SRI Executive · 1 week ago
Deputy Executive Director (Programme) for UNFPA
New York, United States
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
20+ years expSRI Executive Search has been contracted by the UNFPA to assist with the search for an exceptional candidate to fill the position of Deputy Executive Director (Programme). The DED (Programme) is responsible for technical and strategic leadership, management, and communication of the UNFPA programme and humanitarian response, while building partnerships with UN and bilateral agencies.
Human ResourcesInformation ServicesInformation Technology
Responsibilities
Uphold UNFPA’s normative role and mandate on sexual and reproductive health and rights and role as custodian of the International Conference on Population and Development
Provide strategic direction and leadership across all of UNFPA’s programmatic functions, including humanitarian response
Lead the organization’s programmatic contributions and oversee implementation overall of the new UNFPA Strategic Plan, 2026-2029, driving its vision for resilience and renewal
Champion and lead the strategic shift from traditional funding models to funding and leveraging sustainable financing and investment
Lead the organization's agenda on demographic change, ensuring that demographic intelligence and foresight inform rights-based policies and national development strategies
Direct UNFPA's work to achieve enhanced impact in programming at both country and regional levels
Improve the quality and control of country programmes by robustly strengthening systems, processes, and oversight structures to build resilience in a polycrisis world
Ensure that all relevant organizational units provide cutting-edge, integrated technical and policy guidance across the organization, in both development and humanitarian settings
Guide Regional Directors' visions to ensure effective oversight and quality assurance of programming, clarifying and strengthening accountabilities between regional, headquarters, and country levels
Oversee programmatic performance and lead the development of related risk mitigation strategies
Support country teams as needed, and through regional offices, with strategic decision-making and programme alignment with the organization's core mission
Oversee UNFPA’s humanitarian response strategy, policies, and implementation
Ensure that the response to humanitarian crises, transition, and recovery is effectively mainstreamed within the organization’s programming and strategic positioning, with a focus on the Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding continuum
Represent UNFPA at the highest levels of policy dialogue on programming and humanitarian matters with Executive Board Members, Member States, major international partners, and civil society organizations
Lead technical, strategy, and advocacy coalition-building to drive the mobilization of diverse and sustainable financing for transformative investments, expanding beyond traditional ODA
Build strong partnerships with governments, international financial institutions, civil society, philanthropy, and the private sector to expand and diversify funding
Leverage innovative best practices to build new and non-traditional financial partnerships to maximize investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights
Systematically strengthen the capabilities of the senior programme leadership team and developing direct reports
Work closely with the Deputy Executive Director (Management) on change management initiatives that support UNFPA's programme aims
Ensure clarity in roles, accountability, and decision-making, empowering the senior leadership team and country office heads to deliver results at a high level
Model highest standards of ethical behaviour and zero tolerance for any wrongdoing
Support other activities, initiatives and priorities as determined and guided by the Executive Director
Qualification
Required
An advanced university Degree in Public Health, Social Sciences or related discipline, with additional qualifications in Business or Public Administration/ Management highly regarded
Over 20 years of professional experience in increasingly responsible roles in public health, sustainable development or humanitarian response, with at least 10 years in a senior leadership capacity is required
Substantial experience managing a complex, large-scale portfolio of development and humanitarian programmes at the global or regional level, including expertise in programme design, results-based management, and evaluation across diverse contexts, including settings in the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding nexus
Strong experience in mobilizing resources and shaping financing strategies for development and humanitarian response, with exposure to diverse sources such as international financial institutions, domestic resource mobilization, and innovative financing mechanisms
Demonstrated ability to utilize demographic data, population analysis, and foresight to inform the design and implementation of rights-based policies and development strategies
Significant experience in advocacy, negotiation, and policy dialogue in high-level intergovernmental, multi-stakeholder, or similar fora
A strong track record of establishing and cultivating effective strategic partnerships with senior leaders across governments, multilateral organizations, financial institutions, and civil society
In-depth knowledge of the international development and humanitarian systems, gained through senior-level experience
Excellent knowledge of English is required
Preferred
Working knowledge of other UN official languages is desirable
Company
SRI Executive
SRI Executive is a global executive search and strategy consulting firm.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageCompany data provided by crunchbase