The position:
Under the supervision of the Director, Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships (DCS), the Chief of the UNFPA Representation Office in Brussels serves as UNFPA’s most senior Representative in Brussels and in close coordination with DCS/RMB has overall responsibilities for managing UNFPA relations with all relevant entities of the European Union and the Organization for European Co-operation and Development (OECD), and particularly supporting the Fund’s relationship with Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Netherlands.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
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 that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
Within the goal to deliver on the three transformative results contained in the UNFPA Strategic Plan, and ultimately on the ICPD and the 2030 Agenda, the renewed architecture of Representation Offices is aimed at strengthening advocacy and partnerships capacities of UNFPA.
The Chief of the UNFPA Representation Office in Brussels will represent UNFPA and proactively engage with the European Union institutions, the Organization for European Co-operation and Development (OECD) and partner organizations in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, as well as other relevant partners, to advance collaboration with UNFPA on issues of common interest, including the integration of the ICPD agenda in regional frameworks and the regional and global development agendas and the implementation of those agendas and relevant continental instruments, especially those on population, youth, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Support the implemetation of UNFPA’s Strategic Plan globally through a focus on partnerships including resource mobilization and the development, implementation and monitoring of respective elements within the country engagement strategies for Team Europe and Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Requirements:
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree in one or more 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:
● 15 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in public administration and international development of which at least 8 years in the field of population and development at the international level;
● Job knowledge and technical expertise –up-to-date knowledge of issues of population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender, and their place in the development agenda; strong knowledge of human rights, global health and humanitarian affairs an asset.
● Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results;
● Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing in English;
● Strong interpersonal skills, strong public speaking skills; excellent speech writing and report writing skills;
● Field experience with UNFPA an asset;
● Strong interest in development work, especially in the mission of the United Nations Population Fund and dedication to the principles of the United Nations;
● Familiarity with intergovernmental processes, as well as the key European Institutions and their mandates and areas of work.
● Initiative, sound judgment, analytical and political acumen;
● Excellent knowledge of donor community and innovative fundraising skills;
● Knowledge of the European media and how to mobilize it.
Languages:
● Proficiency in English is required; working knowledge in French an asset.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
