This position is located in the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in the Natural Resources and Interlinkages Branch. The Division provides leadership in promoting and coordinating implementation of the sustainable development agenda of the United Nations and serves as the global secretariat for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and provides substantive inputs to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. For more information, please visit our website at http://sdgs.un.org. The Senior Sustainable Development Officer reports to the Chief

of the Natural Resources and Interlinkages Branch.

Within delegated authority, the Senior Sustainable Development Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Leads the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects on sustainable development issues, in particular on water and sanitation, oceans, biodiversity and climate change, including the follow-up to major intergovernmental meetings such as the Water Conference and the Ocean Conferences; directs subordinates in programme/project development, implementation, monitoring and assessment. • Leads the drafting of reports of the Secretary-General as mandated by the General Assembly (including Agenda 21 and Harmony with Nature); reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies

priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and initiates follow-up actions. • Leads research on the identification of new and emerging sustainable development issues in the area of natural resources (water, oceans, biodiversity climate change), their interlinkages with the sustainable development goals as reflected in the 2030 Agenda and presents analysis of information gathered and reviewed from diverse sources with plausible recommendations. • Coordinates policy development; reviews the assessments of sustainable development issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or research activities and studies. • Undertakes survey initiatives; guides design of data

collection instruments; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions. • Supervises preparation of various written outputs, including background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, and inputs to publications on sustainable development issues. • Provides direct substantive support to consultative and intergovernmental meetings, including conferences, by offering strategic advice, giving technical guidance and assisting in developing a consensus, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations on sustainable development issues. • Prepares speeches for senior staff and makes presentations on sustainable development issues at various forums of intergovernmental, governmental, inter-agency, expert or multi-

stakeholder nature, including on water, sanitation, oceans, biodiversity, climate change and disaster risk reduction, and their interlinkages with the sustainable development goals as reflected in the 2030 Agenda. • Manages outreach activities; designs and conducts training workshops, seminars, etc., gives lectures or presentations on assigned topics/activities on sustainable development issues. • Oversees web contents and structure for the areas of his/her responsibilities. • Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties, including drafting mission summaries on sustainable development issues. • Develops and maintains relations with senior officials of member governments and ensures a

response to request for advice and/or capacity development on sustainable development issues and policies, including leading capacity development missions. • Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and ensures preparation of related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.) on sustainable development issues. • Serves as an effective spokesperson and establishes collaboration and partnerships with key officials at all levels inside and outside the organization. • Ensures effective utilization, supervision and development of staff; Guides, evaluates and mentors staff. • Takes the lead in task forces, working groups, inter-agency groups, as

needed, on sustainable development issues. • Ensures gender mainstreaming, including in legislation, policies or programmes. • Represents the Branch/Division at international, regional or national meetings on sustainable development issues, in particular on water and sanitation, oceans, biodiversity, climate change and disaster risk reduction. • Performs other related duties as required.

• Professionalism: Proven knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to sustainable development. Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to clearly communicate links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Demonstrated

ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to support formal and informal intergovernmental processes and apply good judgment. Proven ability to analyze complex data and produce reports leading to sound policy recommendations for achieving sustainable development; Solid understanding of the political environment and the programmes and activities of the UN system in implementing the sustainable development agenda, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Ability to think strategically, to identify key emerging sustainable development issues and related policy implications. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional

competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. • Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. • Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational

goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves

conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. • Judgment/Decision-making: Identifies key issues in complex situations, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an

eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Job

– Specific Qualification

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is

desirable.

• This position is temporarily available starting as soon as possible until 31 December 2024, with a possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. • While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. •

Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. • This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. • Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible

to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. • Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities

of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they

have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such

conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The

United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions

established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including

the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York

time) on the deadline date.