The Egyptian Red Sea Initiative (ERSI) is an important new programme that aims to reduce drivers of coral reef degradation while simultaneously developing new finance sources and mechanisms for reefpositive business and livelihoods. To ensure that the Egyptian Red Sea region’s coral reefs continue to provide vital ecological and socio-economic services, the programme will also advance science on coral reef resilience, identify and protect climate refugia^[1], and implement sustainable financing mechanisms for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that harbour critical coral reef ecosystems.

Through the establishment and operationalization of a new Egyptian Fund for Coral Reefs (EFCR), which will leverage finance for reef-positive businesses that support conservation, economic development, community livelihoods, and enhanced community resilience to climate change, the programme will accelerate the development of reef-positive business models, especially in the ecotourism, sustainable fisheries, and waste management sectors.

With additional finance for conservation and investment from the private sector, the programme is expected to leverage at least an additional USD 45 million in grants through the Egyptian Fund for Coral Reefs (EFCR) to support coral reef conservation in the Egyptian Red Sea.

The National Project Manager will be responsible for the overall management of the programme’s incountry activities, ensuring a proper workplan and budget is in place and implemented within set timelines, with an effective national team and strong partnerships. The Project manager will work closely with EEAA, UNDP and USAID to ensure implementation mechanisms such as a National Steering Committee and technical working groups are established and meet regularly, that all planned workshops, technical studies and other activities are organised in a timely manner, and that they meet expected quality standards. Key duties and responsibilities include:

 Management 

• In consultation with the UNDP Country Office and Global Fund for Coral Reef  Team and supported by a team of consultants and experts, elaborate/revise the work plan and budget and submit draft workplans/budgets timely for the bi-annual budget revision process (30 June and 31 December of each year);
• Discuss with the  Environment and other key stakeholders the establishment of a national Steering Committee and follow up on the formal establishment and regular convening of the Committee, undertake the same for any other proposed coordination mechanism, and write meeting reports to be shared with the UNDP CO, EEAA , USAID and the GFCR.
• Oversee the identification, selection and supervision of national consultants and experts, in close collaboration with the UNDP Country Office, EEAA and USAID.
• Supervise the work of national experts and institutions to ensure outputs are delivered on time, within the set budget, and to high quality standards; facilitate, guide and monitor the work of the national team;
• Oversee the work of the Finance Assistant to ensure administrative requirements and budgets are managed and executed in a timely and appropriate manner and within UNDP and donor rules and regulations;
• Organise all relevant project workshops in a consultative manner, involving a wide variety of biodiversity finance stakeholders, including the government, private sector, NGOs, donors and academia.
• Ensure a timely identification of risks in implementation at the national level and communication to EEAA, UNDP, USAID and GFCR

 Reporting/Communication/M&E 

• Signal any delays in national deliverables compared to the workplan to EEAA, UNDP Country Office, USAID and GFCR.
• Lead project monitoring, reporting and evaluation at national level, draft monthly and quarterly reports for review by all Stackholders
• Develop workshop reports for the inception workshop and all technical workshops.
• Develop briefing notes, case studies, press releases, web articles and other media products as required.
• Assist with research and write and edit sections of technical reports as required.
• Review all national level deliverables to ensure quality and consistency with the GFCR rules and regulations.

Closing a Project 

• In cooperation with the UNDP CO, EEAA and USAID and national project experts, develop a suitable project exit strategy during the last year of the project, and present it for approval
• Ensure proper operational, financial and programmatic closure of the project.
• Prepare Final Project Review Reports to be submitted to the Project Board;
• Identify follow-up actions and submit them for consideration to the Project Board;
• Manage the transfer of project deliverables, documents, files, equipment and materials to national beneficiaries;
• Prepare final CDR for signature by UNDP and the Implementing Partner, EEAA.

 Knowledge sharing 

• Willingness to provide support to others who request advice or help.

Key deliverables (products and processes): 

• Detailed project Work Plan and budget agreed by all major partners.
• National Steering/Advisory Committee formed and operational. 
• All consultants and team members recruited and delivering to schedule, while working relations between team members are clarified and effective.
• Lines of communication and working methods agreed and functional.
• Reporting and updates provided to UNDP, EEAA, USAID, USAID and GFCR
• Planned activities are carried out in line with timelines and required quality standards.
• All workshops organised in line with workplan and well documented.

 Institutional Arrangement

The Project Management unit (PMU) will consist of a project manager (this position), a finance officer, a coordinator an administrative officer and a driver. The project manager will work under the overall guidance of and direct supervision of Assistant Resident Representative Biodiversity & Protected Areas, Team Leader Environment & Energy.

• Achieve Results:

LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

• Think Innovatively: 

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

• Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

• Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

• Act with Determination:

LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

• Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Please refer to the competency framework site for the entire list of competencies and further explanations.

2030: Agenda Planet

• Strategic Thinking:
  • Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks;
  • link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions;
  • learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.
• Nature
  • Ecosystems and biodiversity:
    • Access and benefit sharing of biodiversity, land, forests, and oceans
    • Economic and Finance shift
    • Natural Resource Management
    • Socio-environmental impacts of natural resource extraction

Business Direction & Strategy

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management

• Portfolio Management
  • Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity;
  • ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment

Min. Education requirements :

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environment/natural resource management, biodiversity, economics, finance or a  relevant related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience  

• Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant and progressive working experience in political economy, project management, financial management, public and/or business administration.

Required skills  

• Experience in coordinating and collaborating with international and national experts and institutions.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems such as ERP.

Desired skills 

• Experience in coral reefs and related ecosystems is preferable.
• Prior experience with UNDP projects would be an asset.
• Working experience in international organizations, especially within UN system, is an asset.
• Exposure to environmental issues or biodiversity including finance is highly desirable.
• Proven  ability to gather and process data and information is highly desirable
• Proven interpersonal skills to network among the national team and beyond to other national institutions is highly desirable
• Proven experience to write clearly professional correspondence adequately is highly desirable

Required Language(s)  

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required

Professional Certificates 

• Project Management Certificate will be an asset