Location:

Washington DC, United States
Salary:

$139,573 - $182,090 / YEAR
Job type:

FULL_TIME
Posted:

2 weeks ago
Category:

Economic Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Social and Inclusive Development
Deadline:

18/12/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

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.

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in 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.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing relevant policy and 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 supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledgeable and data driven including in its programme support efforts in close coordination and thematic synergy with the Crisis Bureau (CB).

Enabling the network of expertise across the SDGs, within and beyond UNDP, SDG Integration is the team that influences, shapes, and activates platforms for intersectional collaboration for complex, multifaceted, and ‘frontier’

issues in sustainable development. As such, the SDG Integration team is at the heart of UNDP’s Global Policy Network

(GPN).

The SDG integration team (SDGi team) of the GPN’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) facilitates the delivery of an effective integration offer to countries and the UN Development System, leveraging substantive connections across teams and approaches to complex challenges, leading a new way of working across UNDP’s flagship initiatives, workstreams and capacities.

The Policy Specialist is based in New York and reports to the Global Policy Advisor, SDG Integration.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The Policy Specialist based in HQ is responsible for contributing substantive advice and technical expertise, advocacy, relationship building and knowledge as related to data, statistics, quantitative methods and analysis and their linkages to Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The incumbent collaborates with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, to provide quality policy services and advance UNDP’s credibility in this thematic area, delivering coherence and technical advice in this area.

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

1. Enhance Policy Research and Development

Provide support to strategic leadership and management of the UNDP’s portfolio of analytical tools and resources to build capacity on SDG Integration, content development, knowledge management and community of practice networking.
Develop policy initiatives for different contexts on methodologies and frameworks for measuring development results against the post-2015 development agenda and the SDGs, in support of the ‘data revolution’, including perception studies and the use of big data to supplement official statistics.
Contribute to discussions on innovative measures on development challenges and building UNDP’s analytical foundations via the Data Futures Exchange, in collaboration with policy teams in the thematic teams, country offices and Regional Hubs.
Coordinate and conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons from projects and programmes to inform policy formulation and guidance.
Develop relevant analysis and guidance, in close collaboration with BPPS policy teams, on economic data and socio-economic data disaggregated in terms of regional variations, socio-economic groups, ethnic diversities and gender-differences, and contribute to new research, including through working with the Global Policy Centers.
Support the quality assurance of integrated policy services and foster policy innovation by reviewing lessons learned and evaluations to enhance development impact.

2. Provision of Policy Advice/ Programme Support Delivery

In collaboration with the UNDP teams, support the delivery of technical advice and programme support that responds to country office needs, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping.
Apply integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through setting up, coordinating and engaging with multidisciplinary teams towards the SDG Push and other integrated policy tools to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards.
Support analytics across the GPN Team to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to development and crisis and conflict situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices.

3. Ensure Policy Positioning and Representation

Provide substantive and content input to contribute to mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant bodies on data measurement and analytical methods and frameworks, and provide inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives.
Provide substantive input in the process of advocating the importance of the thematic area in various fora, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms; and
Support Team Leaders in engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by drafting briefing, preparing for and participating in meetings.

4. Build Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

In collaboration with BERA, support the Team Leader to engage with global partners and develop/implement resource mobilization plan under corporate guidelines, including to fulfill corporate and donor reporting, advocacy and information-sharing requirements on all efforts and initiatives dealing with methodologies and frameworks for measuring development results against Agenda 2030 and the SDGs.
Provide substantive inputs related to global external partnerships in the area of work; and
Develop implementation plan to foster strategic partnerships with UN and external partner institutions, Governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, and CSOs.

5. Facilitate Knowledge Management

Coordinate team contributions with a specific focus on integrated policy and analytics and support corporate KM activities, whether at the global, cross-regional or region-specific level, to help influence/advance policy discourse with a credible, innovative evidence base in collaboration with policy teams at HQ and in Regional Hubs; and
Coordinate and perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area and verify that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.
Facilitate the creation and dissemination of knowledge products, ensuring that insights and innovations are accessible to internal and external stakeholders to enhance organizational learning and effectiveness.

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

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively:

Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously:

Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:

Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner:

Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Digital and Innovation – Data analysis:

Ability to extract, analyses and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness – SDG Integration:

Foresight.

2030 Agenda: Engagement and Effectiveness – Strategic Policy Engagement:

Economic: Forecasting.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness SDG Integration:

Institutional and Context analysis.

Business Management – Portfolio Management:

Ability to select, prioritise and control the organizations 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.

Business Development – Knowledge Generation:

Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need.

Business Direction and Strategy – System Thinking:

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within and overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Development Economics, Quantitative Methods, Social Sciences, International Development or related disciplines is required. Or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated 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 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in either public (national or multilateral, including UN) or private sectors (academia, non-governmental sector, corporate), with increasing level of responsibility in the economic analysis and/or data science is required.
Five years of experience working in developing country settings is required.
Experience providing development policy advice using qualitative and/or quantitative development data methods is desired.
Experience in analytical and advisory work on development strategy is desired.
Experience with the economic analysis of global megatrends and their impacts is desired.
Demonstrated data and economic analytical abilities are desired.
Demonstrated in-depth experience in providing policy advice and developing tools and methodology to support countries in their implementation of the SDGs is desired.
Experience with data science and managing development data projects desired.
Experience working in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language Requirement:

Fluency in English, both written and oral is required.
Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Note:

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements

Apply for job