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Head of Sustainable Development

Beijing

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Beijing
  • Grade: Mid level - NO-D, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Environment
    • Other
    • Capacity Development
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

UNDP’s programme activities in China include a domestic development programme portfolio aiming to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focusing on integrating poverty and equity issues, environment and energy, as well as disaster management. In addition, UNDP in China provides assistance to Global Development and South-South Cooperation. . Within these areas, UNDP China helps assess and develop policy options through research and analysis, strengthen implementation capacities and implement development projects on the ground, and facilitate China’s development assistance with other developing countries with the aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, UNDP seeks to ensure that economic, environmental and social considerations are integrated into national development strategies and frameworks at national, provincial and local level. UNDP mobilizes partnerships, resources and provides development advisory services to achieve this.

The Head of Sustainable Development, is responsible for leading the implementation of UNDP China’s programme in the domestic portfolio areas to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, including management of theGEF Programme, the Montreal Protocol and the expanding and diversifying climate change (including disaster resilience) and low-carbon development portfolio, as well as poverty reduction and reducing inequalities projects.

The Head of Sustainable Development leads design and implementation of the programme, partnership building, resource mobilization and supervises all employees in the respective areas. He/she is responsible to ensure compliance of the programme portfolio and its implementation with UNDP rules and regulations, managing effective partnerships with Chinese counterparts, and monitoring and reporting on the portfolio. She/he oversees the identification of implementation problems, formulate and execute corrective actions to address these and improve performance of the Programme through UNDP China.

The Head of Sustainable Development works in close collaboration with the UNDP China South South Cooperation team, the Communications and Innovation, as well as the Operations teams. He/she also coordinates with UNDP HQs and regional office, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors, local governments, private sector and civil society ensuring successful CO programme implementation. He/she has representational responsibilities in and outside of China. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

1.     Programme management: Ensure programme results through leading the design, implementation and monitoring of the programme portfolio, including budget and financial management, as well as management of human resources.

2.     Partnership building: Create and maintain strategic partnerships with government and other partners and support the resource mobilization aimed at strengthening the UNDP China programme portfolio.

3.     Development technical advice: Provide top quality policy advisory services to the Government, and other partners, develop related substantive products.

4.     UNDP Strategic input and Advocacy: Advise UNDP Senior Management, regional and global initiatives, represent UNDP as needed on national, regional and global events and initiatives and facilitation related knowledge and analysis.

1.     Programme management: Ensure programme results are achieved, through leading the design, implementation and monitoring of the programme portfolio, including budget and financial management, as well as management of human resources.

  • Lead the UNDP China programme portfolio in his/her area to ensure programe results as per UNDP Country Programme and Annual Workplans.
  • Lead design of new projects, and build a healthy pipeline portfolio.
  • Supervise the implementation of projects by UNDP and in cooperation with counterparts and ensure delivery on time, budget and with quality. 
  • Ensure monitoring, audit and evaluation of the programme portfolio, compliance with UNDP rules and regulations.
  • Ensure lessons learnt feed back into future programme design.
  • Integrate overarching development principles in the programme portfolio, including gender.
  • Ensure innovation and new approaches are mainstreamed into the portfolio as a driving principle.
  • Ensure transparent and efficient budget and financial management of the portfolio in line with UNDP rules and regulations.
  • Manage the team under his portfolio.
  • Ensure the development of strong synergies between the different UNDP China programme portfolios to facilitate and optimize the SDGs implementation in China.
  • Effectively apply Result Based Management (RBM) tools and monitoring achievement of results.
  • He or she will also give input on cost-recovery strategies and adequacy of internal controls which contributes to the financial sustainability of the Programme.

2.     Partnership building: Create and maintain strategic partnerships with government and other partners and support the resource mobilization aimed at strengthening the UNDP China programme portfolio.

  • Lead the development, maintenance and implementation of the strategic partnerships with government ministries and governmental institutions at national and provincial/local level, academia, civil society and private sector.
  • Liaise between UNDP and the Government of China and governmental institutions at national and provincial/local level, academia, civil society and others, as well as private sector, with respect to major programme areas, implementation, issues and provide solutions in seeking consensus.
  • Liaise regularly with the Government counterparts and others portfolio entities and advise the Senior Management on key partnerships related to the portfolio.
  • Represent UNPD at national, regional and global events. 
  • Lead the preparation of cooperation agreements and funding proposals to be negotiated with Government counterparts, private sector and other UNDP portfolio partners in respective programme area.
  • Lead the UNDP China programme staff ’s efforts in resource mobilization/pipeline management related to the multi-lateral funding systems GEF, GCF and Montreal Protocol as well as with local government and private sector funded projects.
  • Cultivate a strong network of development experts and mobilize as needed for partnership. 

3.    Development technical advice: Provide top quality policy advisory services to the Government, and other partners, develop related substantive products.

  • Provide policy advisory services to the government and other partners related to his/her substantive portfolio.
  • Advise the government of China’s implementation of the multi-lateral environmental agreements China is signatory to.
  • Keep abreast of regional and global experience in identification of effective solutions to development challenges in the UNDP China programme portfolio thematic areas and seek ways to apply them in China.
  • Ensure that environmental and social standards are reflected in all of UNDP’s portfolio through advising other teams as needed, as well as other counterpart.

4.     UNDP Strategic input and Advocacy: Advise UNDP Senior Management, regional and global initiatives, represent UNDP as needed on national, regional and global events and initiatives and facilitation related knowledge and analysis.

  • Provide input to UNDP corporate, regional and UNDP China strategic planning and initiatives.
  • Lead the development and provide input to events, speeches, etc. related to the portfolio.
  • Identify and syntheses best practices and key outcomes from the portfolio directly related to the SDG implementation, country programme document and the UNDP annual reporting.
  • Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice within and outside of UNDP.
  • Participate in relevant interoffice task forces, working groups, and/or theme groups especially in areas such as SDGs, sustainable livelihoods, social development, regional integration, trade and private sector, gender and statistics.
  • Ensure advocacy and promotion of key substance areas, and UNDP China programme portfolio visibility.
  • Coordinate with UNDP China programme staff ’s and the UNDP China communication unit the appropriate level of communication around the UNDP China programme portfolio, leading to a good name recognition of UNDP with key partners and the public at large, maximizing UNDP’s and its partners visibility and profile.

The key results have a high impact on the success of the country programme within specific areas of cooperation. In particular, the key-results have an impact on the design and implementation of programming of activities, delivery and results of the projects, development assistance promoted and supported by UNDP. In addition, it will result in strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

Competencies

Core Competency,

Leadership

  • Plans and acts transparently, actively works to removes barriers
  • Creates awareness of substantive opportunities and risks among others
  • Navigates complex circumstances thoughtfully and is solution-minded

Communication and Relationship Management

  • Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others
  • Persuades others to embrace new ideas, even when controversial
  • Empathizes with client perspectives and needs and communicates messages with the clients’ experiences in mind
  • Creates opportunities for developing new client relationships

Innovation

  • Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others
  • Persuades others to embrace new ideas, even when controversial
  • Empathizes with client perspectives and needs and communicates messages with the clients’ experiences in mind
  • Creates opportunities for developing new client relationships

People Management

  • Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others
  • Persuades others to embrace new ideas, even when controversial
  • Empathizes with client perspectives and needs and communicates messages with the clients’ experiences in mind
  • Creates opportunities for developing new client relationships

Delivery

  • Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others
  • Persuades others to embrace new ideas, even when controversial
  • Empathizes with client perspectives and needs and communicates messages with the clients’ experiences in mind
  • Creates opportunities for developing new client relationships

Functional Competency

Primary

  • Programme Management: Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals with sound programme and project management standards
  • Quality Assurance: Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled
  • Partnerships and Resource Mobilization: Ability to engage with other partners, agencies, donors, and development stakeholders and forge productive working partnerships and mobilize support and resources. Strong network of experts and other partners.
  • Technical Advisory: Ability to provide technical advice to high-level partners on the sustainable development goals, with special attention on environment, energy and inequalities.

Secondary

  • Development Planning: Knowledge of development planning processes at the national and local level and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
  • Knowledge Management: Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in one of the following: Development studies, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management or other related fields. 

Experience:

  • A minimum of 15 years of post-graduate professional experience in areas of sustainable development;
  • At minimum 5 years of experience as project or programme manager or equivalent middle-level management position or equivalent expert position.
  • Thorough understanding of China’s development context, issues and processes.
  • Experience in providing policy advice on sensitive development issues, in one or more of the main UNDP China portfolio areas (poverty reduction, urbanization, biodiversity, climate change (adaptation and Mitigation), natural resources management, chemical managements and SDG implementation
  • Resource mobilization experience including counterpart negotiations, proposal writing and donor prospecting is an asset, as well as an established network of experts and partners
  • Knowledge of programming tools for planning and monitoring.
  • Experience with Project Design and Monitoring.
  • Previous experience in UN system will be an additional asset.

Language Requirements:

  • Proficiency in English, with excellent oral and writing skills is a must.
  • Good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin 

Disclaimer

This vacancy is now closed.
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