Vacancy #: 7170 Unit: Director General's Office Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland Reporting to: Chief of Staff Work percentage: 100% Grade: SP Expected start date: 01 April 2025 Type of contract: Max-term (24 months) Closing date: 16 March 2025 BACKGROUND The Director General (DG) of IUCN, appointed by the IUCN Council, is the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation.
The DG’s role is supported by a front office, the Director General’s Office (DGO), whose team - headed by the Chief of Staff (CoS) - coordinates across the organisation, in particular with other offices of the IUCN Secretariat, as well as with the Union’s constituencies and governance structures, as well as a growing number of external partners.
The position Senior Advisor, Strategic Relations, provides an exceptional opportunity for professional engagement and development as it supports the DG across a broad spectrum of internal and external partnerships, policy fora, and strategic engagements.
The primary function of the Senior Advisor will be to support the DG, in strict coordination with the CoS, to work most effectively with internal and external stakeholders. This is a facilitative role that requires a combination of focus and flexibility, as well as a willingness to play an active and dynamic role in engaging critical internal and external partners across the Union.
The role requires a highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, self-motivation, integrity, absolute confidentiality where appropriate, strong analytical skills and a degree of diplomacy. The incumbent will also work closely with the IUCN Senior Management Team, Secretariat staff from regions and at headquarters, as well as with the broader IUCN Membership, Commission experts, Councillors, donors, government officials, and VIPs, as appropriate. JOB DESCRIPTION Under the supervision of the CoS, the Senior Advisor is responsible for the following tasks and duties:
Director General’s Office (DGO):
• Coordinate with IUCN staff around the world for effective decision making and information flow at the DGO.
• Maintain close overview on key IUCN issues by working with staff in providing the necessary information to the DG and CoS.
• Coordinate and deliver successful meetings involving external partners, as needed, ensuring that both substantive aspects (agenda, content, minutes) and logistical aspects are taken care of.
• Support the DGO on the proactive engagement, coordination, communication and interaction with parts of the Union (Secretariat staff, IUCN Members, Commissions, Council) in order to strengthen IUCN’s external relations and presence on the global stage. This includes, but is not limited to:
- coordinating meetings,
- preparing presentations, briefs and speeches,
- following up on invitations,
- drafting responses to correspondence,
- collaborating on outreach.
• Support the DG’s agenda at IUCN-led events, with a specific focus on strengthening, and fostering external relations, and raising the profile of those events.
• Public speaking at key events, as necessary.
Ensure smooth representation and external relations:
• Manage the overall coordination of internal and external relations of the DGO relating to the DG’s external engagements and key partnerships, taking timely action on issues at hand. This includes, but is not limited to, engagements with:
- the IUCN Red List Partnership
- key donors and framework partners
- UN General Assembly and other UN High-Level Summits
- Commissions coordination and follow ups
- Members Relations from the DGO.
- Secretariats and Conferences of the Parties for CBD, UNFCCC, UNCCD, CITES, CMS, Ramsar Convention and High-Seas Treaty
- World Economic Forum
- CCICED (China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development) and EcoForum Global
- Other international bodies and committees, as relevant
- private sector partnerships
- other partners and stakeholders.
• Manage overall coordination of the substance of the Director General’s travel/missions.
• Support to the DG during missions, when required.
• Assure the preparation of briefing notes, run-of-show, schedules and other mission-critical material.
• Coordinate and prepare speeches and presentations for the DG, often with support from other DGO team members.
• Ensure the preparation and quality control of relevant items to be submitted to the DG, relating to external relations, including correspondence.
• Prepare and support the DG while hosting visiting delegations.
• Act as the DG’s point of contact with external partners, as delegated by the DG or CoS.
• Manage external communications and liaisons diplomatically with both well-established and prospective partners, ensuring that communications from the DGO are clear, cordial and timely.
• Ensure that the outcomes of visits, bilateral meetings and missions of the DG that include follow-up actions are communicated as needed and followed through in a timely and effective manner.
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, the Senior Advisor may also be requested by the CoS to work on specific tasks, or support other DGO team members, as needed. The incumbent is expected to show flexibility in his/her approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of a staff member’s responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the line manager, the staff member and the Human Resources partner. Anyone of the three may initiate the consultation. REQUIREMENTS • Education & Experience:
• Advanced degree in a discipline relevant to the Union’s mandate and work programme such as biological /physical, social or economic sciences, environmental protection, international relations, law, and sustainable development.
• Demonstrated ability to translate analytical/ technical skills into operational results.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare focused and concise material (verbal, written and visual) with key messages and a strategic focus.
• Over 10 years of professional experience in areas such as environment, development or public policy, preferably of an international nature, with a strong preference for this experience to include front office-type assignments.
• Competencies:
• Fluency in English is essential for this position since the successful candidate will be called upon
• Fluency in preferably one or more of IUCN’s other official languages (French and Spanish) is highly desirable.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English with the ability to synthesize analyses and present materials effectively and tailored to different audiences.
• Track record of outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills and working effectively in a multicultural and diverse environment with colleagues at all levels.
• Proven ability to effectively motivate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of environment, conservation and development, and experience in working across sectors, in partnerships and donor relationships, and/or in strategic planning would be desirable.
• Proven ability to coordinate complex tasks and manage multiple tasks to deliver high-quality results under pressure.
• Experience in identifying key issues in a complex situation, and consulting, gathering, and analysing relevant information before proposing and implementing decisive actions or recommendations.
• Ability to anticipate, assess and account for political and reputational risk associated with contested or divergent technical issues.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel at times, and provide mission assistance.
• Unimpeachable integrity as evidenced by behavior, communication style and way of handling ambiguous, difficult or sensitive situations.
• High degree of discretion in dealing with internal and external partners, VIPs, staff and managers at all levels, and in handling confidential and sensitive information
• Demonstrated commitment to working within multi-cultural and diverse teams to achieve business results.
• A clear and unambiguous work ethic that understands the necessity of, and demonstrates willingness to adhere to, institutional procedures and standards.
• An enthusiasm for and commitment to understanding and contributing to tangible, equitable and durable change processes in the field of conservation and natural resource management. SALARY The gross annual salary for this position is between CHF 123'265 and CHF 154'081, subject to deductions for social security contributions and second-pillar pension, and before tax. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the \"Apply\" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN