Senior Global Advisor

United Nations Development Programme

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.

The Crisis Bureau (CB) spearheads UNDP's efforts to support countries on a key challenge: how to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from fragility and crisis. CB addresses the risks that precipitate crises, prevent early exit from them, and perpetuate long-term dependency on humanitarian assistance.  Guided by UNDP's Crisis Offer (2022), CB works within the GPN and with Regional Bureaux (RBx) and Country Offices (COs) to implement solutions across prevention, response and recovery that help break the cycle of protracted fragility and crisis.  

CB is organized into five core teams. Each team integrates gender considerations across all areas of work to ensure inclusive and sustainable outcomes, leaving no one behind.  

The Crisis Bureau Front Office (CB/FO) support senior management to advance strategic priorities for UNDP and the Bureau; monitor and oversee the work of CB across policy, programmes, and operations in a timely, effective, and transparent manner; and manage internal and external engagements as well as support to UNDP senior leadership on issues of fragility and crisis.  In implementing strategic initiatives, CB/FO coordinates and reports on strategic efforts, advises on thematic issues, maintains relationships with key institutions, and identifies resource mobilization opportunities.

The Crisis Readiness, Response, and Recovery Team ensures organizational readiness, mobilizes timely and effective response to crises and enables early recovery based on a whole-of-CB and whole-of-GPN approach that builds on best-in-class procedures, systems, and expertise. On response, the team provides immediate support to COs in crisis situations including on solutions to forced displacement. 

 The prevention, response and solutions to forced displacement is a key focus area for UNDP in line with the Crisis Offer and broader mandate. The organization promotes sustainable, development-focused interventions that enhance resilience of displaced-affected communities (refugees, IDPs, host and return), strengthen governance, and address root causes.  In the follow up to the UN Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, UNDP is a lead UN agency supporting government-led, development anchored solutions, acting as a bridge across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and leveraging partnerships with national governments and local authorities to support sustainable solutions. 

Position Purpose

The Senior Global Advisor on Forced Displacement, given the strategic and country-focused nature of this role, will be part of both CB/FO and C3RT. Under the direct supervision of CB Deputy Director, and embedded in C3RT, the Senior Global Advisor on forced displacement leads on the following: 

- Programme and Policy Formulation, Development and Implementation. 
- Programme and Policy Advice and Country Support.
- Partnerships, Representation, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization. 
S/he will have also the function of Team Leader supervising the staff related to Forced Displacement under other CB Teams, particularly the C3RT Team under the guidance of the C3RT Team Leader. 

The Senior Global Advisor on Forced Displacement will lead UNDP's global policy formulation and programme development leveraging and coordinating across the GPN. She/He will support RBx and COs to scale up UNDP's development solutions to forced displacement in line with Institutional Strategy on Development Solutions to Internal Displacement and 2023 Global Refugee Forum pledges. 

The Senior Global Advisor will build and maintain key institutional partnerships with UN agencies, engage a wider network of humanitarian and development partners on development solutions to forced displacement and ensure that forced displacement is included with key UN development processes with member states. She/He will represent UNDP in international forums and identify and develop key strategic partnerships with donors to advance policy coherence and resource mobilization efforts. 

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 to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities. 

Strategic Positioning, Leadership and Management 

- Lead on the development of the forced displacement portfolio in UNDP, as an integral part of crises response and in line with the UNDP Crisis Offer, providing strategic vision and direction.
- Substantially contribute to guide UNDP's work on development solutions to forced displacement in crisis and post-crisis settings.
- Lead and coordinate the production and implementation of global policy guidance on Forced Displacement, in close collaboration with other GPN teams.
- Coordinate and commission new applied research on development solutions to forced displacement that inform UNDP programming.
- Guide the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation on development solutions to forced displacement to enhance programme delivery.
- Ensure macro-micro policy linkages with UNDP's work on early recovery assessments, area-based approaches, stabilization, mine action and recovery – as well as with other relevant teams within the GPN, ensuring an integrated approach to development solutions to forced displacement.
- Ensure direct supervision of all the forced displacement sub-team members, promoting teamwork and the professional development, through coaching and mentoring.
Lead Programme and Policy Advice and Delivery Support

- In collaboration with C3RT provide rapid and well-coordinated response to forced displacement in crisis situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices.
- Lead in the compilation and analysis of early recovery and development solutions to forced displacement focusing on key indicators, contributing to UNDP's leaving no one behind offer, to inform UNDP's contribution to recovery and development in post crisis situations to achieve the 2030 Agenda
- Provide guidance and input to regional advisors in their provision of programme and policy advisory services to country offices on all forced displacement programming efforts, including capacity building, development financing, macro-micro policy linkages, etc. as part of a package of integrated development solutions.
- Lead UNDP's role within the interagency Hub for Coordination of Solutions to Internal Displacement (the Solutions Hub) that serves as a global 'one-stop-shop' for RCs and UNCTs to access advice and support from global and regional levels. This includes the coordination and provision of technical support to RC/HCs and UNCTs from across the UN system.
- Lead UNDP responsibility of the Solutions Adviser Facility, administered by UNDP and integrated within the above-mentioned Hub. The Facility aims to strengthen UN and national capacities to address internal displacement by providing temporary capacities and secondments inf RC Offices.
Lead Strategic Partnerships, Representation, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

- Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic institutional partnerships with UN entities including UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF and UN-Habitat and other relevant bodies, including bilateral donors, International Financial Institutions, Multilateral Development Banks, global think tanks and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships
- Represent UNDP and engage in relevant UN interagency coordination as well as in other fora related to forced displacement.
- Contribute to pipeline development and resources mobilization to support the delivery of UNDP results related to support development solutions to forced displacement in crisis and post crisis situations
- Advocate policy and positioning of UNDP on the development impacts of forced displacement and the shift in approach to government-led, development anchored solutions in various fora, including academia and civil society
Facilitate Knowledge Management and Capacity Development 

- Guide and coordinate cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with regional advisors to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools and guidance to help influence/advance policy dialogue on development solutions to forced displacement and present such material at various fora
- Oversee the knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned regarding the application of integrated approaches to development solutions to forced displacement in crisis and post crisis situations, ensuring knowledge sharing, and that content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.
- Actively support the Community of Practice on Resilience.
- Enhance the capacity of UNDP practitioners on forced displacement. 
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: 
The Senior Global Advisor Forced Displacement will manage the sub team of staff and consultants that will deliver services requested to implement the agenda. 

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.
People Management:

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

Cross-Functional & Technical:

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 Development: Knowledge Generation        

- Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. 
- Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. 
- Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
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 with regular activities for optimal return on investment. 
- Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management. 
Business Management: Partnerships Management 

- 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. 
Agenda 2030: Prosperity - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility              

- Area-based development.
Agenda 2030: Prosperity: Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility               

- Addressing the Adverse Drivers of Irregular Migration and Forced Displacement.
Agenda 2030: Prosperity: Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility               

- Economic recovery.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

- Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Law, International Affairs, Public Policy, Politics, Development Studies or a related area 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:

- A minimum of 10 years (with master's degree) or 12 years (with bachelor's degree) of experience in either public (national or multilateral, including UN) or private (academia, non-governmental sector) with increasing level of responsibility, with at least 7 years of field experience in crisis and post-crisis settings is required. 
- Proven track record and leadership experience in the UN system related to forced displacement and situations of crisis and fragility, preferably in contexts of protracted forced displacement is required. 
- Proven track record in policy and strategy development and programme design and development at global, regional and/or and country levels in relation to crisis and fragility is desired. 
- Demonstrated skills in inter-agency coordination and partnerships' building across the UN system, with broader humanitarian and development partners including IFIs and with members states is desired. 
- Excellent negotiating and communication skills and ability to mobilize support and ensure policy coherence and system change from a wide range of partners is desired.
- Proven track record in donor policy engagement and resource mobilization skills is an asset. 
- Proven track record of strong analytical skills, including use of qualitative and quantitative information in crisis and fragility settings is an advantage. 
Language: 

- Fluency in English is required. 
- Working knowledge of other UN language desirable.
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. 

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Branche: Community/Sozialer Dienst/Non-Profit

Funktion: Anderes

Stellenprozent: 80-100% / 100%

Anstellungsart: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)

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