UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS (UNV)
DEPUTY PROGRAMME COORDINATOR (SCIENCE)
GENERAL
Description of assignment title: Deputy Programme Coordinator (Science)
Assignment country: Mozambique
Duty stations: Maputo
Work location: On UN premises
Expected start date: 19/10/2026
Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Sustainable Development Goal: 13. Climate action
Host entity: UNESCO Mozambique
Modality: Onsite
Type: National
Volunteer category: Expert UCoS from Apr2026
Work schedule: Full-time
Number of Assignments: 1
DETAILS
MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
CONTEXT
Natural disasters are a common occurrence in Southern Africa, particularly in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, where communities are exposed to cyclones, floods, droughts, and heatwaves. The region continues to face increasing climate variability and extreme weather events, placing pressure on vulnerable communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure.
To address hydrometeorological risks, UNESCO is implementing two regional projects: ‘Building community resilience to climate-induced multi-hazards in the Buzi, Pungwe and Save (BuPuSa) Transboundary River Basins’, which aims to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience of communities and institutions to multi-hazard risks and a complementary regional initiative titled ‘Building Resilience to Wildfires and Extreme Heat through Innovative Early Warning and Community-Based Solutions in Mozambique and Zambia’ which strengthens resilience through innovative early warning systems integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT sensors, satellite data, and community-based communication platforms, alongside ecosystem-based adaptation approaches and community capacity building.
Within this framework, the Deputy Project Coordinator will support the implementation and coordination of both projects in Mozambique, ensuring strong synergies, effective delivery, and alignment with UNESCO’s disaster risk reduction and climate resilience priorities.
TASK DESCRIPTION
The Deputy Project Coordinator will support the implementation of projects by coordinating daily activities and managing the entire project cycle, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
The role involves close collaboration with government entities, technical partners, and communities to ensure effective delivery of early warning and resilience interventions.
The incumbent will also support data-driven decision-making, stakeholder coordination, and compliance with project requirements to achieve measurable and sustainable results.
The estimated allocation of time between the two projects, based on scale and budget, is 70% for BuPuSa and 30% for Wildfires.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Age: 18 – 80
Required experience: 7 years
Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS
Relevant experience: 7 years
Languages:
● Portuguese — Level: Fluent, Required
● English — Level: Working knowledge, Required
Required education level:
Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Sciences, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Management, Project Management, Education, Social Sciences, or related field.
COMPETENCIES AND VALUES
● Accountability
● Adaptability and flexibility
● Creativity
● Judgement and decision-making
● Planning and organizing
● Professionalism
● Self-management
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
● Progressively responsible experience in project coordination, implementation, and monitoring, ideally within multi-stakeholder or development settings.
● Proven experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL), including data collection, analysis, and reporting, is required.
● Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills are essential, as well as demonstrated ability to support planning processes, track project progress, and coordinate with government counterparts, partners, and communities.
● Portuguese (written and spoken) is required, along with a strong working knowledge of English.
● Ability to travel to field locations and work in challenging environments is essential.
● Experience in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, or early warning systems will be considered a strong asset.
● Prior experience with the United Nations or familiarity with UN procedures and systems is desirable.
AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE
● Community development
● Project management
● Programme development
● Strategy
● Emergency preparedness
● Crisis response
Driving license: –
OTHER INFORMATION
Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.
LIVING CONDITIONS AND REMARKS
Mozambique has a total population of about 28.9 million people and is located on the southeast coast of Africa. To the East, is the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia is to the north, to the west is Zimbabwe and South Africa and to the South, Eswatini and South Africa.
The total area of Mozambique is 799 380 Km square from North to South. It is tropical hot and humid. The hottest and wettest months in Maputo are December to February, when the average daily minimum temperatures are around 22°c and the average daily highs of 30°c. The rainy season is between October and April. Winters (June to August) are mild with the average daily temperature ranging from 13°c to 24°c.
Basic health facilities and food are available everywhere. The security situation is reliable, but a lot of precaution is needed at the same time. Communication and transport services are available at various costs.
Regarding accommodation and food, houses and apartments can be rented from US$ 1,500 to US$ 3,000 per month and meals at the restaurant cost between US$ 10 and US$ 30.
Food, household commodities and clothing can be found in shops and local markets at reasonable prices.
An entry visa is required for all travellers and must be obtained from the Mozambican Embassy prior to travelling.
The metical is the local currency, and exchange rate stands at USD 1 equivalent to about 63.25 meticais (MZM) as of January 2026.
Commercial banks are operational in the country and Visa cards are accepted in very limited hotels.
Maputo is categorized as a family duty station offering a variety of different accommodation options. It has a vibrant international community whilst also providing excellent opportunities to work in a national, Mozambican context.
INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics.
As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
NOTE ON COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy.
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HOW TO APPLY?
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