Vacancies at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

• The Private Sector Coordination Specialist – Southern and Eastern Africa is expected to play a critical role in designing and implementing the new private sector strategy across sub-Saharan Africa and in particular in Southern and Eastern Africa. Under the overall supervision of the CBi Deputy Programme Coordinator, based in Istanbul, Turkey, the Private Sector Coordination Specialist – Southern and Eastern Africa will be responsible for:

Development, planning, and implementation of national and regional projects to support private sector engagement in disaster management: 

• Lead the development and delivery of national and regional solutions, programmes and workplans for local CBi Member Networks on private sector engagement in disaster risk management and humanitarian response.
• Identify learning needs and solutions, and plan and implement capacity development activities for existing and prospective CBi Member Networks in the Southern and Eastern Africa region.
• Collect and consolidate relevant information on local private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction, crisis preparedness and response, and early recovery at country and regional levels.
• Facilitate landscape assessment and scoping activities to identify and/or partner with prospective Member Networks and other private sector partners in the Southern and Eastern Africa region. 
• Coordination of private sector initiatives during emergency situations: 
• As needed, deploy to countries in the Southern and Eastern Africa region experiencing ongoing disasters to support the coordination of private sector contributions before, during and after emergencies.

Development of national and regional partnerships and external advocacy:

• Coordinate and work with UNDP and OCHA regional bureaux and country offices, government counterparts, international organizations, and other partners in the Southern and Eastern Africa region on private sector engagement.
• Promote advocacy for private sector engagement in disaster risk management and humanitarian programming. 
• Identify specific needs for private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction, crisis preparedness and response, and early recovery, and support partnerships at the national and regional levels to address those needs. 

Strategy development and operational support: 

• Facilitate knowledge development and management efforts through the development of case studies and collection and sharing of information on good practices.
• Ensure documentation and timely monitoring, evaluation and reporting of all CBi-related activities implemented by existing and prospective CBi Member Networks in the Southern and Eastern Africa region. 
• Support the CBi Secretariat and contribute to the periodic progress reporting requirements and other UNDP and OCHA reporting requirements. 
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Private Sector Coordination Specialist will work full-time from the OCHA Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa (ROSEA) based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Private Sector Coordination Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the CBi Deputy Programme Coordinator with “dotted-line” secondary reporting to the OCHA Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa (ROSEA), based in Nairobi, Kenya. An annual workplan will be developed jointly by CBi and OCHA ROSEA to ensure coherence with regional priorities. The Private Sector Coordination Officer will also participate in all relevant ROSEA unit meetings to update on relevant activities and to link these to OCHA’s ongoing preparedness and response work in the region.
  Competencies

 Core Competencies

• 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 & Competencies

Business Direction & Strategy - Strategic Thinking: 

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP

Business Development - Knowledge Facilitation: 

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

Business Management- Project Management:

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

2030 Agenda: Partnerships - SDG Finance:

• Inclusive Markets/businesses and Value Chain Development

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness - Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement:

• Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus and crisis coordination

Business Direction and 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

Desired additional skills and competencies:

• Previous experience supporting engagement and collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector is highly desirable.  
• Previous experience working for a private sector entity is highly desirable. 
• Previous experience working for an entity within the United Nations system is desirable, especially in emergency settings.

Required Skills and Experience
 Education:

• Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent)  in business, political or social sciences, disaster risk management, development studies or other related field of studies is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above mentioned field of study, 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 five (5) years (with Master degree) or seven (7) years (with Bachelo..rs degree) of professional work experience in disaster risk reduction / disaster management, humanitarian affairs, or international development, preferably in Southern and Eastern Africa.

Required skills:

• Experience and technical knowledge of disaster risk reduction / disaster management.
• Experience writing briefings, reports, policies, and guidance notes. 

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Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Ensures the implementation, managerial leadership of programme strategies in the UNDP CO in the area of Governance & Inclusive Growth.
• Provides strategic leadership and management of the Governance and Inclusive Growth Portfolio and team.
• Ensuring effective management and quality assurance of the Governance and Inclusive Growth programme.
• Ensures the development and management of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy.
• Provision of top-quality policy advice services to the Governments and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Ensures implementation of programme strategies focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to UN Sustainable Development Framework, County Programme Document, Partnerships & Communications Action Plan and other documents.
• Identification of areas for support and interventions within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned.
• CO business processes mapping and preparation of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management   
• Provides strategic leadership and management of the Governance and Inclusive Growth portfolio and team:
• Effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the CO programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely readjustment of programme.
• Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported.
• Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes. Preparation of donor reports.
• Organization of cost-recovery system for the services provided by the CO to projects in close collaboration with the Deputy Resident Representative - Operations.
• Ensures the organizations of regular unit meetings.
• Review of individual and team’s performance and provision of required coaching, guidance, mentoring and empowerment.

Ensures effective management of the CO programme within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned focusing on quality control from formulation to implementation of the country programme achieving the following results:

• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results.
• Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP’s priorities into local interventions. Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies. Introduction of performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets, and milestones.
• Initiation of a project, presentation of the projects for appraisal, entering project into Quantum, finalization of contribution agreement; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review. Programme Specialist can perform functions of Manager Level 1 in Quantum for POs and vouchers approval, participates in recruitment processes for projects.
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions. Participation in audit of country office projects.
• Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported.
• Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes.
• Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Development of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society in the specific thematic areas based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities.
• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization

Ensures provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to programme country policy goals.
• Support to development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme issues
• 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: Supervision and performance management of Governance & Inclusive Growth Team
   

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
• People Management:UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Advocacy strategy and implementation - Communications:

• Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change

Business Management - Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage Programme and Project with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Business Management - Partnerships Management:

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

External relations and Advocacy - Resource mobilization:

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Business Management - Project Management:

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

Business Management - Portfolio Management:

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as 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 optimizing return on investment

2030 Agenda: Peace - Infrastructure for Peace:

• Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions

 Required Skills and Experience
 Education:

• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in law, social policy, public policy, politics, economics, business administration, or related field is required: or
• A first-level  degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in law, social policy, public policy, politics, economics, business administration, or related field with a minimum of two additional years of relevant work experience will be will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Master’s Degree with 5 years or Bachelor’s with 7 years of progressively responsible work experience in international development with experience in policy design on governance, peace building, inclusive growth and post crisis development is required.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience working in the UN System or International Organisations is an asset.