UNDP Jobs - 113233- Assistant Administrator & Director, Bureau for Pol

Assistant Administrator & Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

11-Aug-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

ASG

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

UNDP is the UN's global development organization, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

Agenda 2030 remains at the centre of the UNs engagement, including in LDCs, crisis and fragile settings. Underpinning the agenda is the commitment to “Leave No One Behind”, with many of the most marginalized living in protracted crisis settings. As the lead UN development agency working on the sustainable development agenda, UNDP is central in supporting the UN development system, engaging at the global policy level and through its programmatic interventions.

UNDP’s policy and program work are carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels and forms a continuous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP relies on the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Crisis Bureau (CB) serve as the anchor bureaus for the GPN. Within the GPN, BPPS has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and substantive guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP units and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven in its policy and programme support efforts in close coordination and thematic synergy with the CB. One of the priorities for the GPN is to better map the competencies, experience and capacities of UNDP’s global workforce, in order to tap the skills needed to implement multidisciplinary solutions to development challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Director is the leader of the Bureau as well as a member of UNDP’s corporate leadership, and as such, serves as a role model for corporate values, behaviors and substantive skills. S/he reports to the Administrator / Associate Administrator and is a member of UNDP’s Executive Group, contributing to shaping and monitoring overall corporate strategic directions. S/he directs and manages the work of the Bureau to contribute to the achievements of the organizational priorities and achieve identified outcomes.

The following scope and principal functions of the position include:

Participation in UNDP’s highest level corporate decision-making body, the Executive Group (EG), helping to identify and implement strategic directions for the Organization as a whole;
Acting as the primary UNDP interface with key stakeholders on sustainable development policy - related issues;
Building strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to carry out UNDP’s mission and achieve results.

Managing BPPS and working collaboratively and collegiately across UNDP, to achieve outcomes and results in line with UNDP’s Strategic Plan, entail:

Providing overall leadership and shaping strategic thinking for UNDP integrated approach on sustainable development – related issues;
Providing executive leadership and management for the Bureau, supporting the overall goals of UNDP and the UN system;
Developing and driving UNDP’s vision and priorities for the sustainable development agenda, leading timely and informed decision-making and management actions;
Ensuring high quality performance by providing oversight for all UNDP development initiatives;
Representing UNDP in relevant UN mechanisms and national / international events and policy fora;
Ensuring global advocacy for UNDP’s role in sustainable development settings;
Engaging with the donor community and other actors on sustainable development issues, including resource mobilization; and
Overseeing and managing the Bureau’s operations in financial, human resources, procurement and general administration’s engagement across the regions.

The result of the work of the Director greatly impacts on the standing, credibility and reputation of UNDP in all areas related to the sustainable development agenda. When requested by the Administrator/Associate Administrator, the Director represents UNDP in international and national fora, liaises and interacts on behalf of UNDP with external clients and partners including government, media, civil society as well as other international organizations. The Director is accountable to the Administrator/Associate Administrator for the timely and effective delivery of UNDP’s corporate policy guidance to Country Offices, in coordination with the relevant Bureaus.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

A strong record of progressively responsible, substantive and results achievement experience at the international level, including in development programming, resource mobilization and advocacy;
Experience in interagency and international co-operation, negotiation of partnerships, mobilization of resources and management of programmes. The candidates will have held leadership roles and demonstrated their ability to advocate for effective and innovative solutions;
In-depth knowledge of the sustainable development agenda, managing related complex situations, interagency and international cooperation, negotiation of partnerships, mobilization of resources and /or management of programmes in a variety of geographical and political contexts with national, regional, international entities, including the ability to influence/advance dialogue and present such material at global and regional fora;
Experience of the UN and/or other intergovernmental institutions and international entities;
Advanced University degree in development-related disciplines, Economics, Law, International Relations, Public Policy, Business Administration, or other relevant disciplines.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency in English is required. Proficiency in another United Nations official language is a distinct advantage.