Programme Specialist, UNV

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The UNV Multi-Country Field Unit is mainly accountable for the mobilization and placement of UN Volunteers in UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes focused on peace, development and humanitarian needs, covering multiple countries. The UNV Field Units represent and position UNV in the respective countries and bring UNV’s services and solutions closer to its partners from governments, UN entities, civil society and private sector.

Under the matrix management of the Portfolio Specialist, Regional Office, and the UNDP Resident Representatives/Deputy Resident Representatives in the duty station, the Programme Specialist leads and manages the UNV Multi Country Field Unit. She/he is responsible for effective strategic business development and intelligence, and relationship management leading to mobilization and placement of UN Volunteers, and identification of entry points for UNV’s support and showcasing the value added of volunteers and volunteerism based on UNV’s Strategic Framework. 

She/he builds and nurtures relationships with government counterparts and other key stakeholders to ensure strong positioning of UNV and administrative/operational support to UN Volunteers. The Programme Specialist, UNV effectively coordinates with the Regional Office and HQ organizational units, on volunteer mobilization, and provision of substantive inputs and facilitation of corporate initiatives. The main responsibility of the Programme Specialist, UNV is to increase volunteer volume in-countries through these partnerships, and advocate for integrating volunteerism as a cross-cutting means of implementation into the 2030 Agenda.

UN Volunteer mobilization and management

• Keep abreast of and analyse development challenges and priorities in assigned countries in Maghreb to identify relevant entry points for UNV’s mobilization of volunteers;
• Build and strengthen relationships with UN partners in the assigned countries to ensure an understanding of UNV’s mandates, key offers and the added values that UN Volunteer assignments bring in support to the achievement of their respective mandates;
• Maintain business intelligence on UN agencies, UN joint programmes,, identifying specific entry points to diversify partnerships with the key results of increased volunteer assignments, including reporting on the forecast demand for UN Volunteers in the countries;
• Identify volunteer placement opportunities and present UNV value proposition and volunteer modalities with the objective of maximizing international and national volunteer presence, including collaboration in the preparation of descriptions of assignment, with partner agencies and other partners;
• Advise the Regional Office on critical and emerging issues, as well as coordinate and consolidate inputs relevant to the assigned countries for developing briefing and other strategic documents for senior management meetings and missions;
• Oversee the overall recruitment process of UN Volunteers and efficient volunteer management, bringing critical issues timely to the attention of the Regional Office and other relevant sections in the HQ;
• Work closely with UNDP operations where UNV is not present on the ground, to provide UN Volunteers with timely and adequate assistance during on-boarding, serving as well as end of assignment;
• Ensure that incoming and outgoing UN Volunteers are adequately briefed and debriefed and extend personal support and guidance to UN Volunteers serving in the countries;
• Work closely with the Field Security Officers and provide support to the UN Designated Officials to ensure a detailed understanding among UN Volunteers on all security-related issues;
• Monitor the well-being and performance of serving UN Volunteers, with special attention to countries without UNV field presence, through routine online meetings, field visits to their duty stations and discussions with their supervisors and counterparts;
• Ensure overall management and administrative support to UN Volunteers.

Advocacy, partnership building, and UNV programme integration

• Lead UNVs’ field efforts as the representative of the organization in the assigned countries, ensuring key results and delivery of the Strategic Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Establish, foster and maintain effective outreach and relationships, including the formalization of partnerships and other exchanges of confidence such as inclusion in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), Country Programme Document (CPD), as well as with government, UN agencies, NGOs, the private sector and other relevant development partners;
• Participate in priority fora, including inter-agency meetings and events, such as UN thematic forces, UN-led assessments, Programme Management Team (PMT) meetings, post-conflict needs assessments, UNSDCF planning processes, technical missions and funding appeals to identify opportunities for volunteerism and volunteer placement;
• Establish, foster and maintain effective outreach and relationships with local civil society organizations throughout Maghreb, prioritizing those focused on volunteerism, to contribute to community-led sustainable development in the countries;
• Facilitate knowledge building and evidence generation related to volunteerism in the Maghreb countries, with special focus on unique forms of community volunteering, self-help and mutual aid;
• In close coordination with the Regional Office and the Communications Section at headquarters, prepare, disseminate and present country-specific promotional information on the mandate and work of UNV with relevant development partners and the media;
• Coordinate activities and plan events, in collaboration with other agencies, for annual, national and UN-recognized international celebrations, including the International Volunteer Day (IVD);
• Encourage and monitor serving UN Volunteers to embrace the ideals of volunteerism, act as advocates for volunteer action, and document their experiences in promoting volunteerism.

Management, quality assurance, including knowledge and innovation

• Develop, manage and monitor the implementation of the Multi Country Field Unit’s annual work plan, including management and reporting on UNV support funds and budget;
• Lead UNV’s presence in the assigned countries to ensure coordinated and effective delivery of services as well as enable a supportive and collaborative work environment;
• Ensure strategic use and implementation of all UN Volunteers modalities as per prevailing relevant provisions under each scheme;
• Ensure comprehensive programme design and integration, and on results based management;
• Manage any UNV assigned personnel within the Multi-Country Field Unit, including supervision, performance assessment and capacity development;
• Embrace UNV digitalization strategy and transformation and lead related processes in the Multi-Country Field Unit;
• Ensure knowledge is documented, systematized and fed back into volunteer mobilization and evidence building on volunteerism for the SDGs, and actively contribute to knowledge networks.

Core Competencies:

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Technical/Functional Competencies

Sustainable Development

• Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions

Peacebuilding and Reconciliation

• Ability to support peace processes to facilitate recovery and development

Development Planning and Monitoring

• Ability to develop business and planning processes at the national and local level and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Relationship Management

• Ability to engage and foster strategic partnerships with other parties, inter-agency coordination and forge productive working relationships

Results-based Management

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results

Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Knowledge Management

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge

Education:

• Master degree in social sciences, international development, project management, public/business administration or related fields.

Experience:

• 5 years of relevant professional experience preferably in a humanitarian, development, peace and/or, related field; 
• Experience in partnership management and/or inter-agency cooperation is essential;
• Experience in managing personnel, and team or project workplan, including remotely;
• Work experience with the United Nations is an asset; 
• Previous work experience in another Maghreb country an asset;
• Previous experience in a civil society setting and/or as a volunteer with volunteer management and/or promotion of volunteerism is a distinct advantage.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English, Arabic and French;
• Proficiency in another official UN language is an asset.

Other:

• Experience using computers and office software packages (ERP, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.);
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems is highly desirable;
• Openness to embrace Digital Transformation and use of new technologies.

Note:

• Only short-listed applicants will be contacted;
• The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment;
• This post is open to nationals of Tunisia only.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

UNDP/UNV 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/UNV at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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