Climate Education Specialist (Home based Retainer) - Nassau, Bahamas

Job Posting Organization:
The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) is dedicated to helping partners deliver impactful results worldwide. Established with hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that focus on sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding, particularly in challenging environments. With a workforce that spans over 130 countries, GPO collaborates closely with governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies to provide a wide range of services including project management, fund management, and HR support. The organization is committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring that its initiatives align with global priorities.

Job Overview:
The Climate Education Specialist will play a crucial role in integrating climate change education into the national education system of The Bahamas. This position is designed to support the Government of The Bahamas, particularly the Climate Change and Environmental Advisory Unit (CCEAU) and the Ministry of Education, in operationalizing climate change within educational frameworks. The incumbent will be responsible for the technical delivery of project outputs aimed at enhancing the curriculum, building capacity among educators, and fostering stakeholder coordination. This role will involve close collaboration with various ministerial offices and stakeholders to ensure that climate education is effectively mainstreamed across existing learning areas, rather than developing a standalone curriculum. The position is home-based, requiring the incumbent to utilize their own resources while working closely with government facilities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Project Initiation, Planning, and Development of the Inception Report: Conduct a review of national climate policies and education frameworks, hold inception meetings with stakeholders, develop a stakeholder engagement strategy, and prepare an Inception Report outlining project methodology and implementation arrangements.
• Climate Education Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the national curriculum and existing climate change content, perform a gap analysis, and prepare a needs assessment to identify areas for curriculum enhancement.
• Curriculum Integration: Provide technical support for embedding climate change education across existing curriculum areas, develop a Curriculum Integration Framework, and prepare Teacher Implementation Guides.
• Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening: Support coordination among various stakeholders, promote experiential learning opportunities, and facilitate access to technical expertise.
• Development of Communication Resources: Create policy briefs, case studies, and educational toolkits to support climate change education initiatives.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Develop a Climate Education Monitoring Framework to support the evaluation of climate change education initiatives.
• Advisory Support: Provide technical advisory support to strengthen climate change policy development.
• Reporting and Knowledge Management: Prepare progress reports and documentation to support project monitoring and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications:
The ideal candidate must possess a master’s degree in public policy, education, development, climate change, or a related field. Alternatively, a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline combined with an additional two years of relevant work experience may be accepted. The candidate should have at least five years of experience in the public or private sector, focusing on education, climate change, or project management. Experience in developing and implementing climate and education initiatives, knowledge of national climate policy frameworks, and strong coordination and communication skills are essential. Familiarity with UNFCCC processes and experience in partnership development are also desired.

Educational Background:
A master’s degree is preferred, ideally in fields such as public policy, education, development, climate change, or environmental management. A bachelor's degree in a related discipline, combined with relevant work experience, may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of five years of experience in relevant sectors, particularly in education and climate change. Experience in curriculum development, educational design" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">program design, and capacity-building initiatives is highly desirable. Familiarity with national climate planning processes and strong stakeholder engagement skills are also important.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
This is a home-based position with a contract duration of 12 months, allowing for a maximum of 220 working days. There is a possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance and availability of funds. The position is open to nationals of The Bahamas or individuals with a valid residence permit in the country. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The role requires the incumbent to use their own laptop and software, as they will not be working from a UNOPS office.