Background

The UNDP Sierra Leone’s Country Programme Document (CPD), 2025-2030, represents UNDP contributions to the National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. Developed through extensive consultations and guided by independent evaluations, the CPD seeks to reduce multidimensional poverty and enhance justice, peace, social cohesion, and resilience. One of the two pillars focuses on Inclusive governance, peace, and prosperity, embodying harmonious development, effective resource management, and equitable governance aligned with UNDP signature solutions. UNDP has recently developed its Inclusive Governance Peace and Prosperity Portfolio for 2025 -2030 around four main pillars: Pillar I – Fostering Peaceful, Credible and Inclusive Elections; Pillar 2 – Rule of Law and Human Right; Pillar 3 – Strengthening Democratic Institutions; and Pillar 4 – Strengthening Security, Peace and Social Cohesion.

These pillars seek to support an inclusive constitutional review process; promote social accountability and transparency; enhance capacities of oversight institutions, EMBs and CSOs to deliver inclusive, transparent and peaceful elections; and equip media entities to manage mis- and disinformation. It supports legal, policy and regulatory reforms; gender equality, women’s empowerment and SGBV reduction initiatives; and empower women and youth to assert their political and economic rights and participation. The country office also seeks to improve national capacities to anticipate and respond to threats to peace, security, and stability at community, national and cross-border levels; support justice and security sector reform; and enhance access to justice and the protection of human rights.

Position Purpose:

Based in the Sierra Leone country office, and under the direct supervision of the Inclusive Governance Peace and Prosperity Portfolio Team Leader, the Governance Peace and Security Specialist is responsible for growing and leading the country office work on Security, Peace and Social Cohesion in line with the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2025-2030UNDP. The incumbent will work across the Portfolio programmes, support programme integration, and ensure the development and implementation of quality projects working closely with the RCO, UN agencies, national actors and other relevant partners. The Specialist is expected to support the country office efforts to build strategic partnerships, mobilize resources, design and implement projects on governance, peace and security including the security sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

Analysis and monitoring of trends and opportunities:

• Provide strategic advice, and proposed courses of action to the Team Lead and Senior management on governance, peace and security issues;
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of national and regional developments in governance and peace and security and integrate information in support of policy development, analysis, outreach and advocacy;
• Prepare analytical reports, briefing notes, background papers, summaries, talking points and others as required by senior management;
• Establish and maintain close working contacts with key national, regional and local stakeholders from government, non-government, inter government and UN agencies to build and strengthen strategic alliances and partnerships on governance, peace and security issues and initiatives;
• Represent UNDP at inter-governmental, national and regional meetings on governance and peace and security issues, as requested by the Team lead and Senior Management;
• Work closely with colleagues in the Inclusive Governance Peace and Prosperity Portfolio to identify promising practices, technical expertise, and strategic opportunities for addressing governance, peace and security issues in Sierra Leone.

Programme development and technical support:

• Promote coordination and participation in joint activities with various stakeholders to work collaboratively in governance and peace and security in the country office such as: the UNRCO, UN agencies, relevant government stakeholders, civil society and inter-governmental organizations;
• Work closely with colleagues in the IGPP Portfolio and country office to develop and implement programmes at the local and national level on the area of governance, peace and security, including conflict prevention, mediation, social cohesion, reconciliation, security sector reform and governance transitional justice, justice and security sector reform, climate security, WPS and YPS national action plans, among others;
• Support the country office to provide technical assistance, capacity building and training to the government and other relevant actors on governance peace and security issues;
• Support the integration of conflict sensitivity in the country office programmes;
• Ensure effective mainstreaming of gender and inclusion in the portfolio governance, peace and security programme;
• Technical support to the UNRCO on governance, peace and security issues.

Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships and mobilize resources:

• Support the building of strategic alliances and partnerships to develop national strategies, plans and initiatives on governance, peace and security;
• Maintain close liaison with relevant donors, national and regional entities and other actors such as peacebuilding/peacekeeping institutions, national and regional networks, think tanks and academic institutions supporting efforts on governance, peace and security;
• Technical support for the country office resource mobilization efforts including developing concept notes and project proposals on governance, peace and security initiatives.

Knowledge management and reporting:

• Manage the process of compiling reports and lessons learned on governance, peace and security and contribute to country office knowledge management efforts;
• Collect information at the local level to input to into national and regional reports on governance, peace and security;
• Facilitate exchange of best practices and lessons learned with regional Governance, Peace and Security teams and relevant units.

Leadership and management:

• Establish the work plan/s in line with the UNDP AWP and set objectives, performance measurements, standards and expected results in collaboration and discussion with the Team Lead;
• Assess and provide feedback on work progress to ensure delivery of results according to performance standards, overall objectives and accountability framework;
• Support other priorities of the portfolio, as assigned by the supervisor;
• Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the portfolio and country office;
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

CORE

• 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: Strategic Thinking

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions;
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

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 Development: Knowledge Facilitation

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

Business Management : Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals

Business Management: Communication

• Ability to 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.

Partnership management: Relationship Management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences, International Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Politics, Gender, Peace & Women Studies or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in international development with a focus on governance, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, gender/WPS, security is required.

Required Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of governance, peace and social cohesion, security sector engagement, gender and inclusion in the context of governance, peace and security programming in peace.

Desired Skills

• Experience working with UNDP or other UN agencies or other regional and international organizations supporting governance, peace and security programmes is desired;
• Experience in a post conflict and elections related programming will be an added advantage;
• Experience with developing countries is highly desirable;
• Experience on gender and inclusion is an advantage;
• People management, capacity building, partnership and networking experience is desired;
• Conflict analysis, strategic planning, resource mobilization, and policy advocacy experience is desired.

Language Requirement

• Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required.

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.

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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