As all countries in the world look for new ways to address complex and interconnected challenges, such as shocks resulting from crises, economic stagnation, inequality and poverty, the promotion of affordable and clean energy, the protection of the environment and the climate system, become central and priority themes. In this context, UNDP, as a frontier organization of knowledge for sustainable development in the United Nations Development System, aims to develop integrated responses to these issues, serving as an integrating agent of collective action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to multilateral and bilateral partnerships, UNDP provides countries with specialized technical services for eligibility assessment, program/project formulation and implementation, capacity building, policy advice, advocacy, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, co-financing mobilization, implementation supervision, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments, and knowledge management services.

The UNDP Country Office (OC) in Brazil is a key development partner of the Brazilian government and supports national and subnational public and private sector institutions and civil society to achieve a more sustainable and inclusive society by strengthening democratic institutions and improving the effectiveness of governance, reducing poverty and inequalities, and addressing issues related to climate change and biodiversity. Aiming to align the organizational structure with the 2017-2021 CPD, extended until 2023 because of the pandemic, the new 2024-2028 CPD, still under construction, and the priorities of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the design of the UNDP Program portfolio includes three major lines of work that are mutually reinforcing, designed around three axes:

• Inclusive Socio-economic Development: poverty reduction, social policies livelihoods public-private partnerships, inclusive markets and growth.
• Environmentally Sustainable Development: nature-based solutions for development, climate change, energy efficiency, management of chemical substances, among others.
• Governance and Justice for Development: prevention of violence, justice, transparency, anti-corruption, human rights, local capacity development

The Environmentally Sustainable Development team is clustered into the larger Programme Team and works in an integrated manner with the Governance and Inclusive Socio-Economic Development teams in anchoring UNDP’s Programme portfolio in Environmental and Sustainable Developed areas by providing thought leadership and enabling innovation and cross-cutting development solutions that are amplified by UNDP knowledge, research, and stand-out policy advice.

In this context, the project "Supporting access to high-integrity forest finance for the states of the Brazilian Amazon" is implemented by UNDP Brazil in partnership with the UNDP Climate Hub's climate and forests team. The project aims to enable access to climate finance for Amazonian states by supporting their compliance with high-integrity forest carbon standards, particularly the ART/TREES standard.

The FOLHA initiative is designed to strengthen the implementation of high-integrity Jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) in Brazil by empowering subnational jurisdictions in the Legal Amazon with the technical, legal, institutional, and governance capacities needed to access and sustain results-based forest finance. The program focuses on alignment with the national REDD+ architecture (ENREDD+, CONAREDD+, SISREDD+) and with international high integrity standards, notably the ART/TREES standard, covering the strengthening of MRV systems, implementation of safeguards, benefit-sharing arrangements, and legal and regulatory preparation.

Under the guidance of the Environmentally Sustainable Development Unit Coordinator and direct supervision of the Programme Officer, the Project Analyst (Project Management) will be responsible for the overall management, coordination, and implementation of the FOLHA project, ensuring its alignment with UNDP’s strategic objectives, and Brazil’s climate and forest policies. The Project Analyst (Project Management) will lead a multidisciplinary team and work closely with state governments, federal institutions, civil society, and international partners.

Scope of Work

The Project Analyst (Project Management) will lead the effective delivery of the FOLHA initiative, ensuring the timely and quality implementation of project activities in line with established objectives and results. This includes coordinating technical, operational, and stakeholder engagement processes, while maintaining alignment with UNDP standards, donor requirements, and national priorities.

Main responsibilities and activities:

Project Management and Implementation

• Manage the overall implementation of the FOLHA project, ensuring timely delivery of outputs and full compliance with UNDP rules, procedures, and donor requirements.
• Supervise and manage the project team, including the Project Assistant and technical advisors/consultants, ensuring effective coordination, performance, and accountability.
• Lead project planning and implementation, including the preparation and updating of annual work plans, procurement plans, and risk management strategies, ensuring alignment with project objectives and donor expectations.
• Monitor project progress against indicators and targets, tracking delivery, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing adaptive management measures as needed.
• Oversee financial and operational management, including budget execution, delivery rates, procurement processes, and contract management, in close coordination with the operations team.
• Prepare and consolidate project progress reports (quarterly, annual, and ad hoc), ensuring quality, accuracy, and alignment with internal and donor reporting requirements.
• Maintain effective communication with stakeholders and donors, ensuring alignment on progress, priorities, and strategic direction of the project.

Technical Oversight and Quality Assurance

• Provide strategic and technical guidance on jurisdictional REDD+, ensuring alignment with national policies (ENREDD+, CONAREDD+) and international standards (ART/TREES).
• Supervise the preparation of key technical documents, including:
  • TREES Registration Document (TRD) for priority states
  • TREES Monitoring Report (TMR) and State Safeguards Information Summary
  • Technical reviews of State Safeguards Information Systems and State REDD+ Strategies
• Ensure safeguards and benefit-sharing arrangements are designed, and implemented, in accordance with ART/TREES requirements and national regulations.
• Provide quality assurance of all technical outputs, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with project objectives.
• Supervise technical consultants and specialists, ensuring coherence and technical integrity across deliverables.

Partnership Building

• Maintain and strengthen strategic partnerships with federal and state governments (e.g., MMA, State Environment Secretariats), civil society organizations, IPLCs (PIQCTAFs), and private sector actors.
• Coordinate engagement with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment between project activities, state priorities, and national REDD+ frameworks.
• Participate in technical meetings, steering committees, and working groups related to REDD+ and carbon markets.
• Identify resource mobilization opportunities and contribute to scaling up FOLHA’s impact.

Capacity Development and Knowledge Management

• Coordinate the design and implementation of capacity-building activities for state government officials, governance bodies, and other stakeholders on:
  • Jurisdictional REDD+ and the ART/TREES standard
  • Social and Environmental Safeguards
  • Benefit-sharing mechanisms
  • High-integrity carbon markets
• Facilitate cross-state learning and exchange of experiences among Amazonian states.
• Document and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and case studies to contribute to UNDP’s global knowledge products on REDD+ and forest finance.

Coordination with Climate Hub and Global Policy Networks

• Ensure alignment of FOLHA with the UNDP Climate Hub’s global strategies and the High-Integrity Carbon Markets Initiative.
• Coordinate with the Subnational Forest Finance Specialist and other thematic teams to ensure complementarity across jurisdictional REDD+ and agricultural mitigation activities.
• Ensure clear and effective communication and facilitate flows between the Brazil Country Office, the Climate Hub (HQ), and BPPS.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Project.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Analyst (Project Management) – FOLHA will be directly supervised by the Progamme Officer with the guidance of the Programme Officer. He/she will coordinate the FOLHA project team and work in close collaboration with the Carbon Markets team, the Subnational Forest Finance Specialist, and the Climate Hub. The Project Analyst (Project Management) will also liaise with the operations team, UNDP Brazil’s programme staff, and relevant government counterparts to ensure an effective implementation.

Competencies

Core

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

People Management

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

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 Partnership Management

Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Project Management

Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Results-Based Management

Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant project management theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

2030 AGENDA: PLANET Nature

Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Access and benefit sharing of biodiversity, land, forests and oceans.

2030 AGENDA: PLANET Climate

Climate Strategies and Policy: Policy and Institutional Building

2030 AGENDA: PLANET Climate

Climate Strategies and Policy: NDC enhancement

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Education requirements

Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Forestry, Climate Policy, Economics, International Development, Public Administration, or related field is required, or

A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, 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 experience in progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in project management, with a focus on climate change, forests, REDD+, or carbon markets.

Required skills

• Proven experience in managing complex programmes and projects, including financial oversight, team coordination, and donor reporting.
• At least 2 years of professional experience working with federal and/or state government institutions in Brazil, including engagement with subnational governments.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in REDD+ and jurisdictional approaches, and/or climate policies.
• Strong experience in environmental public policies and forest governance frameworks in Brazil.
• Proven experience in multi-level governance and institutional coordination, including engagement with public institutions, civil society, and other stakeholders.
• Experience in results-based payment mechanisms and/or performance-based finance.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Experience working with Amazonian states and with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).
• Experience in strengthening institutional capacities of subnational governments.
• Experience with ART/TREES standard and related processes (e.g., TCN, TRD, TMR).
• Experience in resource mobilization and development of project proposals.
• Professional experience in climate finance and carbon markets.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder governance bodies at subnational level (e.g., REDD+ commissions, safeguards committees, technical working groups).

Required Language(s)

Fluency in Portuguese and English is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.