IMPORTANT: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea and is addressed exclusively to nationals of the Republic of Korea.
The UNDP Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme:
The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) JPO Programme equips outstanding young leaders with the skills and experience required to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make a positive difference in the world. As a pathway into the world of development, the programme offers young professionals excellent exposure to multilateral cooperation and sustainable development while providing a valuable entry point into the UN system.
During their assignments, JPOs benefit from the guidance of experienced UNDP staff members and are actively involved in supporting the design and implementation of UNDP’s programs within UNDP’s headquarters, regional or country offices. Additionally, the JPO will undergo a journey of exposure and growth which will build both personal and professional capacity for a career within the multilateral development sector.
As a JPO and young professional in UNDP you should be interested in pursuing a global career with aspiration to work for a field-based organization in support of the development agenda.
The JPO will work as part of a team and be supervised by an experienced UNDP staff member, including :
- Structured guidance and feedback, especially in the beginning of the assignment, with the purpose of gradually increasing of responsibilities
- Establishment of a work plan, with clear key results
- Guidance and advice in relation to learning and training opportunities within the field of expertise
- Completion of the yearly UNDP Annual Performance Review (APR) including learning and development objectives
The JPO will benefit from the following learning and development opportunities:
- Participation in a virtual Programme Policy and Operations Induction Course within the first 4 to 6 months of assignment
- Use of yearly JPO duty-related travel and training allocation (DTTA), as per the online DTTA guide
- On-going Masterclasses on relevant and inspiring themes
- Career development support mechanisms and activities
- Networking with fellow JPOs, young professionals and senior UNDP colleagues
- Mentoring programme
- Other training and learning opportunities
Organisational context
Present in 166 countries and territories, UNDP supports governments in developing strong policies, institutions and partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on UNDP’s country presence and in close collaboration with UNDP’s Global Policy Network and the Development Coordination Office (DCO) in the UN Secretariat, the Effective Development Cooperation Team, located in the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), provides policy and technical support to partner countries and UN Country Teams on development effectiveness, and supports the work of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.
Established through the Busan Partnership Agreement in 2011, the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (Global Partnership or GPEDC) is a multi-stakeholder initiative for driving development effectiveness, to "maximize the effectiveness of all forms of co-operation for development for the shared benefits of people, planet, prosperity and peace." It brings together governments, bilateral and multilateral organizations, civil society, the private sector and representatives from parliaments and trade unions among others, who are committed to strengthening the effectiveness of their partnerships for development. The 2023-2026 Global Partnership Work Programme aims to strengthen the effectiveness of development cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and ensure that no one is left behind. The Work Programme outlines three strategic priorities; generating evidence through the GPEDC monitoring exercise; driving informed policy dialogue and action through country dialogues and strategic partnerships; and, fostering political awareness behaviour change and update through targeted outreach and advocacy. A new Work Programme will take shape in 2026 and is expected to run from 2027 to 2030. One of the key priorities under the new Work Programme will be to roll out a 5 th round of the GPEDC monitoring exercise.
Since its inception, the Global Partnership has benefitted from institutional support from UNDP together with Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), which together constitute the OECD-UNDP Joint Support Team. Annex 3 of the 2022 Geneva Outcome Document sets out the core functions of the Joint Support Team, which include: a) Management of the GPEDC Monitoring Framework and Process; b) Secretariat services and Advisory Services to Co-Chairs and Steering Committee; and c) Advocacy, Strategic Communications, Learning, and Knowledge Management support.
Position Purpose
This post is critical for strengthening UNDP’s role as a thought leader on development effectiveness and a partner of choice in supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships for the 2030 Agenda. As a part of the OECD-UNDP Joint Support Team, UNDP has committed to continue to provide support to the GPEDC. To this end, UNDP’s support draws on its policy and programme expertise for development cooperation management and coordination and covers policy analysis and advocacy; country-level evidence and data; knowledge generation, curation and sharing, with an aim to inform global policy dialogue on development effectiveness. As such, this position will support the functioning of the GPEDC, including in the areas of: 1) Policy and data analysis on development effectiveness and cooperation; 2) Support knowledge sharing and policy dialogue on development effectiveness; and 3) Support global project management.
This position reports to Policy Specialist – Effective Development Cooperation under the guidance of the Team Lead who manages the UNDP side of the Joint Support Team of the Global Partnership. As an integral part of the OECD/UNDP Joint Support Team, s/he will work closely with UNDP colleagues working both in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and the Bureau for External Relations an Advocacy, as well as DCO colleagues and the team in the OECD-Development Cooperation Directorate that supports the Global Partnership. S/he will also work with partners such as the co-chairs of the Global Partnership, multi-stakeholder Steering Committee members, thematic working groups established for the Global Partnership’s workstreams (e.g. Private Sector Engagement (PSE), effectiveness impact, data, etc.) and Global Partnership Initiatives (such as GPI on Triangular Cooperation). The position will interact regularly with focal points on development effectiveness across various programme country governments and UNDP Country Offices on relevant thematic policy areas.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Key Duties and Accountabilities
1.) Contribute to the roll out of the 5th Global Partnership for Effective Development Co operation
2.) (GPEDC) monitoring round
- Support all activities related to the GPEDC monitoring exercise, with focus on rollout of the 5th monitoring round and strong partner country engagement.
- Compile country level policy documents related to development effectiveness and organise resources for sharing with a global audience.
- Support the development of country-led stories that showcase enhanced impact in relation to development effectiveness, including drafting and editing materials for GPEDC communications.
- Contribute to production of policy briefs and relevant policy documents on effectiveness and impact of international development cooperation, including Official Development Assistance, triangular cooperation, private sector engagement through development cooperation.
Contribute to strengthening of the Global Partnership monitoring framework and process, and support preparation of global reports, country profiles, and context-specific profiles.
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3.) Support knowledge sharing, communications and advocacy on development effectiveness
- Support the development of substantive GPEDC materials, including drafting and editing of concept notes, moderation notes, speaker invitations, speaker biographies, communications material and other substantive material for GPEDC work and events, as well as compiling feedback from diverse stakeholders on draft documents and tracking and suggesting ways to incorporate feedback, as well as support to event logistics and associated tasks.
- Support communications activities related to GPEDC work and events, including updating website content and dissemination of material promotion, drafting press releases and developing social media toolkits
- Provide support to partner country governments on the GPEDC Steering Committee to drive engagement and action on the GPEDC Work Programme.
- Support drafting of stories of progress and blogs, short write ups (1-2 pages) that summarise the discussion and outcomes of government-led Action Dialogues on effective development co-operation and related GPEDC activities
- Support updating the GPEDC website and communications channels.
4.) Operational and substantive support to key effectiveness fora, including the Busan Forum
- Support substantive preparations for key effectiveness events, including GPEDC High-Level Meetings and the biennial Busan Forum, to research and support communication with possible speakers, support development of the draft programme, consolidate inputs from various stakeholders on substantive materials and incorporate edits, prepare draft event flyers and communications and promotional materials tailored to different constituencies to drive participation.
- Support organizational preparation for key effectiveness events, including GPEDC High-Level Meetings and the biennial Busan Forum, to manage participant, invitation and registration lists, support logistics planning and ad hoc organizational tasks.
- Support regular communication with the host/donor throughout the planning process to ensure a successful event.
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
Education Requirements
- Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Public Policy, Politics, Economics, Development Studies or a related area is required. Or
- A first level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned field of study in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
- A minimum of two (2) years (with master’s degree) or four (4) years (with bachelor’s degree) of working experience (paid) in working with large datasets on development cooperation, development partnerships and/or sustainable development efforts is required.
- Experience producing policy and programme guidance notes and undertaking mapping and synthesis of knowledge and evidence relating to effective development cooperation and/or sustainable development efforts is required.
- Experience undertaking country-level analysis relating to effective development cooperation and sustainable development is an advantage.
- Experience working with international bodies, a UN agency or multilateral organization is an advantage.
Experience providing support to a multi-stakeholder initiative(s), as well as familiarity with the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation is an asset.
- Experience in multi-donor funded project management, including preparing background documentation and budgets for grant agreements and preparing donor reports is desirable.
Language Requirements
- Fluency in English and Korean is required.
- Working knowledge of other UN language, in particular French or Spanish, is desirable.
- Certificate of English proficiency test is required: Applicants should score a minimum of
i) TOEFL iBT 100 or (ii) TEPS 430 or (iii) IELTS 7 or (iv) TOEIC 900
- TOEFL ‘Home Edition’ score is accepted while ‘My Best Scores’ are not accepted
- I ELTS General Training and Academic test are both accepted
- Test scores are valid for 2 years after the test date
Nationality and Age of applicant
- This JPO position is open only to nationals of the Republic of Korea
- Age of applicant: not older than 32 years of age as of 31 st December, 202 6 (born after 1 st
January, 199 4 ).
- The maximum age limit for those who served in the military will be extended accordingly: one year will be extended for those who served for less than one year; two years will be extended for those who served for more than one year and less than two years; three years will be extended for those
who served for two years or more.
- Male applicants shall have completed the Korean military service or be exempted from it. Those who will be discharged from military service in the year of the application may also apply.
- Applicants can apply for a maximum of two JPO positions sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea during the year of application.
Mandatory attachments to this Application
- A motivation letter in English
- A scanned copy of applicant’s Resident Register in English, issued by the Korean Government
- A copy of university degree (Bachelor’s/Master’s degree) certificate in English
- A copy of English proficiency test certificate A copy of English proficiency test certificate
- Candidates shortlisted for interview and under final consideration should be prepared to present: Scanned copies of Certificate of Employment, including information such as the period of employment, organization, department/unit, position/title, and duties/responsibilities, in English
- Note: Applicants should be readily available to submit upon request supporting documents for all professional experience listed in the application or other relevant documents
- Only for male applicants who have completed the national military service: A certificate of Korean Military Service in English.
- Only for low income applicants: a scanned copy of a certificate of National of National Basic Livelihood Security Recipients issued in Korean and an unofficial translation in English
- Only for persons with disability: A scanned copy of a certificate of person with disability issued in Korean and English.
Expected Demonstration of Competencies
Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area
Name
Definition
2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness
Effectiveness
Global monitoring of SDG 17 indicators
Emerging partnerships
Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships
Partnership Management
Relationship Management
Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
Business Development
Knowledge facilitation
Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
Business Management
Portfolio Management
Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management
Business Management
Communication
Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
Business Direction and Strategy
System Thinking
Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
For general information on the JPO Programme of the Republic of Korea, please visit the website of the International Organizations Recruitment Center, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea at https://unrecruit.mofa.go.kr
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Use of AI by candidates
Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
