Org. Setting and Reporting
The UN Secretary-General launched on 1 January 2019 a bold and new global reform which repositioned the UN Development System to deliver more effectively and efficiently with the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of this reform, UN Resident Coordinator Offices (UN RCO), under the leadership of an empowered and independent UN Resident Coordinator - the highest-ranking official of the UN Development System and Representative of the UN Secretary-General at country level - support countries in the achievement of their development priorities and the attainment of the SDGs. This position supports the United Nations Joint Programme “Promoting Inclusive Employment and Empowerment” in Kuwait, a multi-agency initiative implemented by four Participating United Nations Organizations in partnership with national counterparts, employers’ and workers’ organizations and civil society actors. The programme brings together two complementary pillars: one focused on strengthening the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the world of work, and another aimed at enhancing Kuwait’s national response to substance use through rehabilitation and reintegration. The programme is designed to advance national development priorities and contribute to progress under the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. This position is hosted within the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (UN RCO) in Kuwait and under the overall supervision of the Resident Coordinator, or her designate, and with day-to-day reporting to the convening agency of the Joint Programme “Promoting Inclusive Employment and Empowerment”. The Programme Management Officer leads the day-to-day implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the joint programme across the four Participating United Nations Organizations (PUNOs), in close coordination and consultation with the four PUNOs, ensuring coherence of activities with agreed objectives, timelines, and donor requirements. In this capacity, the incumbent coordinates the preparation of consolidated narrative inputs and programme-level reports, drawing on submissions from implementing agencies and ensuring their quality, consistency, and timely circulation to the Programme Steering Committee and the donor.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Program Management Officer will be responsible for the following duties: •Serves as the primary coordination interface between the Administrative Agent (WHO) and the Convening Agent (UNESCO) of the Programme as well as the four Participating United Nations Organizations and the donor, ensuring coherent communication and alignment on programmatic and administrative matters; supports the establishment, organization, and effective functioning of the Programme Steering Committee, including the preparation of meeting agendas, documentation, and follow- up on decisions and action points . •Ensures systematic mapping of programme outcomes and deliverables against the relevant Sustainable Development Goals and their associated targets, establishing a clear line of sight between program results and Kuwait's national commitments under the 2030 Agenda under the umbrella of the UN Cooperation Framework; tracks and documents the program's contribution to SDG progress on an ongoing basis and ensures that reporting to the donor and the Project Steering Committee explicitly reflects this contribution; works closely with the Participating United Nations Organizations and government counterparts to position the program as a tangible vehicle for advancing Kuwait's SDG trajectory, and supports the integration of SDG progress data into national voluntary reporting processes where relevant. •Functions as the primary liaison between the joint program and relevant government counterparts and civil society organizations, fostering sustained engagement and ensuring timely communication of program objectives, priorities, and emerging developments; maintains regular dialogue with national stakeholders to ensure alignment of program outcomes with government policies and priorities, and facilitates the incorporation of civil society perspectives, including those of the organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) into program planning and implementation to strengthen national ownership and the relevance of results. •Oversees the day-to-day coordination and implementation of the joint programme across the four Participating United Nations Organizations, ensuring coherence with agreed workplans, timelines, and budgets; monitors programmatic progress and analyzes implementation trends; reviews reports, outputs, and relevant documentation to identify bottlenecks or risks and propose timely corrective measures in consultation with the relevant agencies and the donor. •Coordinates the consolidation of programmatic and financial reports received from the four Participating UN Organizations, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to donor reporting standards and timelines; reviews and quality-assures narrative and financial submissions prior to circulation, and ensures their timely transmission to the donor in line with agreed reporting schedules. •Maintains comprehensive records of all reporting documentation, including progress reports, financial statements, and workplan updates, to support transparency and accountability throughout the programme cycle. Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. •Performs other duties as required such as the communication strategy to establish and jointly perform with the Donor. Work implies frequent interaction with the following: Establish and maintain relationships with counterparts, senior officers and technical staff in relevant\government, workers’ and employers’ organizations, CSOs units and in PUNOs and other UN specialized agencies; Results Expected: Successful implementation of the Joint Programme and the delivery of expected results; Develops, implements, evaluates, effective leadership and management of Joint Programme teams; demonstrates timely delivery of outputs in accordance with overall objectives and policies. Plays a lead role in identifying significant issues and develops well-reasoned, innovative approaches to deal with these issues. Serves as an effective spokesperson internally and externally and forms strong partnerships with relevant parties.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to particular sector, functional area or other specialized field. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Ability to speak and write in Arabic is an advantage. CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is an advantage.
Job - Specific Qualification
Not available.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, administration or related area is required. Experience in monitoring, reporting and data analysis, including consolidation of narrative and financial reports, preparation of high-quality analytical reports, and tracking programme performance against strategic frameworks is required. Experience in coordination and implementation, including experience in multi-stakeholder or multi-agency initiatives, donor-funded programmes, and results-based management is required. Experience working within the United Nations system or other international organizations, including coordination among multiple UN entities and engagement with government counterparts and civil society organizations is desirable. Experience supporting intergovernmental or high-level coordination mechanisms, such as steering committees or programme boards, and familiarity with donor reporting standards and voluntary national reporting processes related to the 2030 Agenda is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Arabic is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).
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EnglishUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level II
Desirable LanguagesLanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeaking
ArabicUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level II
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
THIS IS A FIXED TERM LIMITED POSITION. Appointment or assignment against this post is for an initial period of one (1) year and any extension will be subject to availability of funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. "External candidate selected for this position will be granted a fixed-term appointment limited ("FTA-limited") in accordance with section 2.2 (b) of administrative instruction ST/AI/2013/1 on Administration of fixed-term appointments. Renewal of appointment is contingent upon continued existence of mandate and availability of funding. If this position is discontinued, the incumbent will be separated from service. United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of "internal candidate" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position subject to limitation will retain their current appointment status and will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position." Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Internal Applicants: When completing the form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up-to-date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. Individual contractors and consultants (Non-Staff Personnel) who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59
