Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

 

Office/Unit/Project Description 

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) leads and supports the organization in cultivating, building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances that are essential for advancing and successfully achieving the mission of UNDP. Within BERA, the Innovative Digital Partnerships Unit (IDP) was established to facilitate the development of creative partnerships and programs that accelerate progress towards the SDGs, raise non-traditional revenue streams for UNDP, and increase the organization’s advocacy and reach. Anchored in a partnership with Samsung Mobile which has produced the Samsung Global Goals app, IDP also leads on global impact giving for UNDP. 

Among UNDP’s madates is a committment to promoting and supporting youth empowerment for sustainable development and peace worldwide, including by supporting the role young people play as positive agents of change in the implementation, monitoring and follow-up on 2030 Agenda.

In 2020, BERA/IDP and the UNDP Youth Global Programme came together to co-create the innovative Generation17 youth empowerment initiative, a signature platform made possible through the Samsung partnership, built on the key insight that across the globe, young people are taking action for sustainable development and leveraging technology to do so.

Since its inception, the initiative has grown considerably both in terms of scale and complexity. In 2023—with the goal of strengthening the Generation17 initiative, and to seed new innovation related to youth-inclusive programmes—a new role for Youth Engagement Coordinator has been identified.  

The position demands direct experience working with youth, ideally informed by personal experience as a youth leader. Further, it requires demonstrated ability to liaise and actively coordinate between internal teams and external organizations, ideally in a United Nations context. The ideal candidate will also possess proven skills in content creation with a demonstrated ability to drive engagement for social and digital media through the use of mobile technology. Last, as the Youth Engagement Coordinator will drive innovation in new areas, he/she should have a strong understanding of opportunities for youth and youth-inclusive organizations to receive or be supported by various funding streams, including programme funds, charitable giving, grantmaking, corporate and individual giving.  

 

Institutional Arrangement

Reporting to the Global Lead, Digital Fundraising and Marketing (BERA) and performance-matrixed to the Global Youth Empowerment Team Leader, the Youth Engagement Coordinator will support the needs of both units through a variety of core and ancillary functions. The position is based in New York.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Generation17 seeks to provide opportunities for meaningful youth engagement at national, regional, and global levels, and emphasize the importance of co-creation with youth as stakeholders to tackle development challenges. Among its goals, Generation17 seeks to amplify young people’s voices, build partnerships with youth organizations to connect back at the local level with global agendas, deliver speaking opportunities, and provide mentorship and training where possible. To that end, the duties of the Youth Engagement Coordinator will span across 1) advocacy, communications, and marketing, 2) youth-inclusive policy support 3) project development/coordination, and 4) reporting/evaluation. 

1) Advocacy, communications, and marketing  

  • Connect and network with Generation17 Young Leaders to increase their overall engagement with the initiative.
  • Organize and encourage full participation in all viable opportunities made available through the Generation17 initiative, including gatherings, side events, online mtgs., 1:1s, and networking. Facilitate interaction between Young Leaders, organizations of interest, youth leaders in complementary initiatives (e.g., Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth) and beyond.
  • Assist Young Leaders with content creation and / or amplification of content developed by UNDP, Samsung Mobile, and/or agency partners on different social media platforms.
  • Prepare, and/or support the preparation of branded content by agency partners, for dissemination through UNDP, Samsung, and other digital channels.
  • Seek opportunities to extend reach and relevance of content through influencers, where appropriate.
  • Actively cultivate a positive image for Generation17, the Young Leaders, and partner organizations. 

2) Youth-inclusive policy support

  • Identify and develop potential opportunities for Young Leaders as individuals, and as a group, to speak, engage, and/or promote dialogue in their area of interest.
  • Connect Young Leaders with country office focal points and youth development colleagues within the United Nations and its agencies, as well as educational institutions, civil society organizations, etc.
  • Support youth mentorship and its role to inform policies and programmes.
  • Identify and share credible sources of information, data and analytics relating to the Sustainable Development Goals that Young Leaders can leverage in their work with other young people at the national, regional and global levels. 

3) Project Management 

  • Generation17 project coordination.
  • Support the advancement of pilot initiatives designed to provide support to youth (including financially).
  • Develop project plans and drive project deadlines and deliverables, where appropriate.
  • Other duties as assigned. 

4) Reporting / Evaluation

  • Seek input from Young Leaders as to the areas of support that can be provided to further their work.
  • Track progress against goals and develop and submit reports according to regular and ad hoc reporting needs. 

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

 

Cross-functional & Technical – see  Technical Competencies.pdf

Digital & Innovation - Digital marketing

Knowledge of digital marketing methods and ability to apply them practically

Digital & Innovation - Social Media

Knowledge ofsocial media and ability to advise the use of social media for development outcomes

Digital & Innovation - Innovation ecosystem curation

Ability to identify key players in an ecosystem, engage with them and mobilise them to build a community and over time a movement around a common mission that can bring about changes at the system level. Ability to give sense of purpose and build trust, develop programmes of activities and platforms to build and strengthen relationships.

UN System Affairs - Intergovernmental affairs

Knowledge of intergovernmental bodies (General Assembly, ECOSOC, UNDESA, etc.), including respective mandates, ways of working, and negotiation processes

General -  Public relations

Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organisation, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, International Relations and/or other relevant field.

Min. years of relevant work experience

  • Minimum  4 years of  relevant work experience at the national or international level in youth leadership role, marketing, partnerships, preferably with the United Nations or social mission-driven organizations.

Required  skills

  • Self-motivated and creative thinker.
  • Direct experience with youth engagement.
  • Communication skills.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office suite of applications, plus digital media creation tools.
  • Proven leadership ability.
  • Organized and self-sufficient at managing multiple projects simultaneously. 

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

  • Track record leading a youth organization in a development context, ideally in, or connected to, the United Nations.
  • Competencies or training in digital marketing, communications, and/or advocacy. 

Required Language(s)

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required. 

Professional Certificates

  • Certifications in digital marketing (e.g., Google Analytics, Ad Words, etc.), business management/administration, and/or project management a plus.