Tiered Approach
In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:
- Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
- Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
- Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
- Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Background
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and UNDP's Green Commodity Programme (GCP) have worked in partnership since 2015 to strengthen sustainable commodity production and trade through strengthened multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration.
In 2023, SECO and UNDP GCP started the Phase III of the "Effective Collaborative Action for Sustainable Commodity Production and Trade" project. The goal of Phase III is to advance multi-stakeholder collaboration for systemic change. Through it, UNDP will foster the adoption of sustainable production through facilitating effective multi-stakeholder collaborative initiatives in globally important agricultural commodity systems in five countries in order to catalyse a shared vision and multi-stakeholder collaborative action for transforming those systems. Achievement of this objective will be facilitated by UNDP through effective multi-stakeholder collaborative action, addressing the challenges presented by siloed stakeholders, mistrust and diverging agendas. This new phase will build on the work and successes of the prior two phases, and it will work in Brazil (soy and beef). In Brazil, the intervention facilitates effective stakeholder collaboration towards advancing the adoption of sustainable production of beef and soy in the state of Tocantins, located in the globally important ecosystem of the Cerrado in Brazil, in an area that has experienced some of the highest rates of land conversion for agricultural commodities over the past two decades.
The UNDP Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS) Team, together with the UNDP country office team in Brasilia and the Implementation Partner, will support the establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform in Tocantins, providing facilitation support, customized capacity building, partnership facilitation using UNDP’s Effective Collaborative Action methodology throughout project implementation, while also offering advisory services to help align the multi-stakeholder dialogues with co-creation of technical interventions that genuinely influence sustainability in agricultural commodity systems.
In this regard, UNDP/Brazil is looking to a Technical Analyst with significant expertise in the sustainable agriculture, strong knowledge of production systems and commercial supply chains, ample experience with public institutions and with governance systems- and tools at federal and state levels. The Project Policy Adviser will play a leading role with the national project team and will work to establish synergies and collaboration with public institutions and other actors at federal and state levels.
The Technical Analyst will also work as a liaison between the UNDP Brazil Country Office and the UNDP Food Systems Global Team, supporting the preparation and transition towards a Phase IV of the Project, currently being developed with SECO
Duties and Responsibilities
In coordination with the UNDP Brazil Country Office, the Implementing Partner and the UNDP Global Food Systems Team, the Technical Analyst will perform the following tasks/activities:
1. Provide policy advisory and support to programme delivery
• Deliver programmatic, technical, and policy advisory support to the Implementing Partner.
• Coordinate with the Implementing Partner the multi-stakeholder collaboration process, ensuring integration of knowledge, policy advisory, and governance approaches to promote sustainable production.
• Inform and update the UNDP Brazil Country Office, the UNDP Global FACS Team, and representatives in the Swiss Embassy in Brasilia on project progress and any emerging challenges.
• In collaboration with the local counterparts and responsible parties, coordinate delivery of support from UNDP’s Global Food Systems team, including (but not limited to) capacity building on collaborative action and methodologies and tools.
2. Contribute to create and nurture strategic partnerships and relationships
• Build and mantain strong relationships with federal and local public institutions (such as the Ministry of Agriculture and EMBRAPA) to:
o Optimize synergies regarding public policy, and governance of landscapes and productive sectors;
o Stimulate public and private investment opportunities for conservation and sustainable livestock and soy production in Tocantins, and;
o Strengthen UNDP’s position as a strategic partner for Brazil’s public institutions, including its role in implementation of programs to strengthen sustainable production of beef and soy.
• Participate in the day-to-day interactions with the counterparts and responsible parties.
• Participate actively in multi-stakeholder processes in Tocantins, ensuring that the process is co-branded with UNDP as an active participant and co-facilitator.
• Maintain relationships with key public and private stakeholders and foster their active participation in the multi-stakeholder processes.
• Participate and support the organization of the Oversight Group meetings and liaise with the members of the Oversight Group.
• In coordination with UNDP's Communication unit and other relevant counterpart communications departments, ensure the visibility of the project and the collaboration between UNDP, counterparts, responsible parties, and SECO.
3. Facilitate knowledge building and management for and from the project implementation
• Contribute to knowledge networks, communities of practice (such as the FACS Community,) and participate in knowledge sharing with other national project teams that are part of Phase III.
• Provide support and technical inputs to optimize operational efficiency and strengthen the social and environmental impact of the initiatives, aiming to scale and improve the sustainability of project results as well as oportunities for replication on subnational and national level.
4. Travel to Tocantins at least in a monthly basis to participate actively in meetings and events of the multi-stakeholder platform process, to coordinate and collaborate with the Tocantins-based project team, and to maintain relationships with key institutional actors.
• All travel within Brasilia and the Project Implementation Area in Tocantins will be processed by the Brazil Country Office following UNDP general travel guidelines.
• Be responsible for providing missions report for all missions.
5. Phase IV Support
• Lead the transition towards a Phase IV by taking over the direct coordination of the platform processes once the current Implementation Partner Agreement is concluded, ensuring the continuation of all the previous phase works, follow ups and activities.
•Support all efforts to incorporate GCP into UNDP’s wider portfolio program at the Country Level.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Project.
Institutional Arrangement
The Technical Analyst will report to the UNDP Project Specialist – Environment and Climate Change with technical reporting lines to the UNDP Lead Global Advisor.
The Technical Analyst will be assigned a working space at the Brazil Country Office as well as his/her working equipment such as laptop and office supplies.
Competencies
Achieve Results:
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pay attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively:
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously:
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility:
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination:
LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner:
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross functional & technical competencies
Business Direction and Strategy - Systems 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 Direction and Strategy - Negotiation and Influence:
• Reach a common understanding/agreement, persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations.
Ethics - Ethical Implications of Policy Development:
• Consult on the ethical implications within all policy development and standard setting.
Business Management - Partnership 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.
Partnership management - Strategic Engagement:
• Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives
Digital - Behaviour change communication / communication for development:
• Knowledge of appropriate digital Communication methodologies for development and behaviour change, and ability to apply them practically
Required Skills and Experience
Min. Academic Education:
• Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resources Management, International Development, Business, Political Science, Environmental Policy or related fields is required, or
• A first-level University degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the above mentioned areas in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Min. years of work experience:
• Applicants with Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in project management, programme/project coordination and monitoring or similar in the area sustainable agriculture.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section
• Experience working with high-level stakeholders in both the private and public sectors, particularly in the context of agricultural commodity sectors.
• Experience in implementation of traditional people or community-based projects in Brazil.
• Experience with Results-based Management (RBM) tools.
• Experience working with government counterparts.
• Prior experience with the United Nations and other international organisms.
Required language(s) (at working level)
• Fluency in English and Portuguese is required
Professional Certificates
• Any relevant professional certificate(s) in the area of required competencies would be an asset, but it is not mandatory.
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.
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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