Strategy and Planning Specialist

Background
  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
 

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. UNDP supports countries in developing policies, leadership skills, partnerships, and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its work is centred around six core development areas, known as UNDP's signature solutions: poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy, and gender equality.

The Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (RBEC) serves a diverse and dynamic region comprising 18 countries and territories. The region has undergone profound transformations, compounded by a series of multifaceted crises and development challenges in recent years. To address these issues, UNDP implements integrated development solutions that promote resilience, social cohesion, and inclusive governance, aligning with UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025. Through areas of work like climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, economic development and sustainable financing, RBEC strives to build capacities that enhance development across the region.

RBEC teams in the New York Headquarters and Istanbul Regional Hub work together to support offices to deliver UNDP programmes in country- and region- specific contexts of development priorities and partnerships, while contributing to UNDP global policies, practices, approaches, and tools.   

  Position Purpose

The Strategy and Planning Specialist, as part of the RBEC HQ team, contributes to orchestrating and facilitating the Regional Bureau's planning functions, overseeing progress monitoring, and ensuring results reporting is in sync with the Strategic Plan, Bureau priorities, vision, and resource allocations within the region.

The incumbent provides analysis and advice to the Bureau's leadership regarding performance against corporate targets and commitments, actively identifying and addressing risks within the Integrated Work Plan's risk management framework. The Strategy and Planning Specialist monitors and analyzes complex political, economic, and social dynamics in assigned countries, providing strategic insights on their implications for UNDP's programming and partnerships. The incumbent synthesizes this analysis into high-quality briefing materials and policy recommendations, enabling senior management to make informed decisions and respond effectively to emerging opportunities and challenges across the region.

Working closely with Country Offices and colleagues in the Istanbul Regional Hub, the Strategy and Planning Specialist promotes integrated approaches to programming that respond to complex development challenges and crises, while accommodating changing business needs. The incumbent collaborates across teams and functions to identify synergies between programmes and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve strategic goals. Recognizing the interconnected nature of today's development challenges, the incumbent works horizontally across units, teams and projects to enhance multidisciplinary collaboration and enable systemic responses.

The Strategy and Planning Specialist also contributes to gathering and analyzing comprehensive regional bureau performance data, aligning global, regional, and country-level organizational datasets with the Bureau's work plan while ensuring that RBEC meets regional and corporate requirements. The incumbent proactively manages evolving priorities and contributes insights to the Bureau's performance management tools and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The primary responsibilities of the Strategy & Planning Specialist are:

• Advise & Support country portfolio analysis, coordination and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide substantive contributions to RBEC’s regional and corporate strategic initia