water;
• Initiate and develop products and services for priority sectors;
• Provide technical assistance for capacity building of experts from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of the region;
• Initiate the process of producing and disseminating climate information;
• Put in place effective mechanisms to ensure that the project products and services contribute to policy and decision making, and that climate services are mainstreamed in adaptation planning processes at the ECCAS Commission as well as in ECCAS Member States;
• Ensure that communication, visibility, M&E of the project are regularly executed in line with the project Contribution Agreement;
• Analyze scientific data on climate and climate change (atmospheric temperature, rainfall, insolation, hygrometry, water resources, ocean, and greenhouse gases);
• Analyze and disseminate climate-related research results in the region to inform policy makers, legislators, regulators or other stakeholders on the dynamics of climate change;
• Responsible for preparation and submission of reports (both financial and narrative) to the AUC;
• Provide monthly reports to the AUC on the implementation of the project in the region;
• Execute any other duties related to the programme as may be assigned.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Minimum of a Master’s (or Bac + 5) degree in Meteorological Sciences, Environmental Science, Atmospheric Physics, Disaster Risk Management, or other related fields and seven (7) years of progressively relevant work experience at expert level, in the areas of environmental management, weather and climate services, or meteorology involving multi-stakeholders such as Regional Economic Communities, Regional Climate Centres, Member States, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), and Development Partners.

OR

• Bachelor Degree in the above fields with ten (10) years progressively relevant work experience stated above, out of which seven (7) should be at expert and managerial level
• At least three (3) years out of total years of experience must be at supervisory level.
• Experience in GIS and Remote Sensing would be an added advantage.
• Proven experience and extensive engagement with knowledge on the roles of RECs in the relevant sector.
• Additional qualifications in project management would be an asset.
• Must have experience in the ECCAS region

Required Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Sound planning and organizational skills
• Ability to negotiate diplomatically
• Ability to delegate the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority with regard to performance management and professional development
• Policy development and analysis
• Advanced knowledge of the use of climate data from regional and global climate models for climate simulations and predictions at the level of the sub-region, countries, watersheds, impacts, and forecasts of risks and disasters linked to climates;
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish) and fluency in another is an added advantage.

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Insight...
• Developing others...
• Change Management...
• Managing Risk...
• Core Competencies
• Building Relationship...
• Foster Accountability Culture...
• Learning Orientation...
• Communicating with Influence...
• Functional Competencies
• Conceptual thinking...
• Job Knowledge and information sharing...
• Drive for result...
• Continuous improvement orientation...

Tenure of Appointment:

• The Appointment will be made on a fixed-term contract for a period of one (1) year, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed for a similar period subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables.

Gender Mainstreaming:

• The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Remuneration

• The salary attached to the position is an annual lump-sum of US$   92,671.37  (P3 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 77,862.59 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union Commission.