Technical Advisor (Social Development)

There are 8 mission Hubs in UNOPS, and they have been set up to  aid internal coordination within UNOPS, aimed at supporting our efforts to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contributing to the implementation of UNOPS Strategic Plan 2022-2025.

Mission Hub Objectives

• Contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, including the expanded results framework;
• Reinforce and leverage expertise and capacity for UNOPS’ contributions to the 2030 Agenda and to the repositioning of the UN Development System;
• Drive cross-regional engagement, peer learning, and promote knowledge management at all levels;
• Strengthen our knowledge base and capabilities to deliver more effectively with whom we partner;
• Leverage external expertise to enhance our institutional capacity;
• Collect data, evidence and insights, and improve strategic foresight capacity.

This Technical Senior Advisor role, specializing in Social Development, will provide high-level technical expertise and support to two specific UNOPS mission hubs focusing on two of the mission hubs; Healthcare and Social Protection, equality, education and jobs. In 2025, a key priority for these mission hubs will be to strengthen knowledge management, analyze past experiences, and identify future opportunities to enhance UNOPS' support in these critical areas from a social development perspective.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

The Technical Senior Advisor (Specialist in Social Development) will provide specialized technical guidance and support to the designated UNOPS mission hubs to enhance their knowledge base, identify effective approaches, and explore opportunities for scaling up UNOPS' impact, with a specific focus on social development aspects. In 2025, the primary focus will be on knowledge management, the production of case studies, foresight analysis, and the ideation of innovative solutions within the contexts of the two missions.

3. Objectives of the Mission Hubs (with a focus for 2025):

• Contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, including the expanded results framework: In 2025, this will be achieved through a deeper understanding of what works and doesn't in relation to social development within the hub's focus areas, informing future strategic directions.
• Reinforce and leverage expertise and capacity for UNOPS’ contributions to the 2030 Agenda and to the repositioning of the UN Development System: In 2025, this will involve analyzing past contributions and identifying opportunities to enhance future impact in social development within the UN system, particularly in the nexus and food systems.
• Drive cross-regional engagement, peer learning, and promote knowledge management at all levels: A central focus for 2025, with the Advisor playing a key role in facilitating this across the two designated hubs.
• Strengthen our knowledge base and capabilities to deliver more effectively with whom we partner: In 2025, this will involve documenting successful and unsuccessful partnerships related to social development, identifying gaps and areas for improvement within the nexus and food systems contexts.
• Leverage external expertise to enhance our institutional capacity: In 2025, this will include identifying potential external partners and expertise in social development relevant to the hubs' focus areas.
• Collect data, evidence and insights, and improve strategic foresight capacity: A significant focus for 2025, with the Advisor leading efforts to collect data for case studies, identify future opportunities in social development, and ideate potential UNOPS responses within the nexus and food systems.

Under the guidance of the Supervisor, the Technical Senior Advisor (Specialist in Social Development) will be responsible for the following duties:

• Specialized Technical Advice in Social Development:

  • Provide expert technical advice and support to the mission hubs on integrating social development principles, approaches, and best practices into their respective portfolios related to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and food systems transformation. This includes areas such as social inclusion, gender equality, community engagement, and addressing inequalities.

  • Stay abreast of the latest developments, research, and best practices in social development, and advise the mission hubs on their application within their specific contexts.

• Knowledge Management and Case Study Production (Focus for 2025):

  • Support the UNOPS KM team on the identification, development, and documentation of case studies that analyze successful and less successful interventions related to social development within the mission hubs' areas of focus.

  • Analyze these case studies to identify what works well, what doesn't, what could be replicated in other contexts, and what the key gaps are in addressing social development challenges within the nexus and food systems.

• Foresight and Opportunity Identification (Focus for 2025):

  • Conduct foresight analysis to identify emerging social trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and food systems transformation.

  • Analyze the social, political, and economic landscape to anticipate future demands and needs in these areas from a social development perspective.

• Ideation and Scaling Up Approaches (Focus for 2025):

  • Facilitate ideation workshops and discussions with mission hub staff and partners to develop innovative approaches and solutions for leveraging opportunities in social development within the nexus and food systems.

  • Explore strategies for how UNOPS could scale up its support to countries in these areas to effectively respond to demand, ensuring social inclusion and equity are central to the response.

• Cross-Hub Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing:

  • Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing on social development initiatives across the two designated mission hubs.

  • Organize and facilitate peer learning events and knowledge exchange platforms.

• Partnership Engagement:

  • Provide technical input to the regions in engaging with partners on social development related aspects of their work.

  • Identify potential new partners and opportunities for collaboration in this thematic area.

• Reporting and Documentation:

  • Prepare high-quality technical reports, case studies, briefing notes, and other products as required.

  • Contribute to the preparation of progress reports on the foresight and ideation activities of the mission hubs.

• Other Duties:

  • Undertake other relevant tasks as assigned by the Supervisor.

Impact of Results:

The work of the Technical Senior Advisor (Specialist in Social Development) will directly contribute to:

• Enhanced understanding of effective and less effective social development approaches within the contexts of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and food systems transformation.
• Increased availability of high-quality case studies and knowledge products on social development to inform UNOPS' work and that of its partners.
• Improved strategic foresight capacity within the mission hubs to anticipate future social development challenges and opportunities.
• Identification of innovative approaches and strategies for scaling up UNOPS' support in these areas, ensuring a strong social development lens.
• Strengthened collaboration and knowledge sharing across the relevant mission hubs on social development issues.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application through the UNOPS online recruitment system. The application should include a cover letter highlighting their relevant experience and qualifications, specifically in green and blue growth and their understanding of its application within the contexts of triple planetary crisis, quality healthcare, and just digital transformation. A detailed curriculum vitae (CV) should also be included

Contract type: International ICA
Contract level: IICA-3 (ICS 11)
Contract duration: 6 months initially with the possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance and business needs

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.