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 is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. 

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts. 

UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 positions prosperity for all as one of four strategic objectives, alongside effective governance, crisis resilience and a healthy planet. The Strategic Plan frames UNDP’s contribution around integrated development solutions that support countries to advance human development in a fast-changing world, powered by three accelerators: digital and AI transformation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Within this framework, prosperity is understood as more than income growth. It is linked to expanded opportunities, decent jobs and livelihoods, access to productive assets, human capital, social protection, essential services, protection from shocks, and the removal of structural barriers that prevent people from participating fully in economic and social life. 

Within BPPS, the Prosperity and Wellbeing Hub advances UNDP’s integrated prosperity agenda by supporting countries to move from poverty to prosperity through expanded opportunities, enhanced capabilities, stronger systems, and more resilient development pathways. The Hub is organized around three mutually reinforcing pillars / service lines: 1) Multi-dimensional Poverty, Inequalities and Capabilities; (2) Jobs, Growth, and Structural Transformation; and (3) HIV, Health and Inclusion. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Based in Madrid, the Head, Jobs, Growth and Transformation will lead the Hub’s second service line, providing senior-level policy leadership, technical guidance and strategic positioning for UNDP’s work on jobs, livelihoods, inclusive growth and structural transformation. The Head will support the development and delivery of an integrated offer that helps countries translate economic transformation, private sector development and investment into concrete employment and livelihood outcomes.

This service line responds to increasing country demand for support on the systemic enablers of job-rich development, including productivity growth, trade, industrial and sectoral policy, MSME competitiveness, value-chain development, skills systems, local economic development, and transitions from informal to formal work. It will help countries identify and address barriers within labour markets and enterprise ecosystems, while supporting emerging opportunities associated with green, blue, digital and AI-driven transitions, including jobs of the future. Across this work, particular attention will be given to women, young people, informal workers, MSMEs and groups facing structural barriers to economic participation.

The incumbent provides leadership, policy direction and strategic positioning for UNDP’s work on Jobs, Growth and Structural Transformation, and represents UNDP in the wider jobs, livelihoods and inclusive growth community of practice, including with the UN system, international financial institutions, bilateral partners, external experts, private sector actors, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.

The incumbent facilitates and coordinates implementation support to the Prosperity and Wellbeing Hub’s second service line. The incumbent ensures that UNDP’s offer on jobs, livelihoods and structural transformation is informed by country demand, experience from the ground, and broader policy debates and analytical advances on job-rich growth, productive transformation, MSME development, skills, informality, trade, investment, green and digital transitions, and inclusive economic opportunity. To this end, the Head provides substantive leadership in the relevant technical areas and leverages capacities across the Hub, Regional Bureaux, Regional Hubs, Country Offices and the broader Global Policy Network.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to respond to evolving business needs and to harness synergies across interventions in pursuit of its strategic goals. This approach reflects the interconnected nature of development challenges, which require multidisciplinary teams and integrated, systemic responses. Therefore, the incumbent is expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects — collaborating horizontally across the Prosperity and Wellbeing Hub and with other parts of UNDP, including governance, crisis, planet, gender, digital transformation and sustainable finance — to enhance coherence, quality and impact.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Director, Prosperity and Wellbeing, the Head is responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:

1) Substantive leadership and quality assurance of policy advice on jobs, growth and structural transformation:

  • Provide substantive leadership in the analysis of drivers, opportunities and constraints for job-rich, inclusive and sustainable economic transformation, with a focus on employment, livelihoods, productivity, MSME development, skills, informality, trade, investment and structural transformation. 
  • Lead the development of relevant, timely and innovation-focused knowledge products, policy analysis, tools and guidance on jobs, growth and structural transformation, in close collaboration with relevant teams across BPPS and the organization. 
  • Ensure that UNDP’s policy advice on jobs and livelihoods is informed by country experience, high-quality quantitative and qualitative data, economic and labour market analysis, and the latest global policy debates and evidence. 
  • Develop and present cutting-edge policy options to governments and other development actors on employment-intensive growth, productive transformation, private sector development, enterprise ecosystems, skills systems, local economic development, and green, blue, digital and AI-related transitions. 
  • Lead intersectoral policy dialogue on jobs, livelihoods and inclusive growth with governments, UN system partners, international financial institutions, donors, civil society, employers’ and workers’ organizations, academia and the private sector. 
  • Ensure quality assurance of policy and programme outputs related to the service line, including global, regional and country-level initiatives.

2) Provide high-quality, timely and responsive technical and policy advice on prosperity and sustainable finance to Country Offices in the region:

  • Provide substantive, timely, high-quality and multidisciplinary policy and programme advisory services to Regional Bureaux, Regional Hubs and Country Offices in response to country demand, including through analysis, policy options, programme design, implementation support and quality assurance. 
  • Advice and support countries to design integrated approaches that connect national growth strategies, private sector development, investment, trade, skills and enterprise development with concrete employment and livelihood outcomes. 
  • Advise on labour market diagnostics, jobs strategies, MSME competitiveness, value-chain development, informal-to-formal transitions, skills development, local economic development, and employment opportunities linked to green, blue, digital and AI-driven transitions. 
  • Identify new areas of engagement and opportunities for innovation, scaling and portfolio development to position UNDP as a relevant actor in line with emerging country demand. 
  • Leverage internal and external expertise, including from the Economist Network, Regional Hubs, specialized technical teams, UN system partners, IFIs, academia and the private sector. 
  • Ensure coherence and alignment of jobs-related policy and programme support with the broader work of the Prosperity and Wellbeing Hub and other BPPS teams, including on poverty, inequalities, capabilities, health, social protection, care systems, governance, crisis, planet, gender, digital transformation and sustainable finance.

3) Coordinate and advise on the implementation of programme and policy objectives:

  • Provide coordination and substantive support for the implementation of global programmes, initiatives and workstreams related to jobs, growth and structural transformation. 
  • Lead or support the development of global, regional and multi-country offers, strategies, concept notes, project documents and resource mobilization proposals in areas under the service line. 
  • Support global processes, strategies and action plans in line with UNDP’s integrator function and its role in advancing the SDGs. 
  • Promote portfolio approaches that connect jobs and livelihoods with wider development objectives, including poverty reduction, inclusion, resilience, climate action, digital transformation, sustainable finance and local economic development. 
  • Support results-based management, monitoring, reporting and learning for relevant initiatives, including the development of indicators and measurement approaches for employment, livelihoods and enterprise-related outcomes. 
  • Contribute to internal planning, budgeting, reporting and performance management processes for the service line.

4) Facilitate knowledge management, innovation, and community of practice networking:

  • Set forth an operational platform for continuous data, analysis, documentation and codification of results and lessons learned on jobs, livelihoods and structural transformation for UNDP globally. 
  • Develop and deliver guidance material, tools, training and capacity development support for UNDP staff on jobs, livelihoods, inclusive growth and structural transformation. 
  • Promote the use of innovative approaches, data systems, digital tools, AI-enabled analytics, foresight, systems thinking and portfolio methods to strengthen UNDP’s policy and programme support. 
  • Identify, document and disseminate promising practices from Country Offices and partners, including on employment-intensive growth, MSMEs, skills, value chains, local economic development, informal-to-formal transitions and jobs of the future. 
  • Coordinate and strengthen communities of practice across Regional Bureaux, Regional Hubs and Country Offices. 
  • Build networks with academic and research institutions, think tanks, UN agencies, IFIs, bilateral partners and other expert organizations to enrich UNDP’s policy and programme offer.

5) Representation, advocacy, and partner engagement for effective policy positioning:

  • Represent UNDP in high-profile areas, interagency coordination forums and external policy dialogues on jobs, livelihoods, inclusive growth and structural transformation.
  • Advocate core UNDP messages and positions on job-rich, inclusive and sustainable development, including the centrality of decent jobs and livelihoods to poverty-to-prosperity transitions. 
  • Promote South-South and triangular cooperation by facilitating exchanges, peer learning and sharing of country experience where relevant. 
  • Foster strategic partnerships with UN system partners, IFIs, regional development banks, bilateral donors, foundations, civil society, academia, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and the private sector. 
  • Lead or contribute to resource mobilization efforts in line with BPPS priorities and corporate guidelines, including with traditional and emerging partners. 
  • Collaborate closely with BPPS teams, Regional Bureaux, the Economist Network, the Human Development Report Office, the Sustainable Finance Hub, the Digital Office and other relevant parts of UNDP to inform the strategic direction of UNDP’s policy advisory support.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Specialists, Analyst, as well as consultants or other personnel assigned to the Jobs, Growth and Structural Transformation service line.

Competencies

Core:

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands. 
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.  

Cross Functional and Technical:

  • Business Direction & Strategy - Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.
  • Business Direction & 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 Management - Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity. Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
  • Business Management - Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.
  • 2030 Agenda: Prosperity - Prosperity: Jobs, MSMEs, supply chains.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Economics, Development Economics, Statistics, Business/Public Administration, Public Finance, Finance, or related field is required. or
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor's degree or equivalent) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.   

Experience:

  • A minimum of 10 years (with master's degree) or 12 years (with bachelor's degree) of relevant experience in either public sector (national or multilateral, including UN), or private (academia, non-governmental sector, corporate), with a demonstrated increasing level of responsibility in the relevant technical areas of jobs, livelihoods, inclusive growth, structural transformation, private sector development, MSME development, skills, labour markets, and/or economic advisory services is required.
  • Demonstrated experience providing high-level policy and programme advice on jobs, livelihoods, inclusive growth, labour markets, private sector development, MSME competitiveness, skills systems, local economic development, value-chain development, and/or structural transformation is required. 
  • Experience in leading or supporting national development planning, employment strategies, growth diagnostics, labour market analysis, private sector development strategies, or sectoral/territorial development approaches, with demonstrated technical skills in policy analysis and partnership building with the World Bank, is required. 
  • Demonstrated experience in developing, quality assuring and applying tools, methodologies, diagnostics or policy options to support countries in designing and implementing strategies that link growth, productivity, investment and private sector development with employment and livelihood outcomes is required. 
  • Experience working on one or more of the following areas is required: informal-to-formal transitions; youth employment; women’s economic participation; MSME development; trade and value chains; skills for the future; green, blue, digital or AI-related jobs and transitions; local economic development; or employment and livelihoods in crisis or transition contexts.
  • Demonstrated experience leading and coordinating complex multidisciplinary policy or programme initiatives at scale, at global, regional and/or multi-country level, related to jobs, inclusive growth, economic transformation, private sector development, labour markets or related areas, including providing strategic and technical direction, ensuring coherence across technical workstreams, and providing quality assurance and/or technical guidance across countries or regions is an asset.
  • Proven leadership and people management experience in the UN System or another multilateral, development, public or comparable organization, including experience leading diverse technical teams and/or networks across countries, regions and institutional boundaries is desired.
  • Demonstrated experience engaging with and advising senior government counterparts and other high-level decision-makers, and translating technical analysis into strategic policy options, programmes or investment priorities related to jobs, inclusive growth and economic transformation is desired.
  • Demonstrated experience building and managing strategic partnerships and mobilizing institutional, technical and/or financial support from a range of partners, including governments, UN entities, international and regional financial institutions, bilateral partners, private sector actors, civil society and/or academia is desired.

Language:

  • Fluency in English is required. 
  • Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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