Economist (Open to all applicants)

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

Political and socioeconomic conditions for a two-State solution deteriorated through 2025. Internationally, support for a two-State solution grew, including the UN General Assembly’s endorsement in September 2025 of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, with the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution tasked to carry it forward. The AHLC — the principal strategic policy-level mechanism for coordinating development assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territory — reinforced political commitments and financial pledges in support of the Palestinian Authority. UNSCR 2803 (2025) endorsed the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict and provided for a transitional Board of Peace and an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to stabilize Gaza and lead recovery and reconstruction until full governance transitions to the Palestinian Authority. 

Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator (UNSCO) is recruiting dedicated economic and  analytical support to: (i) inform and support the development of a transitional programming framework and its sub-elements including the identification of strategic initiatives relating to economic, financial, and private sector; (ii) strengthen the risk framework, political economy and conflict analysis underpinning strategic planning and the implementation of UN mandates; and (iii) contribute to AHLC research, reporting and engagement on socio-economic and financial issues including the administrative relationship between Israel and Palestine. Across all three areas, the Economist will pioneer the use of generative AI and related digital tools to accelerate data analysis, foresight, costing, and reporting, and strengthen the evidence base for transitional planning and senior leadership decision-making in areas related to economic and fiscal matters.

Position Purpose 

The position is located in the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator (UNSCO) in Jerusalem and reports to the Chief of Coordination Unit / Head of RCO.

The Economist will conduct political economy and related risk analysis and support UNSCO and the UNCT to develop a strategic planning framework to contribute towards the implementation of UNSCO and the UNCT’s development mandate.  As part of this role, the Economist will apply advanced AI analytical tools. 

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.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead development of programming framework including the Common Country Analysis (CCA), results framework, financing framework, and monitoring and impact reporting framework.

• Conduct socioeconomic analysis, foresight and horizon scanning, and coordinates the development of transitional strategic planning. Establishes analytical workflows — for data collection, scenario modeling, foresight, costing, and drafting using AI— to accelerate the design and continuous updating of the CCA, results framework, financing framework, and M&E framework, while ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
• Provide substantive economic and analytical support using relevant analytical tools, for the design of a transitional programming framework, monitoring and impact reporting framework.
• Lead development of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for a revised programming framework, including the results chain, baselines, data sources and reporting, and key indicators including institutional strengthening and capacity building benchmarks. 
• Advise and support the design of a financing framework; maps financing needs, flows and instruments across humanitarian, recovery and development efforts and public, private and blended sources; and aligns with the United Nations Horizon Fund and related recovery frameworks.
• Advise and support the development and review of UN joint programmes for recovery related to economic and financing issues.
• Research, develop and present policy papers, guidance notes, briefing materials and analytical inputs, to advance policy dialogue on political economy, employment and livelihoods, and financial issues.

Develop and maintain a risk framework, political economy and conflict analysis to inform UN engagement, recovery planning and senior leadership decision-making.

• Use generative AI and related tools to maintain and update damage assessments and damage and recovery and reconstruction needs analysis – including detailed costing and sequencing. Serves as the UNSCO lead for EU-WB-UN joint crisis assessment (i.e. RDNA) work.
• Develop and maintain a risk framework for identifying, categorizing and assessing risks with associated mitigation measures and early-warning indicators.
• Conduct political economy, financial, and employment analysis including mapping key actors and by conducting horizon scanning using open source, KII and related sources. Assesses and highlights development trade-offs, risk factors and early-warning indicators that may undermine the achievement of SDG targets, and the UN’s programming, and proposes appropriate measures to address them;
• Provide risk and political-economy inputs to senior leadership decision-making, to system-wide reporting on the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and to inform planning. 

Manage Adhoc Liaison Committee (AHLC ) issues, research and engagement

• Coordinate the drafting of the biannual UNSCO report to the AHLC, including the analysis of data and provision of evidence to build the case for related policies and interventions.
• Lead research and analysis on priority AHLC issues linked to political economic developments and the administrative relationship between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
• Provide substantive support to the formulation of strategic programmes and initiatives that address AHLC issues with a strong investment orientation, ensuring alignment with national priorities and Palestinian institutions.
• Advice and support UNSCO’s engagement with international and local financial institutions, economic institutions, civil society, member states, on AHLC related issues.
• Oversee the implementation, planning, and reporting of Norway’s extra-budgetary support to UNSCO including annual planning, reporting, and coordination of implementation.

Lead policy advice to counterparts and knowledge management on economic and development issues.

• Facilitate policy dialogue on economic issues with the partners, civil society, private sector; and contribute to development of policies as relevant. 
• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. 
• Assess the country’s economic policies and strategies for their impact on poverty reduction, and inclusive and sustainable growth, etc. 
• Provide training and capacity building support for UNSCO staff, Government officials and public institutions on economic and development issues

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None 

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

• 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

Business Management-Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Digital-Data governance: Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies.

Business Management-Communication: Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

2030 Agenda: People-Gender: Gender Equality and Institutional Transformation 

Partnership Management-Strategic engagement: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.

Digital- Innovation capacity building: Ability to define and create the conditions for trying out new ways of working or introducing new problem solving approaches to an organisation. Ability to develop, manage andevaluate a learning curriculum that raises awareness, builds confidence, strengthens innovation capabilities around a certain method, tool or technique; or helps develop an innovation mindset. Ability to create the authorizing environment (mandate, incentives) to embed and spread new ways of working. In-depth knowledge of one or more innovation methods, broad knowledge of innovation processes and innovation management. Ability to align a learning and development strategy with broader innovation strategy.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent degree) in Economics, Sustainable Development, Public Policy, Business or Public Administration, Social Sciences or related area is required, Or 
•  A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively relevant experience at the national or international level in economic analysis, sustainable development policy or project / programme management in the context of conflict and post-conflict recovery planning is required.
• At least five years of experience with the United Nations or an International Financial Institution in a complex internal conflict and/or occupation context is required.
• At least two years of experience leading UN country level engagement on joint-EU-WB-UN crisis assessments, such as RDNA, in a conflict context is required.
• Experience with strategic aid coordination as part of a peace process is required.
• At least five years of experience in political economy and/or conflict analysis in transition, post-conflict or fragile settings is desirable.
• Experience in the design of results and monitoring and evaluation frameworks and/or recovery financing frameworks (e.g. INFF) is desirable.
• Experience advising senior management on sustainable development, economic/fiscal, conflict economics, and political economy matters is desirable.
• Experience deploying generative AI and/or advanced data-analytics tools to support economic analysis, foresight, or reporting is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English language is required. 
• Knowledge of Arabic is 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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.