Wetlands and Climate Policy Advisor to support UNEP

Are you passionate about wetlands and climate issues and can you build a bridge between research to policy and practice? Then you might be our new colleague!

As our new Policy Advisor, you will be anchored in our UNEP-DHI team and work closely with scientists in the Global Wetland Center (GWC) and colleagues in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to advance the preservation of wetlands in countries around the world. This is a fulltime position.

About us

DHI is an independent, international advisory and research organization operating on a not-for profit basis. We are dedicated to advancing and sharing knowledge about water environments. Our mission is to innovate new ways to use, manage, and live with water while protecting water-related ecosystems. We leverage our expertise, advanced technologies, and unique modeling software to support decision-makers. DHI has more than 1,000 highly qualified employees in more than 30 offices worldwide. We are committed to our role as global enablers of better decisions for water resources, and one of the ways we put this into action is through our UNEP-DHI Centre (https://www.unepdhi.org/), where you will be working. The UNEP-DHI Centre supports water-related decision-making, from policy formulation to project implementation, through a range of activities, knowledge products and cutting-edge tools. Based in Denmark, you would be a valued member of a small and highly dedicated core team drawing on a larger pool of 50+ colleagues at DHI to support the work of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

Your role will include: 

• Ensuring the relevance of the work of the GWC to the mandate of UNEP and its activities, including but not limited to freshwater, climate, and biodiversity, and linking policy and action-oriented research emerging from the GWC to other wetland monitoring initiatives such as the Global Wetland Watch.
• Engaging closely with climate, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and biodiversity policy experts, as well as relevant organizations and countries to understand their planning, monitoring and reporting needs for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of wetlands.
• Identifying emerging needs and knowledge gaps in relevant policy processes and mechanisms in relation to wetland ecosystems and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, to ensure action-oriented outcomes of the GWC research work. 
• Identifying and operationalizing ways the work and research outcomes of the GWC can support countries e.g. through new data model tools that can support existing or emerging global ambitions and processes, such as those linked to Nationally Determined Contributions and climate change mitigation strategies.
• Liaison with national and international key partners regarding ongoing work, as well as identifying and securing new collaboration and funding opportunities.
• Leading various strategy and project management tasks including formulation, leading, coordinating, planning, budgeting, reporting and monitoring. 
• Participating in collaborative outreach and communications actions including preparation of information and awareness raising materials and events.
• Travel activities are mainly related to brief country visits for conferences, meetings or similar

What we expect

You understand the role of the United Nations and its Environment Programme and have worked with developing and developed countries with a broad range of stakeholders. Importantly, you are a good communicator, have a can-do-attitude, are self-driven but know when to ask for help, and thrive in a collaborative, open-office environment. Furthermore, you ideally have:

• A master’s degree, PhD or equivalent in wetlands/freshwater ecosystems ecology, engineering, environmental sciences, or other discipline related to climate change, ecosystems management, technology development/application
• At least 5 years working experience related to wetlands and/or climate issues relevant to the role 
• Strong understanding of global climate policy frameworks, such as NDC reporting, and greenhouse gas accounting methodologies, as well as the Global Biodiversity Framework and SDG framework 
• Knowledge of climate finance mechanisms and funding criteria.
• Understanding research and development processes and the ability to analyze and interpret data for policy and decision making 
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical and user-friendly solutions
• Excellent inter-personal, written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information effectively to diverse audiences
• Strong organizational and process management skills and ability to deal with multiple tasks simultaneously within specified timelines
• A very high level of fluency in written and spoken English. In addition, proficiency in French and/or Spanish is considered highly desirable

What we offer

We offer an interesting and challenging job in an international atmosphere where every voice is valued.  You will collaborate with talented professionals in a supportive and friendly environment, where the focus is on innovation and expert advice for the benefit of our shared planet. We place great emphasis on a high level of professionalism amongst our staff and can offer clear career progression paths and professional development training. 

Workplace location

The position is based in the greater Copenhagen area with shared presence at DHI’s HQ in Hoersholm, about 25 km north of Copenhagen, and the Global Wetland Center at the University of Copenhagen in central Copenhagen. We also have a satellite office in the UN City building in Copenhagen. You are required to be in the office at least three days per working week, with flexibility for remote working the remaining days. Your primary residence will be in Denmark. 

Further information:

https://globalwetlandcenter.ku.dk/; www.unepdhi.org; www.dhigroup.com; and www.unep.org 

Gareth James Lloyd, Deputy Chief Manager, UNEP-DHI Centre (gjl@dhigroup.com)

Review of applications will start immediately, so please apply as soon as possible, and no later than April 30th 2025. All applicants will receive a response as soon as possible. Desired start date would be as soon as possible. Interested candidates residing outside of Denmark are welcome to apply.