Background:

As the ongoing conflict continues to impact millions of women and girls, UNFPA’s Country Programme for 2025-2029 (CPD) is emphasizing human capital development, demographic resilience, and social cohesion, integrating a comprehensive humanitarian response with recovery initiatives. The CPD underscores the importance of a nexus approach, ensuring that short-term humanitarian actions lay the groundwork for sustainable development and long-term recovery.

The Position:

The Representative leads a complex country programme and country offices’ teams in the design and implementation of population and development, gender based violence prevention and response and sexual and reproductive health programmes in a humanitarian-development-peace and security nexus context. Through 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.

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. 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; 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:

Under the guidance of the Regional Director, you will lead the Ukraine Country team in the development, management and implementation 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 will also lead a comprehensive Humanitarian Programme across the country to respond to the ongoing humanitarian situation.

You are accountable for the effective implementation of the Country Programme, playing the lead role in promoting the mandate of the organization, and ensuring the integration of mandate-related issues in the broader national development agenda. Through engagement with national counterparts, UN Country Teams, compelling advocacy and communication, and delivery of effective programmes, including a complex humanitarian response, you serve on the frontline of the organization, validating both the mandate of the organization and its ability to deliver high-quality support and 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) Strategic direction, planning, and management;

• Lead the positioning of UNFPA on strategic issues related to the ICPD Agenda based on global, regional, and national policies and strategies,
• Lead and coordinate the development and implementation of a strategic and comprehensive humanitarian response.
• Build institutional relationships with government counterparts, civil society, the private sector, the UN community, other international/national organizations, academia, and bilaterals that galvanize support for UNFPA’s mandate
• Promote UNFPA’s role in national development agendas, and in the changing national development environment, and consequently establish priorities for the Country Office in line with national, regional, and global UNFPA corporate priorities,
• Ensure policies, programming tools, state-of-the-art knowledge, and sound business practices are incorporated into UNFPA country programme delivery

(B) Management of resources;

• Manage international and national staff, providing them with strategic direction and motivation; fostering empowerment, learning and career management
• Demonstrate transparent leadership and undertake effective performance management approaches that support a culture of growth and development,
• Facilitate UNFPA’s ability to attract and retain expertise and talent tailored to the Country programme in response to national priorities,
• Set standards of performance, and assign responsibilities for achieving results according to the Country Offices Strategic Information Systems
• Drive the formulation and implementation of  comprehensive resource mobilization and partnership strategies including donor relations and effective mobilization of funds; securing and efficiently using mobilized funds and assigned budget allocations for the country programmes
• Ensure the safety, security and well-being of staff by driving compliance with Minimum Operating Security Standards (MOSS) and Minimum Operational Residential Security Standards (MORSS)

(C) Programme leadership and representation;

• Guided by the prevailing national landscape, provide UNFPA senior management with relevant advice to guide UNFPA country programming within the broader UN system,
• Provide leadership in the development and execution of the organization’s country-level policy dialogue and programme, including delivery of technical assistance for capacity development and for humanitarian response nationwide
• Engage national counterparts through effective advocacy on UNFPA’s agenda; build support for programme objectives and create awareness of the role of ICPD issues in the overall development agenda and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
• Represent UNFPA within the United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) and the UN Humanitarian Teams where applicable; support the UN Resident Coordinators (RCs), promote the integration of population and development, and sexual and reproductive health issues in the humanitarian, development and peace agenda;
• Drive UNFPA accountability for the UN Flash Appeal/ Humanitarian Response plans and contribute actively to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCF) results, including through chairing/co- chairing UN Results Groups;
• Initiate programme and technical support opportunities for South to South collaboration with other countries.

(D) Programme oversight and coordination;

• Drive the application of results-based management and quality assurance frameworks for the work of the Country Offices;
• Enforce financial and monitoring processes to ensure the Country Offices comply with UNFPA policies and procedures, corporate requirements, and audit recommendations;

(E) Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional Director.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Advanced 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.

Education:  

Advanced 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: 

• 15 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in public administration and international development of which at least 10 years in the field of population and development, sexual and reproductive health, or humanitarian at the international level;
• Field experience is essential including relevant experience with leading comprehensive humanitarian responses in a complex context.
•  Knowledge of issues related to population and development, sexual and reproductive health, gender based violence and their place in the development and humanitarian agenda;
• Proven ability to lead teams to achieve demonstrable and high-quality results
• Experience at national and international levels in advocacy and policy dialogue
• Experience in media/communication with partners, and public information
• Experience in international development, particularly in the mandate of UNFPA and dedication to the principles of the United Nations.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of any other UN Language is Desirable.

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,

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 Characteristis:

Norm-based – grounded in UN norms and standards

Principled – defends norms and standards without discrimination, fear or favor

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. 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.