Senior Specialist - Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS)

About CDRI

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.

The CDRI Headquarter is established in New Delhi, India, to act as the Secretariat of the Coalition. The Secretariat functions under the direction of the International Governing Council and Executive Committee to implement the programmes of CDRI.

Job Summary

CDRI launched Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) at the World Leaders Summit at COP26 – its first and largest international programme to provide technical support on multifaceted issues posed by infrastructure systems and promote disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure assets in SIDS. As part of the IRIS Programme Management Unit (PMU), CDRI intends to hire a Senior Specialist to support the IRIS-Lead at the CDRI Secretariat on Fixed Term Contract of three years.

CDRI is looking for an experienced international professional for the position of Senior Specialist (IRIS Programme Management Unit) to work under the supervision of the IRIS Programme Lead. The incumbent will conceptualize, budget, implement and monitor programme activities (technical assistance, capacity strengthening, knowledge creation and exchange, advocacy) with an emphasis on quality and risk management.

• Create, maintain detailed activity plans for the programmatic activities and regularly update the milestones, database and reports relevant to the programme and technical support function.
• Management of contracting and implementation of projects, experts of ongoing management and enable timely response to milestones.
• Preparation, consolidation and monitoring of the programme’s multi-year budget, annual budget, cash flow forecast and expenditure forecast in line with agreed activity plans.
• Plan, host and document team progress meetings according to the programme’s activity plan.
• Support in setting up efficient and effective programme management system and conduct monthly/quarterly/annual reporting.
• Maintain and update selected sub-plans, including (but not limited to)-Quality management plan, Risk management plan and Resourcing plan (human resources, procurement).
• Support the Programme Lead in stakeholder management and overall programme coordination.
• Support in developing and implementing sectoral programme strategy with internal team and external stakeholders.
• Conduct background research on the respective sectors, member countries on ongoing initiatives, opportunities, experts etc. to contribute to ongoing work, proposed studies, events, meetings etc.
• Support in preparing sectoral presentations, talking points and messages for management team, advisors etc.
• Support with the drafting of high-quality briefs, key documents, communication materials, reports, and any required documents to support sectoral technical studies and programmatic work.
• Work closely with the communications and advocacy team to provide support and curate the external media and communication on ongoing or completed technical studies.
• Coordinate closely with the specialists at CDRI, as relevant and emergent, for technical studies related tasks and outputs.

Skills Set

Essential

• Project/ Programme Management, contract management, and budgeting for complex multi-year budgets and programmes
• Demonstrated experience on monitoring, quality assurance and risk planning.
• Analytical and strategic planning skills and the ability to handle multiple priorities.
• Participatory planning skills, including the ability to collect and integrate input from various departments and stakeholders.
• Excellent coordination and communication skills, both oral and written with the capacity to operate in a culturally and professionally diverse environment.
• Result-oriented and with ability to contribute new and innovative ideas and function efficiently in fast changing and evolving contexts.
• Experience working in an international organization and with a diverse number of partners comprising Governments, the UN, multi-lateral systems, industry, the financial institutions, knowledge and research institutions in multi country locations.

Desirable

• Knowledge of disaster risk reduction and climate change concepts and frameworks and familiarity with international frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and the relevant regional frameworks in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
• Knowledge of climate change adaptation/disaster risk reduction/infrastructure resilience.
• Experience of working with governments, international organisations and alliances on multi country initiatives.
• Knowledge of resilience of infrastructure, power/transport sector and associated topical issues.
• Experience of developing concept notes, policy briefs, reports and communication materials on infrastructure sectors, disaster, and climate resilience
• Experience of undertaking secondary level research, documentation.

Qualifications

Education Criteria

• Post-Graduate qualification in programme or project management, engineering, international development, urban/infrastructure planning, climate studies, disaster management, business administration or other relevant fields.

Experience Criteria

• Minimum 7 years of progressive international experience in programme or project management in international development, infrastructure, capacity strengthening, climate action, disaster resilience or closely related fields.

Language Proficiency

• Fluency in English, both oral and written.
• Proficiency in International (UN) languages other than English is desirable.

For candidates demonstrating considerable international experience, an international salary and benefits package will be offered.

Candidates will have to demonstrate considerable experience in at least 5 countries across two UN geographic regions (from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern America, and Oceania) to meet the criteria for international staff.

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