Sustainable Development Officer, Regional Liaison, Arab States Region

In its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the Development Operations Coordination Office (DCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO exercises managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the oversight of the Chair of United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In 2026, DCO undertook a recalibration to ensure the RC system remains optimally configured to support the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda and embodies the UN 2.0 shift anchored in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, strategic foresight, and a mission driven organizational culture. The position is part of the Regional Office for Arab States and performs liaison functions based in New York, hosted in the Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Division. The position reports to both the respective Senior Programme Management Officer in the Regional Office and the Chief of the Inter-governmental Section in the Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Division. The Regional Director for Arab States is the second reporting officer.

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: Summary of Functions: 1. Executive support, briefings and mission preparation for high-level UN leadership: 2. Support to DCO’s senior management participation in intergovernmental and interagency fora: 3. Serve as a liaison and support between HQs and the Regional Office for Arab States 1. Executive support, briefings and mission preparation for high-level UN leadership: • Prepares briefing notes, key messages, mission packs, and meeting readouts for senior leadership, including for complex development, crisis and transition settings. • Researches and analyzes quantitative and qualitative information on regional and country-level sustainable development trends, cross-border dynamics and emerging risks, required for recurrent and ad/hoc assignments. • Identifies regional trends or patterns and generates insights through data visualization and other UN 2.0 approaches to support evidence-informed planning, decision-making and reporting.. • Prepares speeches, talking points, and advocacy messages tailored to Member States, Resident Coordinators, United Nations country teams and regional partners. 2. Support to DCO’s senior management participation in intergovernmental and interagency fora: • Conducts horizon scanning to identify emerging risks, opportunities and cross-border implications for the Arab States region, and maintains situational awareness of UN operations, in UN HQs inter-agency settings. • Monitors and analyzes relevant intergovernmental and inter-agency processes, and preparing timely summaries, recommendations and analytical inputs to support engagement and follow-up with Member States and informs the work of the intergovernmental team. • Provides substantive and technical support to preparatory processes for senior leadership visits, meetings and engagements related to the Arab States region. 3. Serve as a liaison and support between HQs and the Regional Office: • Facilitates timely two-way information flow between headquarters and the Arab States Region, including the communication of country demand, regional perspectives, corporate guidance and agreed follow-up. • Provides substantive inputs to selected Resident Coordinator Office and UN Country Team processes, including strategic planning exercises and other regional or country-level processes, as defined by the Regional Office. • Contributes to the systematic exchange of regional knowledge, analysis, expertise and good practices between Regional Offices, Resident Coordinator Offices and Headquarters on sustainable development priorities and integrated support to the RC system. • Contributes to knowledge-sharing and capacity-development activities on sustainable development and regional priorities, as required. • Performs other duties as required, including administrative tasks.

PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to apply sustainable development theories, concepts and approaches. Ability to conduct independent research and analysis on sustainable development topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Shows skill in developing sources for data collection. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in sustainable development, economics, public policy, public administration, finance, natural resources management, engineering, law, social sciences, or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics, or data science programs is an advantage.

Not available.

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in sustainable development, public policy, development cooperation, policy analysis of related area is required. Experience with inter-agency and/or intergovernmental collaboration in the development sector is required. Experience of initiating and developing partnerships is required. Experience in sustainable development issues of the Arab States region is desirable. Experience of integrating gender equality and other inclusion dimensions (youth, disability) is desirable. Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization is desirable. Field experience in development cooperation is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Arabic is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult

https://languages.un.org

for details).

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Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

Desirable Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

Arabic

UN Level II

UN Level II

UN Level II

UN Level II

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Appointment against this post is open for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension subject to legislative body funding availability. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. Applicants who have reached the mandatory age of separation are not eligible to apply for job openings to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. Individual contractors and consultants (Non-Staff Personnel) who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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