Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

• Tier 1: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed term (FTA) appointments (defined as “internal” candidates) 
• Tier 2: UNDP/ UNCDF/ UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA) and personnel on regular PSA contracts
• Tier 3: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background

UNDP’s Country Programme supports Jordan’s efforts in further developing a more inclusive and resilient nation to deliver on national priorities and commitments to the 2030 Agenda. The Jordan Country Office Programme is focused on the following Unit Priorities: Environment, Renewable Energy and Climate change, SDG impact, Governance and Peace (including PVE and Social Cohesion). 

The Country Office is trying to address the main development challenges, mainly the shortage of water and energy resources, climate change, desertification, poverty, and unemployment, weak Financial Literacy, weak women's contribution to the labor market and in decision-making positions, weak youth empowerment, high refugees’ presence within host communities, weak decentralized government, violent extremism, weak institutional capacities at national and local levels, data availability challenges. 

The new 2023-2027 CPD takes a Portfolio approach toward a more responsive and impactful programme. The CPD identified 3 portfolios: Prosperous and Productive people, Green and Safe future pathways, and Holistic and transformative systems and capacities.

The Country Office has undertaken a Portfolio Initiation exercise (PIF) as a learning experience towards establishing portfolios and moving into the design of a new proposition that cuts across existing CO teams. The PIF is aimed at addressing the inconsistency between the Strategic Plan’s stated intent of “moving to portfolios” and the current practice driven by a projectized logic (and UNDP’s business model driven by that logic).

The CO has 51 categorized projects, ideas, and prototypes, of which 15 projects cover Prosperous and Productive people, and 21 cover Green and Safe future pathways, contributing to 70% of the CO Programme.

UNDP Jordan’s shift to portfolios is seen as a continuum; in other words, the CO will continue to deliver projects, but will increasingly plan, align & manage them as portfolios. The portfolio way of working allows UNDP to position itself as a go-to partner for developing new value propositions that are coherent with the scale & scope of complex, systemic issues.

Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative (RR) and the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR), the Programme Specialist leads the CO efforts to ensure the achievement of the country programme results and provision of thought leadership and strategic positioning on a Portfolio addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy, environmental sustainability and sustainable natural resources management, biodiversity, resilience building, and recovery, waste management, biodiversity, desertification, water, blue economy, green business development, aid-effectiveness, climate financing, and support to civil society focusing on youth and gender and other cross-thematic problematics. 

Success in achieving results for this portfolio relies on developing strong national and international partnerships with a wide range of diverse stakeholders. The Programme Specialist is responsible for mobilizing joint advocacy, expertise, and resources across UNDP global and regional initiatives in these fields, engaging with global and regional networks, and connecting with cooperating partners, academia, NGOs, and the private sector in involving them to successfully implement UNDP programmes in these fields. They will act as the thought leaders in their area of expertise in various fora, including UNDP support for UN coherence and a stronger UN Development System (UNDS) in Jordan.

The Programme Specialist will serve as the focal point for partnership management and resource mobilization as well as the development, implementation, and management of the UNDP/Jordan programme for the Sustainable Green Pathways.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Programme Specialist will lead the Sustainable Green Pathways and teams and will be responsible for shaping the Portfolio offer introduced in the CPD (2023-2027). The Specialist will work with other team leaders to align and approach to address the development challenges UNDP addresses in its programme, and will work on advocacy, communicating results, and resource mobilizations for the Sustainable Green Pathways and. 

The Programme Specialist will introduce a Portfolio approach that implies understanding issues from a system’s perspective and leveraging linkages across interventions to achieve broader goals to generate a continuous supply of options over time to help deliver strategic development impact when facing a challenge of system transformation. 

The function requires a mix of top subject matter specialization, the ability to apply systems and foresight approach in developing analysis and policy advice, and the aptitude to manage complex processes with strong relationship-building and problem-solving abilities. The incumbent leads the programme priorities of the Portfolio and contributes to the implementation of shared office priorities in programme.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

Provide strategic leadership and overall management of the Jordan Country Office Programme and ensure continuous learning for team members

• Oversee Programme implementation to achieve the delivery of programme outcomes (planning, implementation, quality monitoring & closure).
• Monitor the Programme substantively and financially to ensure the efficient and timely delivery of inputs and the realization of the targeted expenditure/delivery rate and Resource mobilization, and provide periodic assessments of the realisation of objectives and results under the guidance of the DRR.
• Conceptualize and recommend policy innovations to improve programme delivery.
• Ensure that Programme financial management including contracts, payments, financial revisions, monitoring, and reporting is done in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Address risks and escalate risks and challenges (as needed) during programme implementation.
• Engage with government and development partners on strategic policy discussions related to UNDP Jordan Programme.
• Participate in national, regional, and global for a on behalf of UNDP Jordan.
• Undertake detailed analysis of issues (potentially) hampering Programme implementation and make concrete recommendations to UNDP JO senior management.
• Provide technical and managerial oversight to consultants, including ensuring quality and timely delivery of expected results.
• Ensure a cross-practice approach within Programme pillars/Portfolios.
• Ensure climate considerations and green economy are embedded in all programme interventions and ensure innovative financing tools are applied in coordination with the CO economists.
• Ensure that UNDP Programming is gender sensitive.
• Establish standardized office best practices (including effective electronic and paper filing systems, communications, and delineation of responsibilities).
• Identify and develop talent in individuals, providing positive support to enable them to achieve their potential.
• Foster learning or development of team members by providing feedback, guidance, and supporting the career development of others.
• Oversee the day-to-day work of the team and, where necessary, identify areas for improvement; monitor team members’ and advisers’ performance in their area of responsibility and provide input into performance management matters.

Coordinate, strengthen, guide and monitor Sustainable Green Pathways programming, policy development, thought leadership and knowledge management ensuring alignment with UNDP’s Strategic Plan and the UN Cooperation Framework

• Provide policy guidance and thought leadership applying systems thinking, UNDP’s NextGen Sustainable Green Pathways, and subject matter specialization.
• Coordinate and conduct analysis of data, case evidence, and research findings to distill relevant lessons from projects and programmes to inform portfolio design, policy formulation and guidance.
• Conduct relevant analysis and guidance and provide technical policy advice and programme support documents that respond to country office needs.
• Support the country office in integrating policy advice in-country programme frameworks and projects as it relates, inequalities, and the achievement of sustainable development.
• Provide Quality Assurance to ensure alignment with development policies, norms and standards, and foster policy innovation in 
• Create methods for reviewing policy services in the area of Sustainable Green Pathways and assessing policy success, as well as communicate these methods to other country offices and regions.
• Contribute to the development and review of Position papers, and knowledge products through analyzing and sharing lessons learned, best practices, and programme evaluation results.
• Ensures effective programme/project design, development, and programme management in the areas, resilience to climate change and sustainable management of ecosystems/environment, and oversight of GEF, GCF, and GFCR projects, and other projects’ delivery.
• Ensure result-based management approaches and tools are effectively applied, establish programme performance targets and monitor achievement of programme results in the Portfolio areas of practice. 
• Ensure timely and quality implementation of all projects under the Sustainable Green Pathways for achievement of annual delivery targets of the portfolio. 
• Review and quality assure all project Annual Work Plans (AWPs) including Human Resource (HR), Procurement plan, monitoring plan, risk log, and communications plan to ensure alignment with project documents and projects multi-year work plan.
• Design and formulate of CO programme interventions within the area of responsibility and translating UNDP priorities into local interventions. 
• Review Terms of References (TORs) for experts, vendors, and partners and provide input to the recruitment and hiring process as needed.
• Ensure specialized trainings to team members in areas related to their work are provided.
• Ensure high level quality donor reports are prepared according to the donor requirements and up to UNDP standards.

Ensures effective implementation of programme strategies 

• Thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to main UN-UNDP planning and programming documents such as the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and UNDP Country Programme Document.
• Identify and develop areas for UNDP support and interventions within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned.
• Contribute to thorough analysis and research for policy advisory services that aim to support the government in planning and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of mitigation and adaptation measures to combat climate change and to promote sustainable management of ecosystems/environment. Development of policy and institutional strategies for effective and efficient implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at national and sub-national level, including their financing.
• Seek and apply new and innovative approaches to programme design and implementation with a view to accelerating the country’s achievement of SDGs.
• Keep abreast of regional and global experience in implementation of SDGs and seek ways to apply them in the areas relevant to this portfolio.
• Contribute to continuous improvements in Country Office business processes and internal Standard Operating Procedures for improved results management and programme implementation.

Contribute to pipeline development resource mobilization, communicating results , knowledge sharing and advocacy

• Provide methodological support for the design and implementation of knowledge capture, and the incorporation of lessons learned and best practices into the design and development of project proposals/policy briefs/concept notes for submission to donors.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Undertake research for partnership building and resource mobilization, develop drafts of papers and projects/programmes proposals, and provide substantive inputs to senior management.
• Conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders to understand stakeholder concerns and expectations for project design and formulation especially on addressing accountability and transparency mechanisms, protection, social cohesion, and institutional development.
• Prepares speeches, talking points, and other inputs for presentations by senior management.
• Ensure the development of the various communication products in close cooperation with the UNDP communication officer, ensuring that resilience dimensions are well reflected and linked across various practice areas and SDG.
• Lead knowledge Management for the Sustainable Green Pathways, including identification of lessons learned and good practices.
• Ensure visibility of good practices and programme results at regional and global levels.
• Ensure that UNDP development results are documented and communicated and the organization’s success stories are shared.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The Programme Specialist will lead a team covering different areas of practice; this includes NOAs, NOBs Analysts, associates, IPSA and NPSA staff, UNVs/IUNVs, and interns, in addition to managing national and international consultants.

Competencies

Expected Demonstration of Competencies:

Core Competencies

• 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 & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy

• System 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
• Effective Decision Making     
  • Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.

2030 Agenda: Planet

• Nature 
  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme: Biodiversity Mainstreaming
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery        
  • Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Risk Management

Business Development

• Knowledge Facilitation
  • Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

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

2030 Agenda: Partnerships

• SDG Integration:
  • South-South and Triangular Cooperation knowledge sharing

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental Sciences, Management, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) 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, Knowledge, and Skills

• A minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible work experience in programme/project management, financial resources management, and/or administrative functions is required.
• Extensive experience in project/programme oversight, management, and/or coordination is required.
• Experience supporting climate change programmes at the global and/or regional level and familiarity with climate workstreams (mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, green recovery, the Paris Agreement, etc.) is required.
• Proven track record of Solid understanding of abiding by donor requirements for global and regional programming is required.
• Proven experience in managing GEF and GCF and other global funds projects is required.
• Demonstrated experience in government and Civil Society governance structures at the national and local levels is required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems and databases is required.
• Good knowledge of the UN/UNDP system and in-depth knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures, and practices is desired.
• Demonstrated experience in developing tools and methodologies to follow up on projects and/or increase operational efficiency is desired.
• Knowledge or experience in risk management is desired.
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems (Quantum) is an advantage.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Arabic is required.
• Working knowledge of other UN languages 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.

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