Regional Director, Africa, D2 Full Time NEW

Job Description

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 oversight of the Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In 2026, DCO undertook a recalibration to ensure the RC system remains optimally configured to support the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda, and fully embodies the UN 2.0 shift—anchored in data, digital, innovation, behavioral science, strategic foresight, and a mission driven organizational culture. The Regional Director reports to the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG)/Director, Development Coordination Office (UNDCO), under the overall leadership of the Chair of the UNSDG/Deputy Secretary-General as a second reporting officer. The Regional Director leads DCO’s interface at the regional level, ensuring effective horizontal collaboration across the UN Development System. The Regional Director performs a key strategic role in advancing the collaboration across regional mechanisms, including the Regional Platforms for Integration, and provides field-facing support to regional and country offices, in close collaboration with the Regional Economic Commission. The Regional Director supports the Resident Coordinator system by enabling effective coordination with all parts of DCO to deliver coherent, timely, and high-quality support for the implementation of DCO’s mandate. As a core member of the UNDCO senior leadership team, the Regional Director leads DCO’s regional coordination support to Resident Coordinators. The Regional Director works closely with the Director of the Partnerships and Engagement Division, the Director of the SDG Coordination, Integrated Policy and Programme Division, the Chief of the RC System Leadership Branch, the Chief of Staff and the strategic units in the Office of the ASG, as well as with the Secretariat’s OneEO, to promote coherent, timely and system wide SDG delivery. The position is located in the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) in Addis Ababa.

Responsibilities  Competencies

• Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations or public administration, law, social sciences or 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.

• Work Experience: A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in development cooperation coordination is required, including at least ten (10) years in senior leadership roles in international settings involving interagency and/or inter-organizational collaboration. A minimum of five (5) years of field experience in development cooperation is required, along with demonstrated experience in leading strategy and/or policy formulation in the area of development coordination. Substantive international development experience is required, including demonstrated engagement with public-private sector interfaces, SDG financing, and innovation. Experience in leading organizational reform and/or change management is required, including performance management of senior managers in multicultural environments and integrating gender equality/inclusion. Experience in overseeing both programmatic and administrative functions necessary for the effective operation of a large and complex organizational unit is required.
• Experience in managing budgets in a development cooperation context, with demonstrated risk awareness and exposure to complex, humanitarian and/or conflict settings, is desirable. Experience as a United Nations Resident Coordinator or demonstrated substantive knowledge of the UN Resident Coordinator system, the United Nations system more broadly, or a comparable international organization, is desirable.
• Experience working in the Africa region is an advantage.
• Experience in the application of digital, data, foresight, and/or behavioral science tools and approaches in development contexts is desirable. Experience in strategic resource mobilization and partnership-building, including with governments, the private sector, international financial institutions, and/or civil society, is desirable.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in a regional or sub-regional capacity, coordinating development actions across multiple countries and involving interagency and/or inter-organizational collaboration, is desirable.