Regional Director, Arab States

The Regional Director leads the Development Coordination Office's regional interface, providing strategic leadership and coordination to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Arab States region. The role involves partnership building, strategic foresight, and supporting Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams to deliver coherent and high-quality development support.

Responsibilities

• Leads regional thought leadership on strategic regional issues pertinent to SDG acceleration both regionally and at the country level for countries within the region and across regions, convening the regional development arena and priorities to drive SDG acceleration.
• Convenes and provides strategic direction at the regional level in collaboration with Secretariat entities, Regional Economic Commissions, International Financial Institutions and UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes at regional, sub-regional and country levels.
• Strengthens collaboration and partnership with Regional Economic Commissions, other regional mechanisms, and sub-regional bodies, leveraging innovative financing, digital partnership tools and multi-stakeholder platforms to unlock SDG acceleration opportunities.
• Leads the development of regional, multi-country and special partnerships to deliver on regionally-identified priorities.
• Leads the integration of development approaches, taking account of conflict and crises, prevention and peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian needs as well as other complexities, applying scenario planning, risk analytics and foresight to strengthen organizational resilience and preparedness.
• Leads in influencing stakeholders on appropriate actions, deploying UN 2.0 skills such as foresight, behavioral science and data/evidence, that promote innovation and SDG acceleration.
• Coordinates communications and strategic messaging for RC system at regional level including regional efforts on information integrity, countering mis/dis information and advising RCs on strategic communications.
• Supports RC efforts for joint resource mobilization and investment and partnering efforts to support joint programmes and pooled funds at country and regional levels.
• Engages in and facilitates links to global and regional joint funding mechanisms, supporting RC/UNCT efforts to link these to country level Agenda 2030 initiatives.
• Works with the Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Division to translate partnership and engagement opportunities at regional and country level into dynamic, co-created initiatives leveraging cross-sector capabilities and digital innovation.
• Supports the Chair of the Regional UNSDG in providing leadership and quality assurance for UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and joint program development, ensuring alignment with regional bodies and driving innovation to accelerate SDG progress.
• Supports country delivery of UNSDCFs, integrating lessons and integrated approaches across UNCTs.
• Provides strategic guidance to Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams to ensure quality and timely support to Member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including support to RC decision-making in complex settings.
• Provides regular reporting on regional results and oversees backstopping support to RCs, UNCTs, and RCOs in the region on planning, monitoring and reporting results.
• Supports, tracks and reports on implementation of UN reform and efficiency initiatives in the region.
• Provides a facilitating role with host Governments, donors and counterparts; chairs meetings and seminars on substantive issues; represents the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences.
• Directs, manages and is accountable for the UNDCO Regional office including formulating and implementing strategy, work programme and budgets, allocating and monitoring resources, and reporting on results.
• Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Regional office, ensuring timely delivery and coordination with other UN organizations and partners.
• Ensures delivery against all applicable results frameworks and supports delivery on UN efficiency targets, driving digital transformation and process simplification.
• Supports day-to-day operations of the RC system in the region including addressing queries, approving travel and leave requests, managing dispute resolution and facilitating support missions.
• Leads on integration of risk management and foresight into all aspects of DCO's work at regional level.
• Identifies and advocates for surge support across countries and facilitates timely cross-regional surge support.
• Promotes matrix linkages across functions, countries and HQ divisions encouraging collaborative leadership behaviors.
• Contributes to strategic senior leadership talent identification and management including support to RC and Head of RCO recruitment and strategic workforce planning.
• Supports performance management of Resident Coordinators and Heads of Resident Coordinators' offices.
• Ensures compliance with UN policies on gender equality, disability and youth inclusion, staff well-being, safety and duty of care.
• Supports RCs, UNCTs and Resident Coordinator Offices on Business Innovations.
• Contributes to formulation of UNDCO strategies and policies and overall management of the Office's activities as a senior management team member.
• Coordinates, oversees and contributes to preparation of regional reports for interagency and intergovernmental bodies.
• Oversees recruitment of staff for the Regional Office ensuring geographical and gender balance; manages, guides and trains staff fostering teamwork and communication.
• Performs other related duties as requested by senior management.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in international relations or public administration, law, social sciences or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in development cooperation coordination is required, including at least ten (10) years in senior leadership roles in international settings involving interagency and/or inter-organizational collaboration.
• A minimum of five (5) years of field experience in development cooperation is required, along with demonstrated experience in leading strategy and/or policy formulation in the area of development coordination.
• Substantive international development experience is required, including demonstrated engagement with public-private sector interfaces, SDG financing, and innovation.
• Experience in leading organizational reform and/or change management is required, including performance management of senior managers in multicultural environments and integrating gender equality/inclusion.
• Experience in overseeing both programmatic and administrative functions necessary for the effective operation of a large and complex organizational unit is required.
• Experience in managing budgets in a development cooperation context, with demonstrated risk awareness and exposure to complex, humanitarian and/or conflict settings, is desirable.
• Experience as a United Nations Resident Coordinator or demonstrated substantive knowledge of the UN Resident Coordinator system, the United Nations system more broadly, or a comparable international organization, is desirable.
• Experience working in the Arab region is an advantage.
• Experience in the application of digital, data, foresight, and/or behavioral science tools and approaches in development contexts is desirable.
• Experience in strategic resource mobilization and partnership-building, including with governments, the private sector, international financial institutions, and/or civil society, is desirable.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in a regional or sub-regional capacity, coordinating development actions across multiple countries and involving interagency and/or inter-organizational collaboration, is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level II reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• Arabic is desirable at UN Level II reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Development Cooperation
• Senior Executive Leadership
• Interagency Collaboration
• Cross-Organizational Collaboration
• Field Experience in Development
• Strategy Formulation
• Policy Formulation Support
• International Development
• Public-Sector Engagement
• SDG Financing
• Innovation in Development
• Organizational Reform
• Change Management
• Performance Management
• Gender Equality Integration
• Programmatic Oversight
• Administrative Support Oversight
• Budget Management
• Risk Awareness
• Humanitarian Experience
• Conflict Settings
• UN Resident Coordinator System Knowledge
• Digital Tools Integration
• Data Tools
• Foresight Tools Application
• Behavioral Science Tools Application
• Strategic Resource Mobilization
• Partnership Building
• Regional Coordination

Languages

English, Arabic