UNDP Assistant Resident Representative (Nationals only) || Apply Now

The Assistant Resident Representative will oversee the implementation of the programme under those Outcomes. S/he will lead the team in strategic planning, identifying new programming opportunities while ensuring consistency with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and UNDP CPD priorities. They will also provide innovative responses to new and emerging challenges and opportunities.

Duties and Responsibilities of Resident Representative

Spearhead the strategic direction, coordination and management of UNDP’s resilience, environmental sustainability and crisis management including joint UN programmes with UNDP’s participation and other collaborative UN initiatives:

• Leads the analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of the UNSDCF, UNDP’s Country Programme Document (CPD), annual business planning, dialogue compact, integrated work plan and ROAR project documents, their work plans, and other programmatic documents, guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals. ;
• Development of the country office programme portfolio in the respective areas and participation in response to national priorities, UN/DP programming frameworks, including corporate Strategic Plan;
• Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation and contribution to the definition of related policy research, advocacy, and advisory work, based on strategic goals of UN/DP, country needs and partner priorities.
• Leads the design of the climate and biodiversity finance strategy, as well as a comprehensive landscape and key stakeholder analysis to determine implementation activities existing in climate and biodiversity financing, and the key stakeholders involved.

Ensures accountability and effective management of the environment and climate change unit and supervision of the relevant teams focusing on quality control and effective oversight of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation achieving the following results:

• Develop the unit’s mandate, plan, and strategies in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan, CPD and priorities of the government.
• Serve as the primary interlocutor between the portfolio and the Government counterpart officials and institutions (public and private) partnering on the relevant thematic areas.
• Leading and providing strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Follow up on all review and audit recommendations including timely reporting of all exceptions.
• Lead implementation of UNDP’s programme standards and strategies and policies i.e. Gender equality, Digital strategies, resilience guidelines and all signature solutions.

Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and leads  the resource mobilization in cooperation with the CO Senior Management and other programme units focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensure that UNDP’s thought leadership is recognized, and the government is supported with high-quality and demand-driven policy advice.
• Leads deployment of partnership strategies and related actions with a focus on programme portfolio development and the identification of sustainable and predictable funding mechanisms for the implementation of the country programme, including but not limited to GCF, GEF and other sources of Vertical Funds. Generation of a predictable, multi-year pipeline of non-core resources contributing to sustaining UNDP’s portfolio; and support resource mobilization efforts under the direction of the RR, DRR with a focus on financing the CPD and UNDP’s contribution to the UNSDPF
• Strong partnership with national and international partners (government institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, IFIs, vertical funds, private sector, civil society), contributing to raising the profile and credibility of UN/DP in the related areas;
• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible programmatic areas of cooperation and common interest, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and partners’ priorities.

Leads  provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provides thought leadership and identifies strategic policy and programme issues in close collaboration with national partners leading to the formulation of substantive policy advice and programming.
• Coordinates and supports  of development institutions working towards  addressing national development priorities  in collaboration with the government and other strategic partners;
• Translates evaluation findings, real-time monitoring data, and applied learning to formulate adaptations in UNDP’s programme / project and policy advisory work.
• Leads the implementation of awareness building and advocacy around UN/UNDP events and observances related to environmental conventions on climate change (UNFCCC), Biodiversity (CBD) Desertification (UNCCD) and chemical conventions.
• Ensures capacity building of national counterparts for effective management and compliance with funding partner’s requirements including those of vertical funds.
• Contributes proactively to knowledge networks and communities of practice regionally and globally.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Environment and Climate Change team leader

• Providing high-quality guidance and supervision to the UNDP CO and Project Staff in the portfolio and to UNDP technical advisory staff embedded within government offices.
• Ensure  Performance Development Goals (PMD) of the staff meet organizational expectations and behavior – and their learning targets are set and supported.
• Ensure that responsibilities are assigned among the team so that all projects within the portfolio are updated regularly.
• Ensure that team has sufficient capacity to deliver the strategy and work plan including achieved through efficiency gain.
• Leads development and nurturing of an empowering work environment in the unit, providing guidance and supporting unit members to deliver at their optimum level.

Check : Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) Internship 2024

Required Skills and Experience