Date: External Relations Officer

Requisition ID: 4712
Grade: P4
Country: Austria
Duty Station: Vienna
Category: Professional and Higher
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Staff-Full-time
Appointment Type: Fixed Term - 100 series
Indicative Minimum Net Annual Salary: 120,165 USD
Application Deadline: 10-Jan-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
Female candidates from all Member States are particularly encouraged to apply.

Organizational Context

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate is responsible for the Liaison Offices in Brussels (GLO/BRO), Geneva (GLO/GVO) and New York (GLO/NYO) as well as following Divisions: Policymaking Organs (GLO/PMO), Funding Partner Relations (GLO/FPR), Investment and Technology Promotion Offices and Institutional Partnerships (GLO/ITP), and Regional Bureaus and Field Coordination (GLO/RFO). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with organizational entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The position is located under the Division of Funding Partner Relations (GLO/FPR). The division establishes and maintains strategic and policy-level relations with funding partners. In this capacity, the Division also supports UNIDO's mobilization of voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities through effective portfolio-level integrated programming and coordination with funding partners. Furthermore, the Division coordinates institutional assessments of UNIDO's fiduciary functions in close cooperation with SPP/SSC as well as project and programme-specific verifications in cooperation with COR/FIN and other organizational entities.

The External Relations Officer works under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Division; and in close collaboration with the colleagues to support the mandate of the Division.

At the P4 level, the incumbent is expected to deliver (a) work that is innovative and original; (b) in creating an enabling environment which expands across functions and sectors; (c) in building partnerships which result in advocating and championing UNIDO’s programmes and (d) in achieving results within Programme teams. The measure of success is systemic and catalytic delivery of results.

The UNIDO Staff Performance Management System reinforces the collaboration within formal units as well as among cross-functional teams. In this context, the incumbent collaborates with his/her supervisor and colleagues, within as well as outside the unit. Within the formal teams, the incumbent may be expected to backstop other team members as required.

Staff -members are subject to the authority of the Director General and in this context all staff are expected to serve in any assignment and duty station as determined by the needs of the Organization.

Main Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Division Chief of GLO/FPR and working in close coordination with several services in UNIDO, the incumbent will perform, among others, the following main duties:

Strategic engagement with funding partners:

• Act as the institutional focal point for the engagement with selected funding partners, in particular European Union institutions, on matters related to voluntary contributions,
• In close cooperation with relevant services of the Organization, prepare and regularly update briefing notes, reports and recommendations for UNIDO’s senior management on strategic aspects of the cooperation with these funding partners, as well as on relevant trends,
• Contribute to the guidance required to strengthen resource mobilization efforts undertaken by UNIDO officials, notably those working at field offices through best-practice advice, partner intelligence and specific support for country-level resource mobilization efforts,
• Represent UNIDO in inter-agency coordination mechanisms to contribute to the development of common positions and instruments regarding the engagement with funding partners,
• Contribute to the Organization’s reports to its policymaking organs,
• Lead the coordination of selected institutional assessments undertaken by funding partners and contribute to their follow-up.

  Management of contractual and administrative aspects of UNIDO’s relation with funding partners:

  • Draft and negotiate, in close cooperation with relevant UNIDO services, including the Office of Legal Affairs and the Division of Financial Resource Management, funding agreements regarding voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities of UNIDO,
  • Contribute to quality assurance procedures in the formulation and approval process of projects and programmes and related reporting requirements, and advise relevant services on compliance requirements of specific funding partners,
  • Coordinate the management of UNIDO’s inputs to OPSYS, the European Commission’s information management system for agreement management and reporting purposes, and build related in-house capacities through related guidance notes and training,
  • Actively contribute to the design and the continuous innovation of information management instruments required for the discharge of GLO/FPR’s functions and contribute to the further development of policies and procedures under the purview of the Division.
    • Perform other related duties and assignments as required by the Chief of the Division or Director of the Department.

      Organizational requirements and desirable criteria

      Education:

      Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in economics, business administration, international relations, international development, public administration or other field relevant to UNIDO’s mandate, is required.

      Experience:

      A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible working experience in the areas of the mandate of the Division, including at the international level is required.

      Excellent demonstrated knowledge of European Union institutions as well as the European Union’s development cooperation priorities and engagement modalities with United Nations entities. Extensive experience in negotiating funding arrangements as well as in addressing related financial and administrative matters throughout the management cycle of funding agreement, is required. Successful track-record in the management of institutional assessments performed by funding partners is highly desirable. Exposure to the needs, conditions and problems in developing countries, is desirable.