Overview
The Resident Coordinator (RC) is the highest-ranking representative of the United Nations development system at the country level, responsible for leading UN country teams and ensuring system-wide accountability for the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and coordinating UN support for the 2030 Agenda.
Key Responsibilities
- Represents the UN at the highest levels of state and fosters engagement with Government, civil society, and partners to advance the 2030 Agenda.
- Leads the UN country team in the development, monitoring, and reporting on the UN Cooperation Framework.
- Coordinates UN system-wide support to Government, identifying and mitigating risks to SDG achievement.
- Supports and advocates for the work of UNCT member agencies and supports Country Representatives.
- Coordinates UN entities’ contributions to context and trend analysis, including a Common Country Analysis.
- Promotes and advocates for UN Charter values, human rights, gender equality, and the SDG commitment to leave no one behind.
- Engages, convenes, and forges strategic partnerships with diverse entities around UN's collective support to the 2030 Agenda.
- Advances regional knowledge-sharing and collaboration, south-south and triangular exchanges, and multi-country initiatives.
- Identifies and leverages expertise and assets from across the UN development system to improve shared results and address SDG coverage gaps.
- Provides governance and oversight of system-wide country financing instruments and pursues funding for joint UN efforts.
- Leads continued engagement on and pursuance of the UN’s normative agenda in support of national capacity development.
- Fosters an enabling environment for collaboration, knowledge and data gathering, analysis, and sharing practices.
- Facilitates access to national, regional, and global resources to advance innovation in financing and new technologies for sustainable development.
- Leads and enhances strategic communication that advances UN system efforts and collective results to promote the 2030 Agenda.
- When appointed as Designated Official, ensures effective coordination of country-level security and is accountable for the security of UN personnel, premises, and assets.
- Promotes and nurtures staff learning and the implementation of staff rules and policies.
- Where the RC is the highest UN official, has system-wide responsibility for developing collective protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) strategies and ensuring action plans are implemented.
- Manages a matrixed dual reporting system with UN country team heads regarding their contributions to UN Cooperation Framework objectives and collective results.
- Advances country-specific measures to promote UN common business operations.
- In contexts where international humanitarian assistance is required and a separate Humanitarian Coordinator is not designated, leads and coordinates response efforts and facilitates linkages between humanitarian and development programming.
- In conflict and post-conflict settings, facilitates the integration of the UN Country Team’s work with UN peacekeeping or political missions.
- Manages and provides strategic guidance and oversight to the Resident Coordinators Office.
Required Experience
- Over 15 years of substantive experience and results in leadership roles at the international level is required.
- Including five years of cumulative experience in diplomacy, political affairs and peacebuilding, development, human rights, rule of law or humanitarian work at country level outside of one's own country.
- Proven ability to effectively coordinate and lead the work of a large UNCT or similar integrated country/regional networks in a complex country context.
- Previous RC experience is required. Senior-level inter-agency coordination experience may be considered in lieu of RC experience.
- Solid experience in coordinating effectively with multiple stakeholders, national authorities, national and international partners, is desirable.
- Solid experience in the management and/or coordination of multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance operations and preparedness efforts at the country level and preferably in a multilateral and complex context, is desirable.
- Representational and negotiation experience, including humanitarian advocacy at national and international level, is desirable.
- HC Pool membership is desirable.
- Previous experience as a senior official with accountability for security or previous experience in security decision-making in a complex environment is desirable.
- Strong political acumen with proven ability to understand complex multi-level power dynamics, identify and forge access to strategic entry points/stakeholders and navigate a complex political and security environment, particularly in a major regional country, is desirable.
- Extensive experience accessing and engaging to work effectively with high level government officials, senior diplomats, and regional/subregional and other organisations in countries with complex governance and political systems is desirable.
- Demonstrated ability to provide insightful political analysis to senior officials and identify socio-political and security developments that could warrant preventive action, including in electoral contexts, is desirable.
Qualifications
Master's degree – or equivalent post graduate qualification – in development studies, international relations, political science, economics, social sciences, human rights, law or closely related fields (for otherwise suitably qualified candidates, a first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced post graduate university degree).
