Job Description

Agency: UNDP

Title: Head, Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions

Job ID: 22876

Practice Area - Job Family: Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Vacancy End Date: 19/05/2019 (Midnight New York, USA)

Time Left: 26d 21h 23m

Duty Station: New York, United States

Education & Work Experience: I-Master's Level Degree - 15 year(s) experience

Languages: Required: English
                     Desired:

Grade: D1

Vacancy Type: FTA International

Posting Type: External

Bureau: Crisis Prevention & Recovery

Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

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 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. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains.

Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery. The Bureau has the responsibility for support to prevention, crisis response, resilience and recovery work under the auspices of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. Crisis Bureau staff provide global strategic advice to UNDP management and technical advice to regional hubs and Country Offices; advocate for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. As part of the Global Policy Network (GPN), the Crisis Bureau works in an integrated manner with UNDP’s Development Policy Bureau (DPB) ensuring that issues are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes.

In addition to co-leading and contributing to other cross-cutting, substantive areas covered by the Crisis Bureau (CB) and the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), the Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions Team will cover the following thematic/programming areas as part of the Global Policy Network (GPN):
Conflict prevention;
Peacebuilding and reconciliation;
Preventing violent extremism (PVE);
Core government functions and local governance;
In addition, the coordination of UNDP’s overall policy engagement as it relates to prevention will be facilitated by the Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions Team.
The Team Leader for Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions is a member of both the Crisis Bureau senior management team and the GPN management team. In support of the UN’s prevention and sustaining peace agenda, s/he provides authoritative technical knowledge on conflict prevention and peacebuilding in UNDP’s Global Policy Network for a variety of development settings, including crisis and transition, and is responsible for providing leadership and substantive guidance and direction to team members at HQ, regional hubs, and global policy centers and manages the teams staff. The Team Leader provides world-class authoritative advice and technical expertise, leads advocacy and speaks authoritatively on behalf of the GPN and the organization, establishing guidelines and directing the work of the Team vis-à-vis relevant GPN teams and relevant bureaus, sister agencies, funds and programmes, academic and research entities, INGOs and governments.

The Team leader is accountable for the following functions:
Policy formulation and development;
Policy advice and programme support delivery for conflict prevention and peacebuilding;
Team management;
Partnerships, representation, advocacy and resource mobilization;
Knowledge development and management.
Duties and Responsibilities

1. Policy Formulation and Development:
Direct and substantively guide UNDP’s formulation of, engagement in and support of the UN’s global conflict prevention and sustaining peace agenda, developing integral links to the 2030 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal 16;
Provide UNDP-wide thought leadership on conflict analysis and resolution, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, reconciliation, prevention of violent extremism, core government functions and local governance in conflict and transition settings, all as integral levers to UNDP’s sustainable development policy and programming framework, and in support of the implementation of UNDP Strategic Plan;
Lead consultations on and dissemination of prevention and peacebuilding policy and programming globally, including through innovative prevention and peacebuilding approaches and partnerships;
Lead and coordinate production of relevant analysis and guidance, in close collaboration with GPN substantive and strategic policy teams on emerging issues of global significance;
Design high quality policy initiatives and research for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas, in collaboration with relevant entities;
Oversee the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation in the specific thematic area.
2. Policy Advice / Programme Support Delivery for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding:
Provide authoritative leadership, supervision, quality control and guidance to the team in their provision of policy advisory services to country offices, ensuring relevance of the services provided to country and regional context;
Ensure the timely identification and provision of world renowned expertise to ensure global recognition of the organization as an authority, source of innovation and effective knowledge hub of the global community on issues of broadly perceived importance in public discourse related to conflict and peace;
Substantively lead and co-lead with relevant UNDP and UN teams and entities joint programming, taskforces, and other processes to ensure impactful results and outcomes;
Guide the team in using integrated multi-disciplinary approaches to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards. Liaise with the Crisis Bureau Country support management team and Regional Bureaux teams to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to crisis and conflict situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices;
Liaise with external partners and the SDG Integrator Team to provide support to SDG implementation especially G16Plus implementation; SDG Accelerator labs; and MAPS missions from the thematic perspective. 
3.Team Management:
Set the direction for the team, including roles and responsibilities, accountability and reporting;
Promote a collaborative work culture in the team, in the spirit of the GPN, working in particular in full collaboration with the Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Team and the Governance Team;
Lead and manage staff in the team in the formulation and implementation of the substantive work plan of the team and oversee staff accountability;
Ensure that the technical capacity of the policy advisors and specialists managed is optimally aligned with business needs and that team members are encouraged to seek new client opportunities and amplify the value and reputation of UNDP in the thematic area;
Encourage the team to critically assess itself against emerging trends and thinking in the profession;
Ensure that Performance Assessments are carried out according to UNDP procedures;
Establish and maintain an enabling environment for staff well-being, harmonious working relationships and team-building, by promoting consistent and constructive communication, open information sharing, and coordination among all staff;
Ensure that the work of the team is conducted in accordance with relevant business processes and that high-quality outputs are delivered on time.

4. Partnerships, Representation, Advocacy and Resource mobilisation

Lead and facilitate the team’s capacity to undertake the following:

Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN and other relevant bodies and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships;
Ensure close collaboration with the UN Peace and Security Pillar, in particular with the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, especially in relation to the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention and the Climate-Security nexus initiative;
Represent the Crisis Bureau and/or GPN in UNDP’s corporate discussions, in interagency coordination and policy processes and in other fora to engage partners in advancing UNDP’s strategic agenda;
In collaboration with BERA and under the coordination of the Deputy Director, lead resource mobilization to support the delivery of UNDP results;
Advocate the importance of the Team’s thematic areas in various international fora.

5. Knowledge Development and Management:
Instill a strong culture of knowledge management and knowledge sharing in the team;
Provide substantive leadership to UNDP Communities of Practice, in particular the CoP on Governance for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies & the CoP on Crisis prevention and increased resilience;
Oversee, influence and promote the advance of policy dialogue through cross-regional exchange of knowledge and collaboration, South-South and triangular cooperation, and synthesis of knowledge emerging from the development and implementation of programmes;
Stimulate the use of innovative approaches and social media to ensure wide dissemination of positions, events, debates;
Deliver high quality intellectual leadership on UNDP’s sustainable human development, including in crisis contexts, knowledge products and services through quality assurance, strategic guidance and oversight;
Lead the capacity development of UNDP staff in application of tools and practices on the thematic.
Competencies

Core:

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.
Technical/Functional:

Primary

Crisis Governance
Knowledge of governance and peacebuilding and ability to apply in development situations.
Peacebuilding and Reconciliation:
Ability to support peace processes to facilitate recovery and development.
Conflict Prevention:
Knowledge of methods and experience of supporting communities to achieve greater inclusiveness, more civic participation and creating opportunities for upward mobility.
Core Government Functions:
Knowledge of key public administration areas and core government functionality and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations in different development situation.
Crisis Policy and Tools:
Ability to develop and implement methods and tools for crisis situations.
Substantive positioning of UNDP:
Knowledge of global institutions (such as the UN, IFIs), processes (such as G20 and various UN initiatives), good grasp of UNDP’s niche, and ability to engage and foster strong networks with those institutions.
Representation:
Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues).
Partnerships:
Ability to engage with other agencies and forge productive working relationships.
Resource Mobilization:
Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.
Advocacy:
Ability to advocate a point of view and influence others.
Knowledge Management:
Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.
Trends and emerging areas analytics:
Ability to scan the horizon and identify approaches and initiatives to bring into policy and programme design.
Required Skills and Experience

Education:
Advanced - Master’s university degree in conflict resolution, peace studies, development studies or other relevant social science disciplines.
Experience:  
15 years of professional work experience leading teams at country/regional/global levels, providing substantive policy and programming leadership and pioneering interdisciplinary approaches in conflict analysis and resolution, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, reconciliation, governance at the international level;
Strong and relevant field experience in different development contexts;
Demonstrated track-record of excellence in delivering the work programme of complex, global organizational entities in the area of conflict prevention and peacebuilding and its links to sustainable human development;
Knowledge and understanding of international crisis response architecture (including humanitarian system; peacekeeping operations; special political missions; etc.); gender equality in the context of programming in humanitarian and early recovery settings);
Proven experience working in different geographical areas, and development settings, including conflict and post-conflict environments. 
Language Requirements:  
Excellent knowledge of English, as well as writing, presentation and communication skills;
Fluency in other UN languages highly desirable.
Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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