Data and Foresight Analyst

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency focused on delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Established in 1969, UNFPA operates in over 150 countries and has a mission to promote the right of every woman, man, and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. The organization works towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, with a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending unmet needs for family planning, preventing maternal deaths, eliminating gender-based violence, and adapting to demographic changes through evidence-based policies. UNFPA emphasizes the importance of principled and ethical staff who embody international norms and standards, and who are committed to delivering high-impact results in a rapidly changing development landscape.

Job Overview:
The Data and Foresight Analyst plays a crucial role in supporting UNFPA's activities by generating real-time insights, conducting trend analysis, and providing strategic foresight in the areas of population and development, reproductive health, and gender programming. This position is essential for guiding and facilitating the effective delivery of UNFPA's programs. The analyst will be responsible for monitoring results achieved during implementation, ensuring the appropriate application of systems and procedures, and developing enhancements as required. The role requires a strong analytical mindset, the ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights, and the capacity to communicate findings effectively to various stakeholders. The Data and Foresight Analyst will report directly to the Deputy Representative and will collaborate closely with program, policy, and innovation teams to embed foresight and analytics into project design and evaluation.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Data Analytics and Insights Generation: The analyst will compile and analyze information for country program formulation, draft project documents, work plans, and statistical data. They will design and manage data collection, cleaning, integration, and analysis pipelines, conduct advanced statistical analysis, predictive modeling, and scenario simulations to derive actionable insights. The role includes visualizing data through dashboards, reports, and interactive tools, ensuring data quality and integrity, and leading the design and execution of analytics processes. The analyst will also explore opportunities for applied statistical and operations research to assess validity and impact, linking quantitative forecasting with qualitative foresight data.
• Strategic Foresight and Trend Analysis: The analyst will scan global, regional, and local environments for emerging trends and disruptions, facilitate the development of plausible future scenarios, and support anticipatory action and long-term planning by synthesizing foresight outputs into strategic recommendations.
• Knowledge Translation and Capacity Building: The analyst will translate complex data and foresight outputs into accessible insights for internal stakeholders and partners, build foresight literacy and data capability among staff, document best practices, and support the development of skills and technological capacities for using data analytics in planning.
• Collaboration and Technical Support: The analyst will work closely with program, policy, and innovation teams, liaise with external partners, provide technical inputs to strategy development processes, and coordinate work with thematic specialists and consultants.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced degree in public health, population, demography, gender studies, development studies, or related social science fields, along with ICT/Computing/applied sciences studies. A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience in development and population activities is required, preferably in program/project management. Experience should include policy development, negotiation, and coordination with various sectors, including government, private sector, international agencies, and civil society. Familiarity with conflict sensitivity approaches and programming is an asset. Proficiency in tools such as Power BI, Tableau, ArcGIS, Excel, Python/R, and KoboToolbox is essential, along with the ability to work with spatial data and conduct geospatial intelligence using tools like QGIS and Google Earth Engine.

Educational Background:
An advanced degree in relevant fields such as public health, population studies, demography, gender studies, development studies, or other related social sciences is required. Additionally, studies in ICT, computing, or applied sciences are necessary to support the analytical and technical aspects of the role.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least 2 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of development and population activities, with a strong emphasis on program/project management. This experience should encompass policy development, negotiation, and coordination with various stakeholders, including government entities, private sector organizations, international agencies, and civil society groups. Experience in conflict-sensitive programming is considered an asset, as is familiarity with advanced analytical tools and methodologies.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an advantage, particularly in regions where UNFPA operates, as it can enhance communication and collaboration with diverse stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package, including a competitive net salary, health insurance, and other applicable benefits. UNFPA promotes a work environment that reflects values of gender equality, diversity, integrity, and a healthy work-life balance. The organization is committed to ensuring gender parity and encourages applications from women, individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA emphasizes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation, and selection for all candidates, regardless of personal characteristics.