Important: Under the JPO programme framework, the following position is open only to nationals of the Republic of Korea. For detailed information on the JPO Programme and recruitment criteria, please visit https://www.undp.org/jposc
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, implementation and monitoring 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 multidisciplinary UNDP team, 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, professional goals, with clear key results and indicators.
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 opportunitiesOrganisational context:
UNDP provides integrated programmatic, policy and financing solutions to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context, UNDP has created a Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Crisis Bureau (CB) are the two anchor Bureaux of the GPN.
The Crisis Bureau (CB) spearheads UNDP’s efforts to support countries on a key challenge: how to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from fragility and crisis. CB addresses the risks that precipitate crises, prevent early exit from them, and perpetuate long-term dependency on humanitarian assistance. Guided by UNDP’s Crisis Offer (2022), CB works within the GPN and with Regional Bureaux (RBx) and Country Offices (COs) to implement solutions across prevention, response and recovery that help break the cycle of protracted fragility and crisis.
CB is organized into five core teams. Each team integrates gender considerations across all areas of work to ensure inclusive and sustainable outcomes, leaving no one behind.
The Strategic Partnerships and Communications (SPC) Team builds, maintains, and strengthens a network of strategic partnerships across key constituencies - UN, IFI, bilaterals, private sector, foundations, civil society, NGOs – to raise visibility, deepen engagement and generate increased political support and funding for UNDP’s work on fragility and crisis. The SPC’s objectives include resource mobilisation through custodianship of a multi-year strategy to secure higher quality funding from traditional and non-traditional sources. The team identifies, builds, and helps sustain broad-based partnerships across key constituencies with particular emphasis on operations from Brussels, Geneva, New York and Washington, DC. SPC provides advice on relevant UN system policies and programmes and supports UNDP’s engagement strategy for and contributions to relevant UN inter-agency coordination mechanisms, such as the IASC and JSC, among others. In addition, the SPC team serves as the custodian of a CB-wide communications strategy and coordinates, monitors, and reports regularly on its implementation. To this end, it also leads within CB and the GPN on crisis communications, working closely with BERA, RBx and COs.
Position Purpose:
The JPO will support multidisciplinary engagement with the Republic of Korea and other key partners on HDP approaches during humanitarian emergencies, including on the topics of Early Recovery and Forced Displacement, in support of donor priorities, UNDP’s Strategic Plan and Crisis Offer.
Duties and Responsibilities:1) Strategic engagement with donors on HDP approaches during a humanitarian response, including through Early Recovery and development solutions to displacement.
• Support the establishment and monitoring of a centralized funding mechanism on development solutions in humanitarian response.
• Track ongoing engagement with strategic partners, including ROK, on these topics across UNDP.
• Develop analysis of global trends, to better understand partnership and resource mobilization opportunities on these topics.
• Support COs in their efforts to access funding from the centralized mechanism.
• Coordinate with other relevant units across UNDP, including CB teams, BERA and Regional Bureaux.
2) Contribute to the strategic communication and reporting related to partnership engagement, and develop related materials for internal and external counterparts
• Support timely and results-based monitoring and reporting, with relevant teams and COs.
• Prepare visibility materials in collaboration with the CB comms team (e.g. blogs and online stories, decks, digital brochure, etc.).
• Prepare internal communication products, such as updates for CB and UNDP newsletters.
• Update UNITY and other partnership trackers.
• Liaise with CB and UNDP communications team to update UNDP’s website pages on related work when there is an opportunity to feature specific funding partners on these topics.
• Support editing, translation, printing and dissemination of publications, online, audio and visual materials.
• Support the preparation of visuals, flyers and other outreach materials for programme activities.
3) Support the development of knowledge products and tools
• Contribute to the development of guidance notes and lessons learned for COs to engage with this funding, including towards mainstreaming gender considerations.
• Support mapping of other key partners who may want to contribute/engage in this funding mechanism.
• Support preparations for relevant events and outreach.
• Support other related duties as requested by Supervisor.
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
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.
Partnership Management/ Resource Mobilisation: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.
Communications/ Writing and editing: Ability to create and/or edit written content.
Business Management/ Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Business Management/ Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.
Business Management/ Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Language requirements (Required / Desired):
Proficiency in written and spoken of both languages English and Korean. Working knowledge of at least one other UN language is desirable.ANNEX 1 Conditions of Eligibility (Requirements by the Donor)
General Requirements for candidates applying to the JPO Programme of the Republic of Korea:a) Korean citizenship
b) Fluency in Korean and English
c) Completion of university with a Bachelor’s degree
d) Certificate of English proficiency test: 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 ‘MyBest Scores’ are not accepted
- IELTS General Training and Academic test are both accepted
- Test scores are valid for 2 years after the test date
e) Not older than 32 years of age as of 31st December, 2025 (born after 1st January, 1993). 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.
f) 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.
g) 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.
2. Required Documents
Attachments needed (please note that once the application is submitted in the system, you cannot go back to upload documents or edit information)
Documents can be uploaded either as a single combined PDF or as separate PDF/Image files.
a) A copy of CV and motivation letter in English
b) A scanned copy of applicant’s Resident Register in English
c) A copy of university degree (Bachelor’s/Master’s degree) certificate in English
d) A copy of English proficiency test certificate. Please check the minimum requirements/scores above.
e) Only for male applicants who have completed the national military service: A certificate of Korean Military Service in English. The maximum age limit for those who served in the military will be extended in accordance with the Support for Discharged Soldiers Act and the Military Service Law.
f) Only for low-income applicants: A scanned copy of a certificate of National Basic Livelihood Security Recipients issued in Korean and its unofficial translation in English
g) Only for persons with disability: A scanned copy of a certificate of person with disability issued in Korean and English
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.
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