OVERVIEW

Post Number : 1BEIOC0015PA

Grade : P-2

Parent Sector : Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

Duty Station: Ostend

Classification of duty station : [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement: [[filter13]]

Job Family: Natural Sciences

Type of contract : Project Appointment

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 18-DEC-2023

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) is a global collaborative platform that provides access to scientific data and information on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of marine species. OBIS is one of the core components of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), which is a programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.

The purpose of IODE is to enhance marine research, exploitation, and development, by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating member states and by developing applications that meet the needs of users of marine data and information products.

UNESCO/IOC is a partner in several European Horizon projects that involve OBIS, as well as one UNESCO project jointly with the World Heritage Centre, and is therefore seeking to recruit an Associate Project Officer to support the implementation of the following projects.

• MARine COastal BiOdiversity Long-term Observations (MARCO-BOLO). The MARCO-BOLO project aims to structure and strengthen European coastal and marine biodiversity observation capabilities, linking them to global efforts (e.g. MBON, GOOS, OBIS and UN Ocean Decade Programmes such as Marine Life 2030, OBON, ODIS, Ocean Practices for the Decade), to understand and restore ocean health, and ensure outputs respond to explicit stakeholder needs from policy, spatial planning, and industry. MARCO-BOLO is a four-year project that started in December 2022.
• A Plan towards an eDNA reference library and data repository for Aquatic Organisms, navigating Europe towards the next generation biodiversity monitoring (eDNAqua-plan). The eDNAqua-Plan project will develop a plan for establishing a digital ecosystem of eDNA repositories and an integrated reference library for marine and freshwater species that is open-access and based on the FAIR data principles to support future aquatic biodiversity monitoring programmes and mapping initiatives. eDNAqua-Plan is a three-year project that started in September 2023.
• The Integration of biodiversity monitoring data into the Digital Twin Ocean (DTO-BioFlow). DTO-BioFlow is set to increase the accessibility of data (unlock sleeping data) concerning ocean biodiversity and the human activities influencing it, thereby facilitating the seamless integration of these data streams into the biological component of the EU Digital Twin Ocean, which serves as a digital replica of marine ecological processes. DTO-BioFlow is a 3.5 year project that started in September 2023.
• eDNA expeditions in marine World Heritage sites. This is a citizen-science project that will determine (a) the richness of fish species, and vulnerable or endangered species, across the 50 marine World Heritage sites by collecting and analyzsing environmental DNA and (b) how the effects of climate change might be impacting the distribution and migration patterns of these species. Local communities including youth at the marine World Heritage sites will be engaged in the eDNA expeditions. The project is a joint initiative across the Science (IOC) and Cultural Sectors of UNESCO. The project will end 30 June 2024.

Long Description

The responsibilities encompass both the seamless management of ongoing EU project activities and the strategic advancement of OBIS’s engagement in molecular observations.

The main duties and responsibilities for this role are as follows:

• Timely Completion of Project Activities: The primary objective is to ensure the successful and timely execution of project activities. This entails collaborating with project teams, overseeing task coordination, arranging meetings, and facilitating activities associated with project work.
• Report Development: The incumbent is responsible for drafting comprehensive reports in conjunction with project teams. These reports will document project progress, findings, and outcomes, contributing to transparent and accountable project management.
• Outreach and Training: The position also involves spearheading outreach initiatives to promote awareness and engagement with (molecular) observations within OBIS.
• Integration and Quality Control: The role encompasses overseeing the integration of (molecular) observations into OBIS datasets. It is vital to maintain a high standard of data quality through effective quality control measures.
• Responsiveness to User Community: The role is tasked with ensuring that (molecular) observations align with the evolving needs of the user community. This involves proactive adaptation to changes in the scientific and biodiversity monitoring domains.

More specifically on the following projects, the incumbent will also be expected to :

MARCO-BOLO:

• Lead the task on Essential Ocean Variable data delivery and contribute to other tasks including setting up data flows into long term archives, and the creation of data and metadata specifications.
• Support the work on eDNA: summarize and optimize current data resources, including assessing the robustness of DNA reference databases, bioinformatic pipelines and eDNA data integration into databases.

eDNAqua-Plan:

• Support the work on (i) the audit and gap analysis of eDNA initiatives and repositories, (ii) the task on data standards, data linking & compatibility and (iii) the use case to test the eDNA library, workflows, and infrastructure for marine monitoring using existing datasets.
• Contribute to the Blueprint, a roadmap policy document for an optimised and interoperable European digital ecosystem for environmental DNA of marine and freshwater species.

DTO-BioFlow:

• Lead the task on building the biodiversity component with biodiversity data sources needed for the development of the project’s demonstrators, such as citizen-science data, policy supporting data, industry data, literature-based data and data not yet covered in European infrastructures.

eDNA Expeditions in marine World Heritage sites:

• Organize scientific analysis and writing workshops and assist with writing the publication and final report.

Long Description

The incumbent will work under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, under the direct supervision of the OBIS programme manager and be guided by the OBIS data manager. He/she will be a member of the OBIS secretariat (of which 3 are currently based at the IOC Project Office for IODE in Ostend, Belgium and 4 consultants work remotely from other areas).

He/she will work closely with other project partners at European level, and maintain a close connection with global initiatives such as the marine biodiversity observation network (MBON) of the Group on Earth Observation (GEO), the Biology and Ecosystems panel of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Ocean Decade programmes such as the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON), Marine Life 2030, Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS) 2030, etc.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Masters degree or equivalent in the field of environmental, marine or biological sciences.

Work Experience

• At least two (2) years of relevant work experience, of which preferably 1 year acquired at international level.

Skills and competencies

• Excellent knowledge in biodiversity informatics, and knowledge of R, Python and Git software.
• Good knowledge of biodiversity data standards especially in relation to the use of molecular methods.
• Good knowledge of marine science and biodiversity monitoring, especially eDNA.
• Good practical knowledge of the use of molecular methods in the marine environment.
• Excellent research, analytical and problem-solving ability, including taking part in the resolution of issues and in the application of good judgment.
• Good communication skills. Ability to write and speak clearly and effectively, including the ability to draft reports in a concise style and communicate complex scientific information to a broader audience – via visual, written, and verbal modes.
• Very good interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations within a multicultural environment; ability to work collaboratively as part of a team to achieve organisational goals.
• Ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities, work under pressure.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English (spoken and written).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• A PhD in environmental, marine or biological sciences.

Work Experience

• Experience in marine science and molecular ecology, preferably in sampling and metabarcoding workflows.

Skills and Competencies

• Practical familiarity with ocean observing techniques, data management and information generation activities.

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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