UNDP Job

Title: Global Project Coordinator (100% FTE)
Duration: 3 years
Date required: October 2009
Duty Station: Project base (San Francisco Bay Area) with ability to travel to project countries as needed. Office is near the El Cerrito del Norte BART station.
Language: English


Project Goal and Outcome:

The overall objective of the full Project, implemented by the UNDP, is to demonstrate and promote best practices and techniques for healthcare waste management in order to minimize or eliminate releases of persistent organic pollutants and mercury to the environment. The Project is demonstrating the effectiveness of non-burn healthcare waste treatment technologies, waste management practices and other techniques to avoid environmental releases of dioxins and mercury in seven strategically selected countries – Argentina, India, Latvia, Lebanon, the Philippines, Senegal and Vietnam. In each country, the Project is developing best practice healthcare waste management models through collaborations with at least one large hospital, as well as with an appropriate combination of smaller clinics, rural health and/or injection programs and pre-existing central treatment facilities. The Project is also laying the groundwork for sustainability, replicability and the scaling-up of best techniques and practices beyond the model facilities and the Project countries by establishing or enhancing national training programs, pursuing policy reform, developing replication toolkits and awareness-raising materials, and disseminating these materials nationally and globally. An additional component aimed at developing locally-produced, affordable, non-burn health-care waste treatment technologies is being executed in Tanzania. The Project’s ultimate goal is the protection of public health and the global environment from the impacts of dioxin and mercury releases.


The Project's major objectives:

1. Establish model facilities and programs to exemplify best practices in health-care waste management, and develop materials to facilitate replication.
2. Deploy and evaluate commercially-available, non-incineration health-care waste treatment technologies appropriate to the needs of the facility or cluster.
3. Develop, test, manufacture and deploy affordable, small-scale non-incineration technologies for appropriate use in small- and medium-size facilities in sub-Saharan Africa, and prepare and disseminate manuals for their manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance and repair.
4. Introduce mercury-free devices in model facilities, evaluate their acceptability and efficacy, and develop and disseminate awareness-raising and educational materials related to mercury.
5. Establish or enhance training programs to build capacity for implementation of best practices and appropriate technologies beyond the model facilities and programs.
6. Review relevant national policies, seek agreement by relevant authorities on recommended updates or reformulations if needed, seek agreement on an implementation plan, and if appropriate, assist in holding a policy review conference for these purposes.
7. Distribute Project results on best techniques and practices to relevant stakeholders, disseminate materials and hold conferences or workshops to encourage replication.
8. Make Project results on demonstrated best techniques and practices available for dissemination and scaling-up regionally and globally.


Coordination Arrangements:

A project Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) has overall responsibility for Project implementation. The CTA is assisted by a Global Project Coordinator; a Senior Public Health Advisor provided by the World Health Organization; and a Senior Policy Advisor provided by Health Care Without Harm. The CTA is additionally assisted by a Senior Expert on Healthcare Waste Management Systems; a Technology Development Expert (provided by the University of Dar Es Salaam Faculty of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering); and a Training Program Advisor (provided by the University of Illinois School of Public Health Great Lakes Center). The above positions constitute the Project's Global Expert Team (GET).

During the implementation of the Project, the Global Expert Team (GET) provides technical and policy expertise and has joint responsibility to assure that Project activities are successfully implemented. The GET oversees global coordination and management under the overall policy direction provided by the Global Project Steering Committee (GPSC), the day-to-day guidance of the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and in consultation with the HCWH and WHO Advisors.


Primary Responsibilities:

The Global Project Coordinator shall provide strategic support to the CTA in the global coordination of the Project and in the detailed project management of human and material resources, time, and finances in order to achieve the major goals and strategic objectives of the Project during the implementation phase. The work includes the day-to-day coordination of all aspects of the full Project implementation under the guidance and supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor. He/she will work in close and continuing collaboration with the CTA, Advisors and other members of the GET under the direction of the CTA. In addition, he/she shall liaise directly with designated officials of the Participating Countries, the UNDP-GEF Regional Coordinators, the Executing Agency, UNDP Country Offices, existing and potential additional project donors, National Focal Points, participating NGOs and others as may be necessary. He/she shall work with the CTA toward the delivery of managerial and financial reports from and on behalf of the Project.


The GPC will have the following specific duties:

• Coordinate activities related to the day-to-day work of the Project
• Work closely with the CTA to coordinate and monitor work plan activities
• In consultation with the CTA, coordinate and review the activities of the Project partners and staff
• Under the general direction of the CTA, supervise the Program Associate work plan and activities
• In consultation with the CTA and UNOPS, oversee and approve global Project expenditures;
• Ensure consistency between the various program elements and related activities provided or funded by other donor organizations
• Prepare and oversee, under the general direction of the CTA, the development of TORs for consultants and contractors
• Prepare and submit, in consultation with the CTA and in communication with the global project team, quarterly reports (both administrative and financial) of relevant project progress and challenges
• In collaboration with the global project team, and under the general direction of the CTA, assist in the preparation of the substantive reports of the Project
• Foster and establish links with other related GEF programs and, where appropriate, with other relevant healthcare waste management programs
• Under the direction of the CTA, develop and implement the Project’s global media strategy and plan
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of project management software and the Project website


Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in a health-related, environmental-related, or social science field. Graduate degree in same field(s) would be an asset.
• Familiarity with best techniques and practices in minimizing healthcare waste, setting up sustainable medical waste management practices, economic and environmental impacts of medical waste management technologies.
• Demonstrated experience in management and coordination of environmental health and healthcare waste management projects. Management and implementation of related projects in both urban and rural settings in Asia, Africa and Latin America would be an asset.
• Experience with budgeting and tracking expenditures strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations, in particular the procedures and regulations of the UNDP, WHO and GEF.
• Experience in the writing and editing of environmental health-related reports and other professional materials. Experience in the writing and dissemination of press releases would be an asset.
• Excellent computer skills, with a demonstrated ability to employ all necessary computer skills for the preparation of complex projects, including familiarity with PC systems, the Microsoft Office suite of applications, online communication tools such as Skype. Familiarity with project management software such as MindView and Central Desktop would be an asset.
• Proficiency in and professional experience with the use of web development tools, such as basic HTML and content management systems (particularly AMP) would be an asset.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English; knowledge of another UN language an asset; some knowledge of one of the major languages of the participating countries (Arabic, French, Hindi, Latvian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Wolof) an asset.


To Apply:

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to both jorge.emmanuel@undpaffiliates.org and kellyh@unops.org. Please no phone calls. The position is open until filled. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. For more information about this project, visit www.gefmedwaste.org.



* Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with experience
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