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
UNDP Armenia’s Innovation and SDG Finance Portfolio advances sustainable development by supporting evidence-based policymaking, innovation, financing and partnerships, while promoting practical and scalable responses to complex challenges through systems thinking, participatory governance, data-informed decision-making, innovation ecosystem development and innovative financing. A core pillar of this work is the application of systems and portfolio approaches to urban and territorial transformation, which help cities move beyond fragmented interventions toward dynamic portfolios that combine stakeholder co-creation, community listening, sensemaking, experimentation, learning and adaptive management. In Armenia, these approaches are being applied through support to secondary cities and communities, including Stepanavan, Tashir and Hrazdan, as well as through partnerships on circular economy, living labs and local innovation, while also contributing to regional learning, knowledge generation, visibility, resource mobilization, and the integration of city-level insights into broader policy and program development.
Within this context, UNDP seeks to engage a Project Analyst (Coordinator) to manage and lead urban systems innovation and portfolio-based transformation initiatives, with particular focus on holistic and systems approaches, human-centered design, social innovation, research and development, stakeholder engagement, strategic learning, innovative finance exploration, communications and resource mobilization. The incumbent will also help strengthen the innovation ecosystem and public sector innovation community in Armenia, while ensuring high-quality delivery, reporting, compliance, and operational management of relevant projects.
The Project Analyst (Coordinator) is expected to be responsible for the management of the Organics Mobilized: Accelerating Social Transformation Towards Circular Bioeconomy and City Experiment Fund projects, and provision of the advisory support on systems approaches for the Funding Windows: Green and Digital Cities Initiative – Prototypes for Systemic Urban Transformation projects of the Innovation and SDG Finance Portfolio.
Scope of Work
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Innovation and SDG Finance Portfolio Lead, and in close coordination with the UNDP Armenia, UNDP IRH, the Project Analyst (Coordinator) will be responsible for the management of the Organics Mobilized: Accelerating Social Transformation Towards Circular Bioeconomy and City Experiment Fund projects, and provision of the advisory support on systems approaches for the Funding Windows: Green and Digital Cities Initiative – Prototypes for Systemic Urban Transformation project.
The incumbent will support the design, implementation and dynamic management of portfolio-based initiatives for local and urban transformation in Armenia, including work related to systems thinking, participatory and evidence-informed and area-based development, social and community listening, strategic foresight, innovative financing, capacity building, partnerships, visibility, and resource mobilization.
The incumbent will ensure effective delivery of project activities and outputs in compliance with approved project documents, annual workplans, donor requirements, and UNDP rules and procedures.
Duties and responsibilities:
With respect to overall coordination of in-country projects activities the Project Analyst (Coordinator) is expected to:
Strategic coordination and technical leadership:
- Lead and coordinate selected urban and community transformation projects in Armenia, with a focused emphasis on systems approaches, portfolio design, human-centered development, and practical innovation for local transformation;
- Guide the application of systems thinking, portfolio management, sensemaking and strategic foresight in selected municipalities and communities across various regions of Armenia;
- Support the design and adaptive management of community portfolios, with particular focus on advancing circular economy practices and embedding AI-enabled applications as part of broader local systems transformation;
- Contribute to institutionalization of innovation and systems transformation approaches at the UNDP Armenia Country Office team as well as advocacy and wide application of the portfolio approach in the communities of Armenia as a business-as-usual;
- Work closely with the UNDP Regional Hub and national and international experts to adapt and apply relevant participatory, evidence-based and innovation-led methodologies.
Portfolio design, community listening and learning:
- Lead targeted social and community listening processes, including qualitative research, stakeholder engagement, and barrier and enabler analysis, to inform portfolio design and implementation;
- Coordinate portfolio co-design processes with municipalities, communities and partners, ensuring that local priorities, circular solutions and emerging digital and AI opportunities are reflected in project design;
- Facilitate sensemaking and learning processes to generate actionable insights, lessons learned and recommendations for adaptive management and future programming;
- Contribute to the tailoring and application of MEL frameworks, learning logs and adaptive learning tools for municipalities and portfolio initiatives.
Stakeholder engagement and partnerships:
- Serve as the focal point for day-to-day coordination with international, national and local partners, including IRH, government counterparts, municipalities, local communities, service providers, academia, civil society and private sector actors;
- Build and maintain partnerships necessary for implementation and sustainability of project portfolios and local experiments, including initiatives related to circular economy, local innovation and AI-enabled community solutions;
- Support the mapping and engagement of innovation ecosystem actors and participatory service providers relevant to project implementation in Armenia.
Project implementation and quality assurance:
- Coordinate and oversee project activities and deliverables, ensuring technical, operational and administrative coherence;
- Develop and monitor workplans, timelines and milestones, and ensure timely implementation within approved budgets;
- Prepare progress, financial and evaluation reports in line with UNDP and donor requirements;
- Ensure proper documentation of activities, consultations, workshops, visibility materials and knowledge products.
Financial, procurement and operational oversight:
- Manage project budgets and expenditures, and support adjustments based on implementation and financial analysis;
- Oversee procurement and consultant management for assigned projects, in line with UNDP rules and procedures;
- Ensure quality assurance and compliance in delivery of services, outputs and contractual obligations.
Capacity building and local institutionalization:
- Support municipalities and local stakeholders in applying portfolio approaches, systems thinking and data-informed decision-making to community development;
- Design and facilitate targeted capacity-building initiatives in strategic development, dynamic management, circular economy practices, digital innovation, AI application, data literacy and analytics;
- Support the institutionalization of innovation and portfolio practices within local governance and development processes.
Regional engagement, knowledge exchange and visibility:
- Contribute to regional learning, peer exchange and knowledge generation in coordination with the UNDP Regional Hub;
- Prepare briefs, case studies, presentations and communication materials highlighting lessons, innovations and scalable practices from Armenia;
- Support visibility of successful initiatives for replication and scale-up.
Resource mobilization and program development
- Support resource mobilization and partnership building around innovative approaches for sustainable local development;
- Contribute to the development of concept notes, proposals and strategic initiatives;
- Help align local portfolio initiatives with broader country and regional program to maximize synergy, sustainability and co-financing opportunities.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangements
Working under the direct supervision of the UNDP Armenia Innovation and SDG Finance Team Lead, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for leading the Projects Team in the day-to-day implementation of the country-level project activities and managing financial resources effectively and efficiently so as to achieve the Project Objective and Outcomes within the set timescale and available budget. S/he will ensure effective implementation of daily activities of the Projects in compliance with appropriate UNDP policies and procedures.
Competencies
Core competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work;
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking;
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning;
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands;
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results;
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships;
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
People Management competencies
- UNDP People Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.
Cross-functional & technical competencies
Business Management
- Project Management
- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
- Communication
- Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience;
- Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
Business Direction & Strategy
- Effective Decision Making
- Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.
- 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.
Partnership Management
- Relationship Management
- Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
2030 Agenda: Partnership
- SDG Finance
- SDG Investment Project Pipelines.
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.
Required Skills and Experience
Minimum education requirements
- Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Political Science, Development Studies, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or;
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Minimum years of relevant work experience
- A minimum of 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience at national or international level in project management providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
Required skills
- Experience in project coordination, design and implementation;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems;
- Proven experience in working with local authorities, partners and communities, and collaboration with multiple actors including government representatives, donors and other stakeholders.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
- Proven experience in applying innovative methods and models to development challenges and application of systems thinking approaches to community transformation;
- Proven experience in development of analytical documents, briefs and project proposals;
- Experience in establishing and maintaining productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying beneficiaries and partners’ needs and matching them to appropriate solutions;
- Prior experience with the UN/UNDP project management and /or implementation.
Required Languages
- Fluency in English and Armenian is required.
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.
Use of AI by candidates
Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection
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