Project Management Specialist [Open to internal and external applicants], Manila, Philippines

## Project Management Specialist [Open to internal and external applicants], Manila, Philippines - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme - Office:UNDP Philippines In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby: - Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026. - Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments - Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers - Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply. Funded by a P3.67 billion (€60 million) grant from the European Union, the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership will run from 2023-2028 in collaboration with the Government of the Philippines, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This priority programme of the European Union in the Philippines links European and Filipino partners from the private sector and local governments to foster a circular economy and the reduction of plastic waste. It also aims to improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energy use and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Through technology transfers and investments, the programme aims to accelerate the transition to a greener economy while sustaining economic growth that benefits all Filipinos. The EU-PH Green Economy Partnership is co-funded by Germany's Ministry for the Environment, and implemented by Germany's development agency GIZ, UNDP Philippines, Expertise France with Global Green Growth Institute, and the International Finance Corporation - a member of the World Bank Group. The Green Economy Partnership is part of EU's Global Gateway initiative - the European strategy engaging with partners globally and promoting investments around shared priorities such as the transition to a green economy and the advancement of digital infrastructure, among others. The EU-PH Green Economy Partnership's second of four specific objectives (SO2), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aims to enhance circular economy practices by the local government units (LGUs) in collaboration with the private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs), with focus on youth and gender equality. Co-led by UNDP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), SO2 delivers a portfolio of interventions, among others focusing on enabling policies; facilitating financing; advocacy and behavioral change; and enhancing knowledge and capacity among LGUs and local stakeholders. Central to the approach is innovation, promoting gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI), and just transition towards the shift to a circular economy. The EU-PH Green Economy Partnership (SO2) works with LGUs and local stakeholders, including the private sector, CSOs, communities, youth, GEDSI groups, and informal sector actors, to advance circular economy (CE) solutions. The programme directly supports 20 Tier 1 LGUs and provides targeted assistance to 40 Tier 2 LGUs through an Inter-Local Cooperation (ILC) approach. The first batch of ten Tier 1 LGUs under the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership consists of Baguio City, Pasig City, Caloocan City, Quezon City, Puerto Princesa City, Iloilo City, Ormoc City, Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal (Davao Del Norte), and Del Carmen (Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte). Meanwhile,the second batch of ten Tier 1 LGUs include the City of San Carlos (Pangasinan), City of Ilagan (Isabela), City of San Jose Del Monte (Bulacan), City of Bacoor (Cavite), City of Sorsogon, Maasin City (Southern Leyte), Isabela City (Basilan), Cagayan De Oro City, Koronadal City (South Cotabato), and Cotabato City (an independent component city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao). Tier 1 LGUs are supported through multi-stakeholder workshops to identify CE opportunities, develop priority portfolios for plastics, organics, and tourism, and design integrated solutions combining policy, infrastructure, financing, business models, and GEDSI-responsive initiatives. Support includes CE baseline studies, material flow and value chain assessments, policy development, sustainable public procurement, and the co-design and procurement of CE facilities and systems. The programme also funds community-based behavioural change initiatives and innovation challenges to promote the scaling of successful CE practices. Tier 2 LGUs are engaged through the Inter-local cooperation (ILC) approach, which encourages neighboring LGUs to collaborate on shared CE challenges such as increasing waste generation, fragmented recovery systems, infrastructure gaps, and uneven local capacities. As Tier 1 LGUs move from planning to implementation, the programme is generating valuable lessons on organizing local CE action, establishing Local Circular Economy Action Teams (LCEATs), developing CE portfolios, mobilizing stakeholders, and implementing CE solutions. Capturing and sharing these experiences will help strengthen CE implementation and replication across participating LGUs. UNDP Philippines takes overall responsibility and accountability for the delivery of the project outputs. It will be accountable for managing the project, including the monitoring and evaluation of project interventions, achieving project results, and for the effective use of resources, in compliance with UNDP rules and regulations, policies and procedures. These include relevant requirements on fiduciary, procurement, environmental and social safeguards, and other performance standards. The day-to-day implementation of the project will be led by a Project Manager within a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for ensuring that the project achieves the expected targets to the required quality standards and within the specified time and budget allocations. The Project Manager will be supported by a Project Management Specialist/Deputy Project Manager, Project Assistants, technical staff and a pool of contractors and consultants to carry out the deliverables of the project. Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Project Manager, working closely with the UNDP Climate Action Programme Team, and in close collaboration with the Project Management Unit (PMU), UNDP teams in the Philippines Country Office and Bangkok Regional Hub, and EU, the Project Management Specialist will assist in providing high-quality professional project implementation support and technical advice and assistance in the overall delivery of the project. More specifically, the Project Management Specialist/Deputy Project Manager will perform the following functions:1. Provide technical advice and assistance in the overall implementation of the project (GEP-SO2) - Contribute to providing technical advice, strategic support and guidance in the overall engagement of partners in system change approaches in advancing circular economy with focus at the local level yet strategically aligned with national directions and emerging international developments; - Contribute to day-to-day management of the project, including effective project implementation, delivery and quality checks, and document progress towards the achievement of agreed upon outputs and outcomes; - Identify new/innovative and context-specific areas of engagement and act as the sub-lead in close collaboration with the Project Manager in identifying entry points and opportunities for interventions and learning opportuniti