Background

Ethiopia is committed to becoming a model of prosperity for Africa by 2030 through implementing its ambitious  economic transformation and human development plan.  The government in its 10 Year National Development Plan, underlines the importance of institutional strengthening, good governance and the rule of law; protection of human rights; peace building and social cohesion and long-term security and stability. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also provide opportunities and programme entry points to work on governance considering economic and political future of .Ethiopia. Through its Strategic Plan, UNDP commits through the governance signature solutions, to help countries address emerging complexities by “future-proofing” governance systems through anticipatory approaches and better management of risk.  The Strategic Plan re-affirms that ‘inclusive and accountable governance systems and processes are crucial to sustainable development and human security. In this regard, the principles of effective governance namely accountability, transparency, fairness, responsibility, risk management, competence, sound policy making, collaboration, independent oversight and strategic vision were adopted to drive the realization of the SDGs. The CO governance and peacebuilding flagships are rooted in the UNDP’s Renewed Governance and Peacebuilding Framework for Africa 2022 – 2025 which commits to achieving transformative change characterized by people-centered, human rights-based, inclusive and participatory governance and peacebuilding systems, and by strengthened trust and social contract between states and citizens. 

In working with the GoE  and other partners to achieve this aspiration, UNDP is the  lead agency in governance and institution building. As a trusted partner to the Government with a proven  and strong track record of supporting the country on democratic governance, through technical assistance, South South exchange, as well as resource mobilization.  The new Country Programme Document  for Ethiopia (2025 - 2030),  commits to enhancing the capacities of federal, regional, and sub-regional institutions and systems for an open and inclusive democratic governance, reconciliation, prevention, and peaceful management of conflicts,  to expand access to justice/rule of law, and to promote and protect human rights, with emphasis on greater inclusivity bringing  about tangible benefits for women and other disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. 

UNDP Ethiopia Country Office (CO) seeks to recruit a Team Leader, Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding (DGPB), a critical position in supporting the CO in advancing its response to these important democratic governance developments.  In addition to the range of democratic governance interventions planned or underway the Team Leader plays a key role in seeking to collaborate with other post-conflict/stabilization efforts including  the  Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Programme and Peace Support Facility interventions all of which are geared towards restoring peace, promoting reconciliation, and creating a conducive environment for sustainable development to ensure coherence and alignment of results, cognizant of the post-conflict challenges. The Team Leader ensures that UNDP is an early responder in providing the needed technical, advisory, and financial support in advancing the democratic reform efforts.

The position requires a highly skilled competent and experienced professional who exhibits a high level of intellectual and practical understanding and interpretation of governance and development issues in Ethiopia in a politically sensitive manner. S/he will be expected to lead the Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding Unit within the Country Office and coordinate the Team in effectively delivering the Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding Portfolio but with ability, motivation and willingness to work across other units to promote the CO’s vision of a whole of office approach. This requires an individual with solid experience and good political acumen to be able to navigate a complex sector with proven skills to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in retaining the trust and confidence with key stakeholders and interlocutors.

The new CPD frames all development assistance through a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs, leverage linkages across interventions to maximize the ability of the CO 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.

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.

Position Purpose

The Team Leader will take a “whole-of-governance, whole-of-office” approach encompassing a wide range of governance dimensions and covering a broad spectrum of policy, programmatic, and managerial issues ranging from public policy analysis to identification of programmatic entry points to formulation of projects and programmes to facilitation of project evaluation to participation in various working groups within the United Nations Country Team in Ethiopia (UNCT) and the Development Partners Group (DPG) architectures.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative for Programmes and the overall guidance of the Resident Representative, the incumbent facilitates UNDP’s positioning as a leading agency in the governance sector in Ethiopia. As such, s/he is responsible for leading UNDP’s work in the democratic governance and peacebuilding area, and in this capacity, s/he is expected to provide technical and operational support to governance institutions, structures and systems through policy, legal and institutional reforms, and capacity development. S/he is also expected to advocate for UNDP’s global and local priorities and liaises with other UN agencies, UNDP HQ, government officials, technical advisers, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donor partners and civil society representing UNDP.

The incumbent will also provide strategic advice and managerial oversight to guide the design, implementation, and monitoring of UNDP democratic governance and peacebuilding projects and programmes. Related to this, the Team Leader is responsible for the supervision and guidance to the Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding Team within the UNDP Country Office and ensuring cross-sectoral and cross-unit coordination and collaboration. 

The key functions involve but not limited to the following:

• Lead and coordinate implementation of UNDP Ethiopia’s programme strategies in the governance and peacebuilding sector focusing on quality assurance from formulation to implementation to monitoring and evaluation, and reporting,
• Provide top-quality policy analysis, and technical advisory services internally to UNDP, and externally to Government and non-governmental partners, including donors and civil society, 
• Support strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts of the CO, 
• Facilitate effective communication, knowledge building and management, 
• Lead the DGPB Unit team, and as a senior staff manager, provide guidance/support in other corporate processes and compliance requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

1) Lead and coordinate implementation of UNDP Ethiopia’s programme strategies in the governance and peacebuilding sector focusing on quality assurance from formulation to implementation to monitoring and evaluation, and reporting focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Facilitate, track, and ensure the achievement of performance targets and programme results;
• Provide top quality technical advisory, and capacity development support to implementing partners to achieve intended results;
• Identify capacity gaps and challenges in implementing partners and design strategic approaches to address them in a systematic and sustainable manner;
• Assist Government counterparts in planning and implementation, including co-leading planning engagements and ensuring the relevance, high quality and timeliness of planning processes;
• Support programme partners in monitoring and tracking implementation progress, assist in identifying course correction, and adjusting to unfolding country events;
• Develop data collection system and executive dashboard to capture, analyze and report on programme progress and achievements; 
• Facilitate the realization of synergies across programme units within UNDP and between implementing partners;
• Ensure accountability and effective use and management of UNDP and donor funds;
• Review and update Risk and Issues logs regularly and identify issues that need the attention of UNDP and partners;
• Prepare substantive technical outputs and briefs, including quality and timely submission of progress and financial reports to UNDP and partners;
• Oversee M&E and audit functions including Annual and Mid-Term Reviews, in close collaboration with other relevant Programme and Operations Units within UNDP.

2) Provide top-quality policy analysis and technical advisory services internally to UNDP and externally to Government and non-governmental partners, including donors and civil society, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provide top-quality policy/technical advisory services internally within UNDP CO and externally to Government and non-governmental counterparts;
• Initiate policy dialogue fora and debates on key issues to deepen knowledge and enhance programme impact involving politicians, parliamentarians, government officials, experts, development community, civil society, and academics;
• Advise UNDP Senior Management on unfolding critical programme context, capitalizing on emerging challenges and opportunities, and respond accordingly, where necessary;
• Provide strategic direction to the implementation of UNDP corporate and UNDP Ethiopia’s strategies in the Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding sector, 
• Prepare background documents, issues papers, analytical policy memos and strategy papers to inform and enable UNDP’s and government’s agenda setting, prioritization, and implementation decisions;
• Assist stakeholders in managing programme risks, for example by preparing analytical policy and programme briefs to UNDP, and through it to development partners;
• Lead UNDP contribute to national policy dialogue processes around emerging governance issues;
• Introduce innovative ideas and benchmarks based on international good practices, and actively promote their application in the programme.

3) Contribute to the development and roll out of resource mobilization strategy and ensure effective coordination with development partners  including the private sector:

• Lead the resource mobilization efforts which includes identifying funding opportunities and supporting the preparation of funding proposals and donor briefings; 
• Maintain substantive engagement with key regional and national stakeholders from government and civil society organizations, development partners and UN agencies to build synergy and collaboration; 
• Develop strategic partnerships among key stakeholders to build consensus and momentum on key programmatic and policy issues; 
• Promote alignment and harmonization among UN agencies, where appropriate;
• Actively participate in the DPG and UNCT coordination structures including the UN Action Group on Governance, and the DPG Governance Technical Working Group; 
• Actively contribute to the Country Office’s resource mobilization efforts, and as part of this prepare briefing notes, presentations, etc.;
• Assess and prioritize information concerning events, policy development and programme directions of the development partners and communicate relevant issues for CO management.

4) Facilitate effective communication, knowledge building and management, focusing on achievement of the following results:   

• Ensure appropriate visibility of donors, and UNDP in public media and in high-level platforms, and other channel;,
• Facilitate and ensure effective communication among programme partners and other key stakeholders underpinning greater mutual understanding & collective achievement of results;
• Distill, document, package and share programme success stories and good practices;
• Assemble best practices in the field of governance and peacebuilding and facilitate cross-fertilization of the same;
• Organize knowledge/experience sharing platforms and events in furtherance of programme results; 
• Actively promote knowledge generation and learning within the Team and CO;
• Link implementing partners with key learning centers in both developing and developed countries and facilitate solution exchange platforms.

5) Lead the DGPB Unit team, and as a senior staff manager, provide guidance/support in other corporate processes and compliance requirements:

• Ensure effective human resource management including staff and short-term consultants;
• Guide, supervise and mentor staff in the execution of their respective functions;
• Actively support staff well-being and career development through various means;
• Promote teamwork within the Unit and across the CO;
• Oversee the recruitment of top-quality expertise in the programme and take part in the assurance of the quality of their deliverables;
• Supervise procurement of goods and services including quality assurance of specifications, review of Terms of Reference (TORs) and Request for Proposals (RFPs) to accomplish results and in accordance with UNDP procedures;
• Participate in other managerial functions as needed, including representation, as requested by the supervisor/Resident Representative.

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

Competencies

2030 Agenda: Peace

• Governance: Electoral Cycle Support.

2030 Agenda: Peace

• Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights: Effective Justice Sector Institutions .

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Governance Studies, Law, Political Science, Sociology, Public Policy, Peace and Security Studies, Development Studies, or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields 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 progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in democratic governance, peacebuilding, or public sector reform, including direct advisory support to governments and development partners is required;
• Demonstrated professional experience in programme and project management within governance, peacebuilding, or institutional reform, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting using results-based management approaches;
• Proven experience in leading or managing multi-disciplinary teams, with responsibility for strategic direction, quality assurance, and achievement of results in governance and peacebuilding programmes;
• Demonstrated ability to provide policy advice and technical support on governance, institutional strengthening, peacebuilding, or rule of law issues, with strong contextual knowledge of Ethiopia’s political and social environment;
• Substantive experience in engaging with high-level government counterparts, civil society, and development partners, demonstrating political and contextual acumen and ability to build trust.

Desirable experience 

• Experience in designing and leading institutional or legal reform processes that promote inclusive and accountable governance;
• Demonstrated expertise in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, reconciliation, or social cohesion initiatives, particularly in post-conflict contexts;
• Proven ability to integrate gender equality, youth empowerment, and social inclusion into governance and peacebuilding programmes, with a track record of achieving measurable results;
• Experience in resource mobilization, donor coordination, and partnership building with governments, civil society, and development partners, including the private sector;
• Strong experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, consensus building, and policy forum in complex and sensitive environments;
• Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills with a proven ability to produce high-quality policy briefs, reports, and strategy papers;
• Experience working with UNDP, UN agencies, or other international development organizations is an advantage;
• Strong experience in project management in the governance field.

Required Language(s):

• Excellent knowledge of English, both spoken and written is required.
• Fluency in the local language of the duty station is desired.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

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