Development Coordination Officer, Strategic Planner

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945, currently comprising 193 member states. The UN's mission is to promote peace, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security, and cooperation among nations, and to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. The UN Development System, which includes various agencies and programs, aims to support countries in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and improving the quality of life for people worldwide. The UN Resident Coordinator Offices (RCO) play a crucial role in this mission by coordinating the UN's development efforts at the country level. The UN RCO in Syria is tasked with supporting the country in achieving its development priorities and the SDGs, particularly in the context of ongoing challenges and crises.

Job Overview:
The Development Coordination Officer, Strategic Planning position is critical for providing strategic guidance to the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) and the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Syria. The role involves ensuring effective, quality, and timely UN support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through various frameworks such as the Common Country Analysis (CCA), Transitional Action Plan (TAP), and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The officer will be responsible for fostering partnerships, mobilizing resources, and coordinating business operations strategies while managing knowledge and capacity development activities. This position requires a deep understanding of the local context and the ability to adapt strategies to meet the evolving needs of the country.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic guidance to the RC and UNCT on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through CCA, TAP, and UNSDCF.
• Support external partnerships and resource mobilization efforts for TAP/UNSDCF.
• Coordinate the Business Operations Strategy and contribute to business innovations.
• Manage knowledge management and capacity development activities within and outside the UN System.
• Ensure efficient and effective substantive coordination support to the RC/UNCT, adhering to organizational policies and procedures.
• Facilitate inclusive consultations around TAP with stakeholders, ensuring national priorities are included.
• Monitor and analyze the impact of events on the UN development agenda and advance risk management efforts.
• Draft policy recommendations and strategic inputs for decision-making by the RC/UNCT.
• Lead the identification and prioritization of joint programmatic work of UN entities in response to national priorities. 1
• Facilitate coherence in intra-agency coordination bodies and support the engagement of all relevant UN entities.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a strong background in sustainable development, strategic planning, and project management. They should demonstrate the ability to analyze complex issues, conduct independent research, and draft high-quality policy papers. A commitment to gender equality and the principles of universality and leaving no one behind is essential. The ideal candidate will have experience in crisis settings and a proven track record of fostering partnerships to ensure inclusive planning processes.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in sustainable development, social sciences, education, or a related area is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in strategic planning, sustainable development policy, project/programme management, or resource mobilization in the context of development cooperation is required. Experience in crisis settings and integrated missions, as well as in fostering partnerships in fragile environments, is desirable. Candidates should also have demonstrated ability to draft quality policy papers related to development outcomes in sensitive settings.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position, as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Knowledge of Arabic is considered an advantage, as it can facilitate communication and engagement with local stakeholders. Candidates should be able to read, speak, write, and understand English fluently, while knowledge of Arabic should be at a confident level in at least two of the four areas.

Additional Notes:
This position is temporarily available for six months. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. The UN is committed to achieving gender balance in its staff and encourages female candidates to apply. The recruitment process does not involve any fees, and reasonable accommodations may be provided for applicants with disabilities. Candidates are advised to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted.