Chief, Transformation and Strategic Initiatives Branch, Office of the Executive Director (OED), New York, D-1

The Position:

The Chief, Transformation and Strategic Initiatives Branch , plays a pivotal role in driving UNFPA’s institutional transformation and strategic positioning, acting as a key partner to the Chief of Staff in advancing organization-wide reform, innovation, and performance.  The role serves as a central integrator of cross-organizational transformation efforts, including UNFPA’s change management and transformation processes,  broader UN80 reform processes, and priority corporate initiatives

The position of Chief, Transformation and Strategic Initiatives Branch, is located within the Office of the Executive Director, and reports to the Chief of Staff, working closely with the Chief of Staff to drive institutional priorities and ensure coherence across strategic, operational, and reform agendas

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results

Job Purpose:

In supervision of the team, the Chief will empower UNFPA through expert guidance, strategic coordination, capacity building and knowledge management, fostering a dynamic environment where transformation and strategic and innovative initiatives  thrives. By forging strategic partnerships across sectors, the Chief will mobilize expertise, capabilities and resources to advance priority initiatives,, accelerating progress towards the three transformative results. The key priorities of this position are:

• Lead and support institutional transformation and organizational change:  Design coordinate and advance selected transformation and change initiatives,, ensuring coherence with with organizational priorities  reform processes and emerging trends.
• Advance strategic and innovative initiatives:  : Support the development, incubation and acceleration of selected strategic and innovative initiatives aligned with organizational goals, priorities, emerging opportunities,  and insights from foresight activities.
• Foster an enabling environment for transformation: Build capacity, enable knowledge sharing,  and support organizational learning to advance transformation, strategic initiatives and organizational effectiveness in line with broader UN processes and organizational transformation processes, including UN80 initiatives, as appropriate.
• Enable strategic partnerships and new approaches: : Forge partnerships  and facilitate access to relevant expertise, technologies and financing approaches to support transformation priorities and strategic initiatives, in coordination with relevant organizational units. 

You would be responsible for:

A. Lead and Coordinate Institutional Transformation and Strategic Initiatives 

• Lead the management, strategic planning and coordination of selected institutional transformation priorities and strategic initiatives to support leadership with priority-setting, forward planning and strategic analysis.
• Lead and coordinate  with UNFPA Business Units efforts to design and mobilize transformation approaches and strategic and innovative initiatives, and guide and oversee their implementation, ensuring coherence with organizational priorities, Strategic Plans, UN Reforms, and emerging trends.
• Provide strategic leadership and stewardship for for UNFPA's transformation and strategic innovation agenda ,, ensuring alignment with the Strategic Plan, organizational goals, and insights from foresight activities to advance corporate performance.
• Ensure alignment of transformation priorities and strategic initiatives with executive decision-making processes, including direct support to the Executive Committee and senior leadership forums,. 
• Ensure harmonization and linkages with institutional messaging oninstitutional transformation, strategic initiatives and innovation  in interactions with the Member States, UN inter-agency groups, donors and other partners.
• Lead or provide strategic coordination and acceleration support to selected high-priority transformation and strategic initiatives, ensuring delivery of results across business units including special corporate or change management projects including projects/initiatives relating to innovation and transformation.
• Act as a central coordination point across divisions, regions, and governance bodies to ensure alignment and execution of selected transformation priorities and strategic initiatives under the Branch’s remit..

B. Enable Organizational Learning and Transformation Capacity

• Deliver learning opportunities on transformation, change and strategic initiatives and support building  capacity of Business Units for these efforts.
• Ensure availability of technical assistance, best practices, tools, and methods for transformation and strategic and innovative initiatives  empowering teams to overcome challenges and achieve progress.
• Promote institutional learning and capacity building through targeted initiatives and strategic knowledge dissemination.
• Foster learning exchange and knowledge sharing on best practices in institutional transformation, organizational change and strategic initiatives both within UNFPA and with external partners.
• Facilitate communities of practice and knowledge exchange on transformation, innovation and strategic initiatives, as relevant..
• Develop and curate knowledge resources on innovation and corporate performance optimization, fostering information exchange within and beyond UNFPA.
• Provide operational support for both innovation and corporate performance initiatives, streamlining processes and systems to support efficient implementation.

C. Enable  Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization 

• Build, in collaboration with other Business Units,  strategic engagement with public and private sector partners, development banks and, International Financial Institutions, to enable expertise, financing and scale for selected strategic and innovative initiatives and achieve organizational goals.
• Champion initiatives that foster collaboration across Business Units and external actors, building synergies and maximizing impact to advance organizational priorities.
• Advocate for and promote UNFPA's transformation and strategic initiatives within UN inter-agency groups, Member States, and the broader development community, leveraging insights from foresight activities.
• Identify and cultivate new models of partnership that leverage complementary capabilities across sectors, considering how these partnerships can enable  transformation and strategic initiatives..
• Leverage the opportunities offered by innovative financing, to advance selected strategic initiatives, including investments in impactful solutions and proven solutions implementable at national scale.
• Manage dedicated capital for both innovation and corporate performance initiatives, subject to availability, ensuring prudent and impactful allocation across both areas.
• Provide specialist advice and support to develop partnership and financing approaches for strategic initiatives, in coordination with relevant organizational units.
• Any other duties as assigned 

D. Provide Strategic Support and Surge Capacity

• Provide focused and time-bound strategic support to executive leadership on emerging priorities, transformation challenges and complex cross-organizational initiatives.
• Mobilize and convene expertise from across headquarters, regional and country offices around defined institutional priorities and challenges.
• Provide rapid analysis, options development, strategic coordination and problem-solving support on matters requiring focused executive attention.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced university degree (minimum Master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Science, Business Administration, International Development, sustainable development, economics, project management, institutional transformation, organizational change, strategic initiatives, public policy, public administration,  or another relevant field is required.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, innovation, partnership development, inter-agency cooperation and related areas is required.
• Extensive experience in leading and managing teams within large complex organisations, providing strategic guidance
• Substantive knowledge and practical experience in population & development, sexual & reproductive health, and gender.
• Experience in leading the development innovation strategies or plans and implementing them across complex technical areas.
• Demonstrated experience in leading institutional transformation, organizational change and/or complex cross-organizational initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior leadership and translating strategic priorities into coordinated organizational action.
• Experience in leveraging innovation for sustainable development solutions.
• Experience in building and managing diverse partnerships with governments, NGOs, private sector, and donors to secure funding and achieve development goals.
• Experience in working in the private sector around innovation or innovative solutions is an advantage.
• Experience working in field settings including regional and country offices is an asset.

Languages: 

• Proficiency in English required. 
• Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset.

 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,

Functional Competencies:

• Identify opportunities for enhancing effectiveness and efficiency. 
• Actively contribute to the setting or organizational priorities in a consultative process.
• Revise goals and plans to reflect changing priorities or conditions.
• Coordinate the translation of organizational strategies into concrete plans.
• Advocacy / Advancing a policy-orientated agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners / building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Strategically positioning UNFPA programme
• Providing a technical support system

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

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. 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.