The Position:

The Deputy Representative plays the leading role in the design and delivery of the UNFPA population and development and sexual and reproductive health country programme. Through building alliances and partnerships with governments, UN and bilateral agencies, development partners, civil society, academia and the private sector, the programme aims to realize the 2030 Agenda in order to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of people; especially those furthest behind. You are also responsible for day-to-day operations of the Cameroon Country Office, including supervising assigned country office staff.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies. 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.
 

Job Purpose:

Under the guidance of the Representative, you play a leading role in strengthening Cameroon's capacity to implement the ICPD Programme of Action, supporting national development efforts to achieve the SDGs, and ensuring national ownership. You are accountable for the effective development and management of an innovative Country Programme of Cooperation focused on population and development and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including maternal health, family planning, gender, and adolescent and youth empowerment. You are responsible for promoting, at the national level, the goals of the programme and ensuring the integration of issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the broader national development agenda. Through engagement with national counterparts, compelling advocacy, and delivery of effective programmes, including in emergency settings, you serve on the frontline, validating the mandate of the organization and its ability to deliver high quality results. Your ultimate accountability is to the people that you serve; the most vulnerable, excluded, or marginalized and for the causes that you serve; human rights, sustainable development and humanitarian relief.

You would be responsible for:

A. Programme Leadership

• Develop, manage and monitor the Country Programme, in line with the strategic plan and on the basis of demographic, socio-economic data and national population policies,
• Assess and address implications of national trends on UNFPA work in the country
• Expand on the range of UNFPA’s portfolio; develop new programme options in UNFPA’s mandate area;
• Feedback country specificities on policy, procedures and lessons learned to the RO/SRO for the development of the global/regional strategic plan;
• Oversee technical assistance to partners and stakeholders in the country
• Establish quality standards for project development and delivery
• Where relevant, prioritise the formulation and execution of responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and humanitarian emergencies

B. National Capacity Development

• Implement a strategy for capacity building within the context of the global strategy; provide technical, material, financial and political support to strengthen national capacity on programmes
• Facilitate capacity building of national staff by devolving authority for portfolio management; guide programme implementation with substantive oversight and effective programme representation
• Create an enabling environment for the implementation of the ICPD agenda
• Create/improve national capacities to monitor, evaluate and learn from capacity development initiatives
• Foster knowledge sharing and innovative thinking in the country office, country and region

C. Partnership and Advocacy

• Pursue innovative ways to maintain and create new partnerships with government counterparts, civil society, the private sector, the UN community, other national organizations, academia and bilaterals on national priorities
• Advocate for ICPD agenda with national institutions and other UN agencies represented at the national level;
• Promote South-South cooperation for the achievement of ICPD goals
• Maintain a continuous flow of information with government and donors
• Advocate for organizational goals with national counterparts and within the United Nations system as part of coordinated development activities to align organizational goals with national priorities;
• Participate in the UN Common Country Assessment and the UN Development
• Assistance Framework exercises in the country as part of broader UN Reform initiatives

D. Management of resources

• Support the UNFPA Representative in the management of the Country Office including formulation of annual work plans and monitoring implementation through consultations and field visits
• Support the design and implementation of a resource mobilization and partnership strategy; securing and using mobilised funds and budget allocations for the country programme
• Support the Representative in the management of staff, providing them with direction and motivation; fostering empowerment, learning and career management
• Demonstrate performance appraisal and transparent leadership approaches that support a culture of growth and development, where good performance is incentivized and underperformers are held to account
• Set standards of performance, and assign responsibilities for achieving results according to the Country Office Strategic Information System
• Provide support to JPOs on career issues and advise managers on the JPO programme
• Support the development of a strategic plan for UNFPA’s humanitarian and preparedness actions in-country
• Support the staff safety by driving compliance with Minimum Operating Security Standards (MOSS) and Minimum Operational Residential Security Standards (MORSS)

Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Country Representative.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:  

Postgraduate university degree in any of the following disciplines: Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in public administration and international development including programme designing, appraising and management; of which at least 8 years in the field of population and development, sexual and reproductive health or humanitarian at the international level
• Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organizational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities
• Experience at national and international level in advocacy and policy dialogue
• Excellent media/communication skills to foster engaged partnerships and to maintain political partnerships in the assigned country
• Proven ability to lead teams to achieve demonstrable and high quality results
• Experience in international development, particularly in the mandate of UNFPA and dedication to the principles of the United Nations;
• Field experience is essential; experience from a developing, humanitarian context is an asset.

Languages: 

Fluency in English and French is required.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

Exemplifying integrity, 

Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 

Embracing cultural diversity, 

Embracing change

 

Core Competencies: 

Achieving results,

Being accountable,

Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,

Thinking analytically and strategically,

Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Managerial Competencies:

• Providing strategic focus,
• Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,
• Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance,
• Making decisions and exercising judgment

UN Leadership Characteristics:

• Norm-based - grounded in UN norms and standards
• Principled - defends norms and standards without discrimination, fear or favour
• Inclusive of all personnel and stakeholders
• Accountable
• Multi-dimensional
• Transformational
• Collaborative
• Self-applied - modeled in our own behaviour

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.