Org. Setting and Reporting

In its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the Development Operations Coordination Office (DCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO exercises managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the collective ownership of the members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In 2026, DCO undertook a comprehensive organizational recalibration to ensure the RCS remains optimally configured to support the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda in its final years, and fully embodies the UN 2.0 shiftanchored in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, strategic foresight, and a mission driven organizational culture. The position is located in the RC System Leadership Branch in the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) in New York and reports to the Chief, RC System Leadership Branch.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief, Talent Acquisition and Management Section, will be responsible for the following duties: 1. Talent outreach, sourcing and inter-agency engagement:

• Develop, update and implement a sourcing and outreach strategy to attract diverse, highly qualified candidates for the RC track, including targeted approaches to strengthen gender balance and geographical diversity.
• Build and sustain inter-agency engagement with HR and leadership development counterparts across the UN system to secure buy-in, promote the RC career track, and facilitate identification and grooming of high-potential candidates.
• Engage with external stakeholder communities, as appropriate, to broaden feeder pools and increase awareness of the RC track, while ensuring alignment with UN values and due diligence requirements.
• Lead the design of processes to identify, cultivate, and maintain diverse pipelines of internal and external candidates, including a targeted strategy for outreach to non-UN candidates, for leadership roles in RCOs and DCO, leveraging digital platforms and data analytics and predictive modelling, contract lifecycle management, recruitment optimization and vacancy prioritization, talent reassignment and internal mobility protocol as well as partnerships with partner talent pipeline initiatives for strategic placement and sourcing of talent to identify and attract diverse, high-potential candidates.
• Lead the design and implementation of an HR talent management strategy, including structured leadership assessment and succession planning, integrated work force analytics, for RCO and DCO leadership roles, aligned with UN 2.0, organizational needs and workforce planning frameworks. 2. RC/HC Talent Pipeline management:
• Lead the design, governance and day-to-day management of the RC/HC Talent Pipeline jointly with OCHA and in collaboration with UNSDG partners, and propose continuous improvements to ensure the programme identifies and prepares the most suitable talents for the RC track.
• Plan and manage the end-to-end annual pipeline selection cycle (e.g., call for expressions of interest, eligibility screening, assessment, entity endorsement processes, review boards/panels, and communications with candidates and entities), ensuring transparency, equity, confidentiality and adherence to established procedures.
• Provide career counselling and advisory support to pipeline members and other prospective candidates, in close coordination with their parent entities, to inform leadership development pathways towards the RC track. 3. Assessment design and RCAC management:
• Lead the design, update and quality assurance of the RC/HC Talent Pipeline entrance assessment, incorporating lessons learned and ensuring assessment tools reliably capture leadership potential and the specific requirements of the RC/HC context.
• Coordinate the RCAC cycle in liaison with contracted vendor(s) and relevant governance bodies, including review and refinement of tools, operational planning, candidate management, RCAC review boards, and results communications.
• Ensure effective management of vendor deliverables, timelines and quality standards; draft/clear technical requirements and monitor performance in accordance with UN procurement and contract management practices. 4. Strategic planning, analytics and stakeholder reporting:
• Contribute to RC system workforce planning and forecasting by analysing pipeline and RC Pool data, identifying profile gaps and diversity trends, and translating findings into actionable talent management recommendations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in relevant corporate systems (e.g., Salesforce) and ensure data integrity, reporting quality and appropriate access controls for sensitive information.
• Prepare high-quality briefings, dashboards, presentations and decision memos for senior leadership and governance bodies, as required.
• Promote knowledge management and clear, accessible communications on the RC/HC Talent Pipeline and RCAC for internal and inter-agency audiences. 5. Team and programme coordination:
• Plan and oversee the management of activities undertaken by the Talent Management Team; ensure that work programmes and deliverables are executed in a timely manner and aligned with branch priorities.
• Coordinate with other UNDCO teams and relevant UN entities on interconnected policy and operational issues related to RC leadership, performance management, mobility and deployment readiness.
• Provide policy guidance to the Chief of the RC System Leadership Branch on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and its relationship with existing policies and procedures.
• Champion a culture of agility, collaboration, innovation, and digital transformation within the RC System.
• Employ artificial intelligence and other digital tools to develop and maintain a pool of candidates for different contextual settings (in line with differentiated contextual needs of RCOs (HICs, MICs, LICs and/or LLDCs and SIDS), multi-country offices, and RCOs in complex settings).
• Support and monitor initiatives that enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion across RC System Leadership talent management processes,
• Develop processes to check and align the RC pool with UN 2.0 capabilities
• Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of human resources policies, practices and procedures and ability to apply them in an organizational setting. In-depth knowledge of strategic human resources management, and in particular of talent management and career development. Ability to identify issues, analyze and formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations on complex human resources policy and development issues. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. 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. BUILDING TRUST: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to others; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately. JUDGMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies key issues in complex situations, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in human resources management, business or public administration, social sciences, education or a 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.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in strategic human resources management, including talent management and career development is required. Experience in building senior leadership pipelines is desirable. Experience working with senior UN leaders, or comparable, is desirable. Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization is desirable. Experience in facilitating inter-agency or multi-stakeholder collaboration is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. 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).

Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level II

UN Level II

UN Level II

UN Level II

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is open for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension subject to legislative body funding availability. 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. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 September 2025, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

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 perpetrators 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 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS BANK ACCOUNTS.