Coordination and Engagement Specialist

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development agency, promoting its global authority and thought leadership on sustainable development and the interconnected issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change. BERA leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission. Creating strong political and financial backing for UNDP by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and flagship services relate to them. The Bureau leads UNDP’s work on innovative and diversified partnerships and ways of financing the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also responsible for global campaigns on critical development issues, which aim to inform government policies and build partnerships around high-impact solutions. BERA coordinates and sets corporate standards across the functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP and leads on internal communications.

BERA is positioned around three service lines: Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners, all working in close collaboration and coordination under the guidance of the Directorate and with the support of the Management Support Unit and Strategic Analysis and Corporate Engagement team.

BERA has a robust network of Representation Offices (Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Berlin, Tokyo, and Washington D.C.) and Regional Teams in five hubs (Africa, Arab States, Asia Pacific, Europe and CIS, and Latin American and the Caribbean) co-led with Regional Bureaux, all of which play a critical role in audience centric communications and management and strengthening of relationships with Public and Private Partners to help build a strong brand for UNDP within the local ecosystem.

Position Purpose

The BERA Coordination and Engagement Specialistreports to the Deputy Director and works in the Directorate as part of a front office team, consisting of the Special Assistant to the Director, and Executive Associate to the Director and the Deputy Director. The Directorate also includes a Strategy and Innovation Unit (SIU) and the Management Support Unit (MSU).

The Coordination and Engagement Specialist’swork centers on strategic planning and liaison/coordination support to the BERA Deputy Director and BERA Directorate, mission/meeting preparation, OPG preparation in consultation with BERA Units and the Executive Office (ExO), internal communications, editing/review and quality assurance of preparations ahead of senior management’s engagement, and co-leading of the Executive Office focal point function together with the Special Assistant of the Bureau Director. The Coordination and Engagement Specialist works in close cooperation with the Special Assistant to the Director on overall work plan and management support activities of the BERA front office, quality assurance and oversight of information and decision support to the Director and Deputy Director.

Following the functional review of the Bureau to consolidate all workstreams, ensure effective coordination and high-quality services, the Cross-Functional Teams initiative was established by BERA leadership in 2022 to ensure strategic integrated advisory services within and outside of the Bureau. The Coordination and Engagement Specialist will work closely with the Bureau Deputy Director, who sponsors” the initiative, to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative and that the three workstreams of the Bureau (communications, partnerships, and strategic positioning) work hand in hand towards common objectives at all times.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties And Responsibilities

Efficiency/effectiveness of BERA Directorate and internal communications

• Manage strategic planning for the Deputy Director and coordinate with internal and external partners to identify and prioritize engagement opportunities and prepare recommendations/justifications on the strategic/role placement of BERA and/or UNDP senior management in key partnership/advocacy events, in close coordination with the Special Assistant to the Director;
• Coordinate, edit/review, quality assure and provide strategic value add to the preparation of background documents and strategic points ahead of senior management’s meetings, missions and other strategic engagements internally and externally, including for UNDP’s second-highest decision-making body – the OPG;
• Facilitate cross-team/inter-bureau collaboration to ensure timely preparation of strategic, high-quality briefs, presentations, and other substantive materials in support of BERA senior management engagements and missions;
• Track fulfillment of BERA senior management/ExO requests and directives; liaise with BERA teams to ensure and facilitate timely follow-up and delivery on commitments to ExO;
• Draft substantive materials (e.g. briefs, programmes, presentations, letters) to ensure alignment with senior management expectations and standards
• Attend meetings and ensure all follow-up correspondence, note-to-files, timely feedback to colleagues in the Bureau and that the senior management’s commitments and agreements are appropriately followed upon.
• Manage internal communications from BERA senior management, including BERA Directorate pages on the Intranet and announcement from senior management; review and quality assure BERA’s inputs to the Executive Office’s corporate newsletter.
• Backstop Special Assistant to the Director when on leave/mission.

Co-lead coordination with the Executive Office on preparation ahead of strategic engagements and corporate priorities

• Advise on strategic planning, including missions travel, for the Administrator and Associate Administrator in close coordination with Representation Offices and Regional Bureaux to traditional donor countries, emerging donor countries, IFIs, private sector partners and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate, edit/review, and quality assure substantive materials from BERA ahead of the Administrator’s and Associate Administrator’s engagements and meetings.
• Consolidate, review and advise on BERA contributions and recommendation ahead of corporate and intergovernmental engagements including the GA, HLPF, G20, WB Annual Meetings etc. where UNDP Senior management participates.

Manage The Cross-functional Teams (CFT) Project

• Lead the operationalization of overall CFT governance, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Draw lessons learnt, best practices and identify efficiencies to support the implementation of CFT deliverables that can aid the BERA line functions.
• Prepare regular reporting and convene check-ins/meetings with CFTs and liaise across Bureaus (with BMS, etc.) to drive CFTs towards successful implementation. Link the work and deliverables of the various CFTs to BERA’s annual strategic priorities.
• Oversee uptake of work developed as part of the CFTs, including refinement of new templates, processes, business operations etc.

Coordinate Targeted Partnerships And Communications Initiatives

• Lead the work on the development of the corporate events calendar, including ensuring close engagement by all stakeholders; strategically roll-out the calendar across UNDP; presenting and briefing senior management on the tool; conceptualize and lead updates from a functional and process perspective together with BMS.
• Connect emerging and innovative key communications and partnerships initiatives to ensure integrated and comprehensive advisory services and offer coordination support across BERA and beyond.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Competencies

Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)

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 competencies

Business Management – Partnerships Management

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Business Direction & Strategy – System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how

interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management – Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Partnership management – Relationship management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Business Management – Communications

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

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

Business Management – Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization´s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment

Education

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in economics, business administration, social sciences or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience with international organizations (NGOs, UN system, multilateral cooperation, etc.) is required.
• Sound knowledge of UN/UNDP systems, procedures and policies is required.
• At least 5 years of experience working at UNDP is an asset.
• Experience of working across communication and partnership portfolios is an asset.
• Experience of project management is an asset.
• Experience of leading knowledge management is an asset.

Language Requirement

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant Information About UNDP Rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.