UNDP Jobs - 56613- Director, UN Office for South-South Cooperation

Director, UN Office for South-South Cooperation

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

07-Jun-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

D-2

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), hosted by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is responsible for mainstreaming South-South and Triangular Cooperation across the UN system and assisting developing countries in strengthening their capacities to manage, design and implement South-South Cooperation (SSC) policies and initiatives through the identification, sharing, and transfer of successful Southern-generated development solutions.

At the intergovernmental level, the UNOSSC serves as the Secretariat to the High-level Committee (HLC) on South-South Co-operation, a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, which provides policy directives and guidance and reviews progress on South-South Co-operation globally. The UNOSSC is also responsible for the preparation of reports for various intergovernmental bodies, including the annual report of the Secretary-General on the state of South-South Co-operation, as well as ad hoc reports emanating from intergovernmental decisions.

The UNOSSC currently operationalizes its policy directives through three pillars: 1) Global South-South Development Academy; 2) Global South-South Development Expo; and 3) South-South Global Assets and Technology Exchange. In addition, the UNOSSC also manages the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation and the Pérez-Guerrero Trust Fund for Economic and Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.

With the growing importance of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the post-2015 era, the UN System will require a Director that can effect a step change in the UNOSSC’s ability to support system-wide co-ordination and action, in line with policy guidance emanating from the High Level Committee. The Director will be responsible for positioning the UNOSSC, within a post-2015 development context, to be better able to collect, analyse and provide access to data on the “who, what and where” of South-South and Triangular Co-operation. This will also entail enhanced focus on outreach, dialogue, and consensus-building across a wide range of stakeholders while continuing to build on its existing major platforms designed for this purpose.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Director will be responsible for leading and managing the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, in line with the mandate(s) established by the relevant UN bodies and under the policy guidance of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, while ensuring that the UNOSSC achieves tangible results in promotion of South-South Cooperation through effectively discharging the following duties and responsibilities:

Mainstreaming South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the UN Development System: including through

Providing thought leadership and high-level advice on South-South and Triangular Cooperation to the UNDP Administrator, as the UNDG Chair.
Leading the overall mainstreaming of SSC across the UN system, including through co-chairing the UNDG Task force on SSC and leveraging the UN System’s global reach as well as its policy and institutional capacities;
Supporting implementation of resolutions and recommendations emanating from relevant intergovernmental bodies;
Supporting the transfer of innovative and forward-looking Southern development solutions to development partners to support implementation of the post -2015 development agenda;
Creating and maintaining a real-time information hub on various ongoing SSC initiatives within and outside the ambit of the UN System, high-level advocacy, promoting SSC , and rallying further commitment from Member States, UN entities, multilateral bodies, and private-sector and civil society organizations to provide comprehensive support for SSC and to generate resource mobilization opportunities.

Support to the High-level Committee (HLC) on South-South Cooperation:

Lead the review of, and report to the HLC on, progress made in the implementation of recommendations of Buenos Aires Plan of Action and Nairobi Outcome Document by national governments and by the UN system;
Lead policy reviews and direct substantive studies and analyses as required by the HLC, and make recommendations on new directions, strategies, and innovative approaches to SSC;
Manage relationships among various stakeholders, including Member States, with a view to securing consensus-based approaches to SSC in the HLC, ECOSOC, and General Assembly;
Manage secretariat support for the bureau of the HLC.

Strengthen UN system-wide efforts and external partnerships for South-South Cooperation:

Promote the UN’s strategic leadership on SSC and integrate SSC across UN Development System policy, programming and partnership activities;
Collaborate with UNDP Senior Management, UN DOCO, and relevant UNDP Bureaus in identifying strategic partnership opportunities within the UN System, and between the UN System and other entities in business, civil society, philanthropy, and academic sectors;
Engage with other entities of the multilateral system including development banks and Southern financial institutions and leverage partnerships in support of SSC;
Mobilize resources and manage the UN Fund for South-South Co-operation and the Pérez-Guerrero Trust Fund for Economic and Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, as well as the core resources allocated by the UNDP Executive Board to ONOSSC.

Competencies

Core:

Innovation:

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done.

Technical:

Knowledge and Understanding of SSC:

Is well-versed on all key facets of South-South Cooperation;
Demonstrates intellectual leadership and ability to integrate SSC knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;SSC trend analysis and forecasting;
Situating SSC within the global development context, including post-2015 development discourse.

Representation:

Ability to effectively represent management at the senior level in internal and external meetings.

Building Consensus:

Able to build political consensus across diverse constituencies and demonstrate innovative approach to problem solving.

Networking:

Able to nurture an extensive global network of institutional and individual contacts, and displays ability to exercise tact and diplomacy in building and maintaining relations with partners.

Diplomacy and sound decision making:

Demonstrates integrity, sound judgement, ability to take decisions and act without consideration of personal gain;
Independent judgment and discretion in advising on and handling major management and operational-related issues and problems.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in areas related to development, economics and/or international affairs.

Experience:

Minimum of fifteen years in development work including professional assignments in a developing region;
Extensive experience of international development issues and proven record of working successfully on cross-country and interregional issues;
Demonstrated management experience in progressively senior management positions;
Strong hands-on experience as a senior manager dealing with development policy and operational matters;
Familiarity with the UN system and, particularly, with the intergovernmental processes.

Language:

Fluency in English;
Knowledge of French or Spanish an asset.